[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading]Templeton, Mass.,
Feb. 7, 1904.Dear Lucy:-
I have been very bad to-day and stayed home from church. There was no Sunday School so I thought I would have a day all to myself. I am in great trouble just at present. Carrie Wright is going to have a party next Saturday night and she wants me to come & spend the night and Friday I had an "invite" to Ralph's party which is next Friday night and don't know which to go to. My mother rather insinuates that I shall not go to both. If I don't go to Carrie's I am afraid that she will feel hurt and if I don't go to Ralph's I wont [sic] have any invitations to the things that I have heard are coming so I don't see but that I shall have to go to both.
I haven't been anywhere this week of course. Uncle Tom's Cabin was played in the afternoon Friday at Gardner and all the girls went but I did not think it quite the proper thing for me. There was a meeting of L.A.H. yesterday. As old Mrs. Parkhurst does not go out of her room yet we had our meeting in the sitting-room. I don't remember our ever having it in there before. The president called the meeting to order and as the secretary (Bessie) was not present a secretary protem (Dorothy) was chosin. [sic] We voted to have a party Mar. 25 in the chapel back one of us is to invite a boy (O! for a boy) and our mother. This year we will entertain our mothers in one room and we have a good time in the Ladies' Parlors. If Mama won't go I can ask Auntie. You had better write to Mama and tell [her] she better go. I think that she would have a good time, don't you?
Helen and Martha Newton are on the entertainment committee and Linnie, Dorothy, and I are to get something to eat. Can't you suggest something different from what we had last year that wouldn't cost much? Last year we had cake, candy, popcorn, fruit and water. Mrs. P told us about the things we got for Xmas. A cape for Mrs. Chadwick, caps for the Grimes' children, an apron for Mrs. Grimes, some handkerchiefs for Mr. Grimes, and a necktie for the oldest boy. An apron for Mrs. Hiram Seaver. An apron for Mrs. Chadwick's sister and some handkerchiefs for Mr. Chadwick, games for the two State boys, some flannels for a woman in Brook Village, and some shoes for Mrs. Riley. She told Grace that the shoes were all right but she wished that it had been a waist. She went Tuesday to the Poor Farm in Holden and we are glad for now she will be taken care of.
Mr. P. told us about Bessie Bourn. After the shop was burned she and her father & the Dinons moved away. Some time lately Bessie came back up here. She said that Mrs. Dinon ill treated her. Her father is around here now and has frightened Bessie several times when he was drunk. Mrs. P. thinks that she could earn her living by doing house work. She got her a pair of rubbers charging it to the L.A.H. She said that Bessie had never had any before. We voted money enough so if Bessie needs it, that a dress can be bought and a dressmaker hired to cut it. Mrs. P. has got a man from the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children to look after this case.
Tuesday we had the fun of walking to E. Templeton. The wind blew the snow on to the track so hard that it all had to be shovelled off. The snow plow and a car got stuck down by Mr. Brook's meadow. We were told that we wouldn't be able to go before noon so we girls and Mrs. Chadwick walked[,] Arthur went home & Lucius went to shovelling. It wasn't bad walking as the snow was so hard that we could walk on the drifts. It was cold went [sic] we first started but we walked so fast that we were hot when we got there. The B. car had gone so we calld [sic] on Mrs. George Lilly till it came back. Then we rushed out so as to be sure to get it & the old thing went to the car barn & then came back & went to B. while after considerable switching another one went to G. We got to school at the end of the sixth period. Coming home they told us that the cars hadn't got up in town yet so we started and caught up with a log team and rode on that though in reality the cars had just got through. I guess that none of us are the worse for it, though the Doctor thought that it was awful. When does your Easter vacation begin?
X X X X X X X X X With love, X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Molly. X X X X X X X X X X