Templeton, Mass.
Jan. 17, 1903. [but actually 1904 - a classic New Year's dating error]Dear Lucy:-
Again I have volumes to write to you but this time I have no time to do it in the reason for which you will see later. Cousin Minnie & Cousin Moses & the boys have been here this afternoon. I brought out my horses & my engine & I thought that they would drive us wild. We were late Friday. Our car didn't go up until alter than it ought to have and the Baldwinville car didn't wait for us so we had to wait for that & thought we would combusticate waiting there. We got up to school just as the third bell range. Report cards come out to-morrow. "Woe! Woe! O Earth! O Apollo!"
Will you please send an itemized bill of things you got for us to give away Xmas. Elmer has been sick. If any of your friends have a camera I wish that you would get her to come in & take a picture of you when you read the rest of my letter as the whole family would like to see it. For I went to Barre Friday night on a sleigh ride, with a boy, and didn't get home till one o'clock. The boys in town have been getting up a sleigh ride ever since Helen's party. The Greenwoods have been helping the ride along & doing every thing they could for it. The boys took the girls & we didn't have to pay a cent. Mrs. Greenwood was chaperon, a "necessary evil" as she herself called it. We were supposed to start at half past six but the team didn't come till quarter past seven. We were all coupled off Linnie & Edie, Marion & Arthur, Helen & Sandy, Ralph & Louise, Bessie & Willie, & Lucius & I.
Lucius came for me at half past six and we went over to the Greenwoods. Edie, Arthur & Willie were just starting for Linnie's where Marion & Bessie were. Helen & Ralph were at the Greenwood's. The car hadn't come and we hoped that the team would be a little late so Sandy could go. The car came and Ralph went over to see Sandy & he came back mad. Sandy wasn't going but he would pay his part if the boys wanted it. Poor Sandy if he had heard everything we said about him. There he had gone & said he was going & then backed out & left Helen without anyone. The truth is that Sandy hadn't got a cent to pay for it. He hasn't been working lately & Mr. Drury told Linnie that Sandy tried to borrow money all over town but couldnt [sic] but he played until after midnight that night & lost two dollars. Ralph was dreadfully mad for that matter we all were. Ralph and Lucius walked the floor from half past six until quarter past seven.
At last the team came with Charlie Seaver as driver. We stopped at Linnies & then again for Louise & arrived at Barre at nine o'clock. We went into the hotel & the landlord talked a few minutes with Mrs. Greenwood & then she said that we were at the wrong hotel. So we had to walk over to the other. We got our things off and fixed up & then went in to supper. First we had oyster stew, then potato chips, cold turkey, rolls, and cocoa, then cake & oranges. We had a bad time trying to find out what we were expected to eat and when to do it. After supper we danced in the parlor. It was cold but we put something over us. About eleven o'clock we started home. We ate candy & sung all the way home. We sung every song that anybody had ever heard of. On the ride two couples got pretty close to-gether. Marion & Arthur, Ralph & Louise. There was a lovely dog at the hotel. We were taken into a little room & there he lay waiting I suppose to receive us.
Here are two conundrums that Lucius asked. You can be thinking about them & I will try & remember to send the answers next time.
1. If a negro should die, what would the rest of the negroes do?
2. What is the longest word in the English language?
Don't you think we had quite a time? Everybody had a lovely time.
With love, X X X X X X X X X X X X X
Mary. X X X X X X X X