Templeton, Mass
Oct. 7, 1906.Dear Sister:-
It's a very little letter you will be after getting to-day for (mirabile dictu) Cousin Fred has come. We hadn't expected him yesterday for he wrote he didn't think he could come & so we were all disappointed. I was practising [sic] and incidentally listening for the car when the front door bell rang. Auntie & Cousin Lizzie were down at Miss Wilkinson's & I thought it was they. But lo and behold it was Cousin Fred. We took him into the back parlor so that when they came home they would suspect nothing. Auntie came & then ran over to Mrs. Parker's so we surprised Cousin Lizzie first. Then we waited & waited for Auntie & when she came I was practising & Cousin Lizzie was out in the kitchen. I called to her & asked her a question, & when she came in a more surprised woman it would be hard to find.
It is Mon. night now. There was too much going on yesterday to allow me to finish this elegantly written epistle so I left my letter just where it was before breakfast.
The "Rough & Ready" wasn't in it this year but I don't feel so terribly about it. The wind was against them. They only played a little over 190 feet. The engine that won "Gen. Taylor" from Everett only played deux cent vingt nuit [sic] feet and some odd inches. Our men got vingt cinq dollars for the engine that came the farthest. The men got into Boston at six o'clock and instead of coming home nearly all went to the theatre. Even if they didn't get a prize they did one thing to [be] proud of. Although they were in Boston from six until midnight Mr. Parker said that when they reached Templeton there was only one man that was "over the bay". I call that pretty good don't you? The twenty-five dollars that they got makes five hundred and fifty that they have taken at five musters. The women of the town thought they ought to [be] rewarded so they got up a supper & a dance for them Sat. night. I was asked to wait on tables, of course I was delighted - until Cousin Fred came, but as I had agreed to go I had to leave the "Evergreens." The supper was to be at seven but it was at least half past before they sat down. The firemen & their families were invited so I guess there were sixty or more. Clara Bourn, Sadie Judd, Lucy Hadley, Grace Stanley, Bertie Cobleigh, Helen Maynard, Beulah, Rena & I waited on tables. Rollin Johnson poured coffee. The ladies' parlor & library were all trimmed up with red & white & the waiters wore badges of red ribbon. James Maynard and Bardille led the procession. The folks marched down stairs into the dining-rooms while the drum corps played. I had laid in with Cousin Fred to come over after me (for reasons which you will doubtless understand.) I hadn't had my supper when he came but I didn't object for I was tired of serving food. Lucius had been watching me & when I put on my coat he put on his. COusin Minnie & Cousin Moses were there & while we were talking he went out. When we came out he was waiting & finally he struck out just ahead of us & went home I guess. Cousin Fred didn't know what was going on & he has been worried ever since for fear Lucius would attack him.
Yesterday we didn't do anything special. Cousin Lizzie had bought a comical book when she was at Worcester & Cousin Fred got his nose into that & we couldn't [do] any thing with him until he finished it. When I got through I read it. He said that he had been reading it to see whether it was proper for me to read & he read out to me all the parts he wanted me to skip. Cousin Lizzie & Mr. Lord came down after church & stayed an hour. Cousin Minnie & the boys came up for a few minutes. & Cousin Bessie came over in the evening. Carl had his pocket full of chestnuts which he gave me. Cousin Fred & I ate & ate & roasted what were left. In the evening Cousin Fred was talking about science & it was fine to hear him. We had a good joke on Auntie yesterday. It was growing cold & we expected a frost & we had been watching the weather all the P.M. Before dinner Auntie went out & said it was fifty-one. After dinner she looked again & came in & said that it wasn't any colder. In fact she thought it was a little warmer for it was only about fifty then. Wasn't that [a] good one?
Last Mon. night Mrs. Carpented [sic] & Ruth M. played a game of croquet against Nellie & I. It was a pretty close game like some of those we had last summer, but Nellie & I won. That makes me think I got a letter from Bertha recently. She is well & is enjoying her school. The entering class, she said, was a very large one. I got a postal from Linnie Sat. She is rather homesick. She expects to come up to spend Sunday two weeks from yesterday. I saw Mrs. Searles to-day & she said that she & Guy went to church Sun. & were going to sit with us if we had been there. What an opportunity I missed!
Tuesday I took a music lesson & still remain to tell the story. What will you say when I tell you that I learned a little piece in five sharps so well in a week that I haven't got to have it again! Miss Blodgett is going away to-morrow to spend two or three weeks. Lucy Hadley is going to take her place at the Power House. Auntie got me a sofa pillow in Worcester to outline for Roger. It is a pattern of autumn leaves & is very pretty.
Wed. we were all invited down to Cousin Minnie's to supper, but Mama & Uncle didn't go. I went down late. The baby was pretty fussy but I shouldn't wonder if she was frightened at seeing so many people. Carl read to me and wrote for me & I read Russell to sleep after supper. I hated to wake him up but I had to. Then I undressed him & he trotted off to bed. Thurs. I had to study something the way I used to. Fri. I wasn't happy for the men were beaten & Cousin Fred wasn't coming but things all cleared up nicely.
The L.A.H. Club had its first meeting Sat. The Ladies' Scoiety are going to send some barrels to some people Mrs. Parkhurst heard about, & we are going to help out. We are also going to give the little Ingraham girl some things. I must stop for I am getting as sleepy as Cousin Fred was. He couldn't keep awake.
With love,
Molly.Poor Jack has many troubles doesn't he?