South Hadley
Mar. 4 1891My dear Mary
I think that you may engage that Miss R- to see Mrs. Field - for March 26 or thereabouts. Vacation comes about that time and I shall probably have two dresses and a silk waist to be fixed. Therefore I would like to engage her for several days, of course. Perhaps she could tell better than I. I shall have one stiff dress & one to take the place of my sateen - Possibly Etta may want something done, but I guess not as she is getting her work done here - It will be quite a relief if you have somebody that will go out by the day and attend to business.
Is March 22 the date for the council? I judged so from you[r] remarks -
Mrs. Stoddard has just died of apoplexy - Miss Hazen received a telegram to-day. She used to be principal before Mrs. Gulliver, you know. How fast the old ones are going - those who have known about things in the early days - Mrs. Pease, Miss Shattuck & now Mrs. Stoddard in a little more than a year -
I have been puttering over my Tribune article a good share of the day - all the morn - so I am out of that for this term I hope.
The Amherst Glee Club came over last night - the hack drivers took them off the road, round by Granby & the reception which was to come at 7 came at 8 then the concert began about 8.45 and closed 10.30 & they got off finally at about 11.30 - then we composed ourselves to sleep -
The Sophomores were the ones to hold the reception & asked Mrs. Mead to receive with them. At the last moment she roused up & refused to receive unless they invited the faculty which made the girls hopping mad, at that late hour - & refreshments all ordered &c, but they had to go thro' the motions to some extent and two teachers went down. Mrs. Mead was put up to it by Miss Cowles - so the girls say - while others say Mrs. Mead has a mind of her own & would not be nosed by Miss C. & therefore Mrs. M. has to take the indignation. So it goes - Who ever it is
theyshe dont [sic] suit them all, so it seems -I must go to bed -
Thurs. morn. I will try and remember to take Winter Sunshine when I go home, is there any other of his [John Burroughs] books that you want to read, as I have them all except the last - Indoor Studies - Dr. Wood of N.Y[.] is lecturing here just now on the History of Civilization. He is the same who gave me the quotation "Youths & Maids enjoy today naught we know about to-morrow" &c
Write me if you can get this individual to dress make for me in vacation. I go to Springfield next Wed to buy my dry goods - If you want any errands done let me know -