Dear Mamma:-Well, I think I'm spending Sunday in the loveliest house I ever got into. Frances Smith's aunt had lived here all her life, and her parents before her, and it is a fine, big old house, that has ben beautifully kept and made up-to date without hurting it. There is a lot of land with fine big old trees of all sorts - and the house has more lovely things in it than I ever saw together before. The dishes we eat off of are remarkable - cut glass goblets - old ones - and so far an entirely new lot of every thing for each meal. It is remarkable and I find it very pleasant. Frances has to dispose of everything. It does seem such a pity to scatter the lovely things but her aunt gave them all away very carefully, so that it is as easy for Frances as can be. She has had to make a list of everything in the house for the people who determine the income tax. I guess you'd have thought you had a job if Aunt Lucy's possessions had been as many as these. There are two servants and a coachman, beside a gardener in the summer - and now Frances is here all alone. She will begin to get people here to pack things off to the various places as soon as she can after the tax is settled. There were hundreds and hundreds of books to catalogue - and so many elegant pictures, and furniture! But I'm glad enough I came just to see the things. You just ought to see the linen sheets, and I've got a new idea in pillow cases - simple enough, too. She met me at the station yesterday after noon, and last evening we talked quite a while. Had tea just after I came, and supper alter. This morning we went to church and then to drive before dinner. The air was fine, tho the road was horrid - two nice horses, and a coachman in livery. It is very pretty country around here indeed, and Wallingford must be fully half as large as Nashua, I think.
Then a Dr. Atwater, a neighbor, came in to dinner - a nice man, connected with the school for boys near here. He has just gone. I shall go back tomorrow morning. Frances expects to go west as soon as she can send things off - perhaps in two months - and then abroad next summer for a year or more. I guess she has enough to live very comfortably, tho her aunt left a great many bequests. Frances has to see to the selling of lots of stocks &c in order to pay them.
Wednesday the woman at whose house in Holyoke I'm to give a lecture to the Holyoke Nature Study Club Feb. 20 called on me, but I happened to be out. I must go down to see her soon.
Wednesday evening I went to the theatre in Springfield with some of the girls. I told Ethel Swift, who got up the party, to be sure the car would connect with the train in coming home, and she thought she had, but there was some misunderstanding and we were left - no car when we reached Holyoke. For once I felt that a chaperone amounted to something, for I found out about a stable in South Hadley Falls. We went there by trolley, got a policeman to rouse the stable keeper, got a hack into which all seven piled, and came up to college. He only charged 50 cents apiece which seemed very moderate to me for a wild night right. There is another Shakespeare play in Holyoke tomorrow night and some of the same party asked me to go to that, partly because they were rather ashamed of this other mix-up, I guess. I am glad because it [is] a play which is very seldom given, and this will be a good production. I've always noticed that if I go to the theatre once I go two or three times, and then there is a long gap.
I don't know how many more things I shall think that I need, but there is one more. I tried to put on my elegant new lace collar and cuffs today, but I can't do it until I have a higher silk collar on my purple waist. I left the pieces at home, I think, on the bed. If you didn't see them, don't look, for I may have brought them back to South Hadley. I have not looked there as I hadn't realized the difficulty until today. Please send enough for a collar - I don't know whether there is enough in one piece, but I shall have to piece it if there is a single piece large enough. It has to be tucked. When you write in the middle of the week will be time enough and you can fold the pieces so they will come in an envelope. I'm sorry to have to ask for so many things, but I did not know about this, and I hurried so in packing that I forgot the others.
Miss Smith is getting on all right I think - she doesn't get tired as easily as she did.
Wish I had time to run into New Haven tomorrow morning to see Dr Dole. Wallingford is only about 12 miles out - and I'd like to see another nice house.
I have heard of some more people who want places to live next year but I don't know whether there will be any new houses put up or not. I hope so.
But it is dark and I must stop. I hope you will get that piece of the stove by spring! I am glad Mary can wear the waist and jacket. The petticoat is very nice indeed. I think all the people in South Hadley are better, but the Stevens sisters are both crankier than ever. Miss Clara was fairly insulting to Miss Smith the other day, and I guess she wont go there again right off. They are the worst. Hope Mr. Gage has paid his rent because I have to pay my insurance this month and there isn't much left. I shall have some Feb. 15, however, if you can get on until then.
Much love to you -
Abby.Wallingford.
Jan. 13.