Dear Mamma:-I realize that if a letter is going to get down to Mittie's by the time you do, I'd better send it for mails here move slowly.
I'm glad you found things so well in Nashua, all things considered. Mr Clough did well to get even that much from Mr. Nixon, I think. But I guess he will have more work before long. Mr. Gage will pay all right, but of course it is a bad time to rent the house. Still somebody may turn up and be a good tenant. You seem to have seen a lot of people, but it must have been hot this week.
It has been hot here until we had showers yesterday, but yet the air had more life in it than in South Hadley, or Nashua. Today has been elegant. I walked around to Mary Lyon's birthplace - seven or eight miles in all, I guess - this morning. It is certainly a remote spot. Didn't meet a single person on the road after I turned off the main road about a quarter of a mile from here. Saw a few men haying &c, and they all spoke very pleasantly - the foreigners haven't gotten in here yet. I wanted to go up the hill Mary Lyon used to climb, but there is a bull in that pasture, and I didn't dare risk it. The birthplace is in another pasture.
The wild strawberries are fine - never had so many before. And we have cultivated ones at least twice a day. Mrs. Warfield cooks pretty well, but some of the dishes are considerable dirty! She can't see well. I'd like to wipe the dishes a few times, but she will not let me!
My sewing is getting on. My grey gingham dress is fixed, the little piece made for my blue one, two petticoats fixed, and this afternoon I gasolined my two silk waists and the cuffs and collar of my white silk waist. The dishes might be cleaner at the Taylor's but I shouldn't have half so much room nor the chance to do all these things. Tomorrow I shall iron the waists. Mrs. Warfield is as kind as she can be - offered her machine and irons. The machine is an old Singer but I've oiled it up and it goes now fairly well.
Miss Smith and I went to Ashfield Monday. Rode over in the stage, ate our dinner behind the church, called on a Mrs. Hall who knew Mary Lyon very well, and walked home. Mary Lyon boarded with Mrs. Hall's family when she went to Ashfield Academy, and later Mrs. Hall went to Mt. Holyoke. She was sitting out in a lovely summer house, so we didn't see the inside of the house which is said to be full of old furniture. But we enjoyed hearing her talk. We walked home through what they call Little Switzerland, where the view down the valley is lovely. The hills are beautiful, certainly. I didn't make any mistake in coming here.
Miss Smith left Tuesday morning, and I have missed her a lot, though there has been plenty to do. The old road that leads up by the house here has only two more houses on it and then just goes up into pastures, where the views are splendid. I've found a few red raspberries, and there will be more next week.
Elizabeth comes tomorrow, I suppose. I shall be glad to see her, and I think she can't help liking the country. I want her to see Mary Lyon's birthplace, but I don't know just how to get her there. The Dea. has a horse, 18 years old but skittish, and he is very busy haying. I took a picture yesterday that ought to be very good of the hay field and hills beyond.
Miss Smith got home all right. Mrs. Packer is still there - is sewing for Mrs. Smith.
I found one of your corset covers in my trunk today with mine. Don't know how it got there. I'll send it to you as soon as I can find some paste to stick a paper over the address already on an envelope. They have no paste at either store in town! And it's too late now to ask Elizabeth to get any.
My washing was done very well and cheaper than in So. Hadley. I shall try to start clean to Cornell.
Give my love to Mittie. I hope you will not find the journey too hard. I presume you went to Boston today, or else go tomorrow.
Love to you,
AbbyThursday night - June 25.