Wed. nightDear Mamma:-
I guess I'll have time to write a little note before I go to a wild party given by two sisters who sit at our table. It's so hot that I hate to think of being in a lighted room with people. Today has been almost as bad as those first days, and this is to continue, so the paper says. Going back and forth at noon is the worst for it is a good fifteen minutes fast walk from here to the laboratory - twice as far as in South Hadley.
If I have time tonight I'll try to look up that corset cover pattern. I think the best way would be for this woman to get one basted - tucked up the front as you know mine are - and then for you to send it to me and let me fit it. The pattern isn't right exactly, and I haven't a waist that is, either. If she can make them I think I'd better have eight while I am about it - 4 thinner ones for summer cut low neck, and 4 thicker ones for winter with higher necks. The thinner ones might be Lonsdale or rather thin Eng. long cloth, and the thicker ones of cloth such as I have had before. I'll get the edging in Boston - not because it would be any better than in Phillips - but I'd rather like to pick it out myself. I can see what kind I want on each sort - and not just what I have had before.
The work goes on very well, but there is lots to do. This week a famous German is lecturing once a day, and two days twice, and he is very fine - but his English is remarkable. If I hadn't heard Dr. Loeb for a year I'm sure I couldn't understand all he says. These extra things are quite as profitable as the courses I am taking. I find the Physiology professors very kind, and I have a lot of notes about books and apparatus to buy.
I had to come upstairs to see to finish and it certainly is stifling hot up here. We have three west windows in one room, one in the other and no blinds, so you can see we get heat in the afternoon.
I will put in Flora's letter, was glad to see it. [no longer with the letter] About the insurance, I hardly know what to say. It seems to me fully enough, but I don't know whether it would be best to drop
allany or not. Is it necessary to have so much on one house and so much on the other instead of all on the whole business? The 4 1/2 Crown is the one to be most overvalued, I guess - but it seems to me that 200 or 300 might come off of each, rather than to leave 400 or 600 off of one. This summer perhaps you might have the policies made for $600 and $1000. That wouldn't be too much for 4 Crown St, I think.I must stop now if I am going to do any chemistry before going to the party.
Love to you,
Abby