Yorktown Heights, N.Y.
Jan. 24, 1900.My dear Susie,
What wouldn't I give to have you here tonight! I feel just like having a prodigious gossip with you, and turning my heart inside out. Would you like to see the inside of it? I fear your eyes have the ability to peep into it very often, where it is quite closed to other people.
I have just finished reading "Janice Meredith." I got a great amount of enjoyment out of it. I should not place it among the books that I treasure most, but it is certainly very entertaining. "Richard Carvel" is to be the next. I think I shall leave that, however, until I go to Aunt Hannah's for a visit and then I can read it aloud to her and Uncle George.
I have been having much real pleasure lately, and have much more in store, I am sure. A week ago tonight we had our "cobweb party." There were twelve guests present, and we had a jolly time. Josie Kear and Emma Conklin came in the afternoon and helped to make the cobweb, and Emma stayed all night with me.
Saturday evening my cousin David Franklin Lane came to visit us and stayed until Monday morning. He is a dear boy. He brought a quantity of the biggest carnations that I have ever seen and we are still enjoying them.
Did I tell you about Mr. Willis Paine's request that Edna, Josie and I try to persuade the people of Yorktown to start a Village Improvement Society? Yesterday afternoon we went out to begin our canvas of the village, and had excellent success. We were able to make only about a dozen calls, but we added enough to Mr. Paines twenty five dollars to make it fifty four and we hope on Saturday to raise it to seventy five. Then we are going to try to get the inhabitants of Yorktown to assemble, and also to get Mr. Paine to come up from the city, and with his help we think the Village Improvement Society will be organized. The more we interest him in the organization, the more money we can get from him for improving the place. Just at present everyone realize the need of sidewalks, for we sink deeply in the mud whenever we attempt to walk about the village.
Last Monday Phebe Anna and I spent a delightful day at Mrs. Conklin's. The occasion was a birthday dinner given in honor of her nephew, Mr. Randolph Lee. I had the great honor of being taken out to dinner by Mr. Lee and found him very enjoyable indeed. It was his thirtieth birthday, I believe. Phebe Anna and I agreed that we had scarcely ever spent so enjoyable a day.
Next Saturday evening I am going to Emma Conklin to stay until Tuesday morning. Then I must work hard Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to get some necessary sewing done. On Friday we are all going to Chappaqua to stay until Saturday night.
The following week I shall spend with Aunt Hannah. On the twelfth I am going to Carmel to visit Miss Foster and shall probably stay about two days. On the twenty second Phebe Anna and I are going to a C. E. Convention in Yonkers and shall probably go to Mt. Vernon to stay over night with Grace Clark.
So you see I have a program made out for some weeks ahead.
It is bed time, so goodnight.
Lovingly,
Gertrude.P.S. I feel positively wicked when I stop to think of my idle life. I am afraid I am a "cumberer of the earth."