My dear sister,-
I am going to begin this epistle in time this week. We did not get the mail today on account of the rain and bad trave
lling. I am anxious to hear how you are going to spend your vacation. I think you may as well go to George's, that is if they invite you. It is time some one inspected the small boy again and reported to those interested.Father and I went to kirk on the Sabbath leaving Charlie at home in charge of affairs.
Mrs. Back is in a frame of mind about the choir and had a good many private remarks to make to me. She thinks the "Millerites" are making tools of the Foggs to get her out of her position as organist. I think there are some grounds for thinking so, but I hope Mrs. B. will not turn against the minister. We had congregational singingone Sunday. Now we are all back on our perches. Mrs. Fogg does not sing in the choir, and I havn't [sic] seen Mrs. Miller out yet. Addie was at church last Sunday. She sends her love to you. She has moved to some other place in Holland, I don't know where, and her recent illness was malaria caused by using the water from a long unused well at the house. She left her baby at her father's and I don't know where she left her husband.
Mrs. Booth had the society Wednesday. Wish I could have gone. Harry Back was at church Sunday, a little fatter and a little balder than I have seen him before.
Father went to Southbridge Wednesday with the usual load and Charlie with a load of oak plank. Father stayed over night at Fred's as he had to prepare the house for the bridal pair. He got the "widder woman" in the little house on the corner to wash all the floors while he cleaned out the cellar. I don't know just when Mr. Roy and Miss Plimpton are to be married but they are going to pay rent from April 1. We hope they are going to be satisfactory tenants.
Of all the woeful times I have had lately the most woeful was yesterday. I knew in the morning that I was in for a headache so I did the necessary work as speedily as possible. Then I thought it might be a benefit to soak my feet in hot water and mustard. When they were nicely asoak a knock was heard at the south door. Knowing that I hadn't time to get in stockings and shoes I put on my rubber boots and went to the door to greet Rev. Mr. Randlett. He had agreed to meet Oliver Marcy here and so came in to wait for him. We had a pleasant visit and then he went on up north followed soon by Mr. Marcy.
Then I finished my soaking. (It did no good.) After Charlie had finished his dinner and gone out I threw myself down on the lounge, thinking I should have to stay there all the afternoon, when there came another knock and there were Rev. and Mrs. Fogg! They reached here at half-past twelve having been detained by the in roads. They couldn't come the direct road so they came around by Mr. Crawford's and had to chop the ice in some places so their horse could get along. Then I went to work and got them a lunch. Fortunatly [sic] I had quite a variety cooked but I had quite a time getting it ready. I dropped the cover of the butter jar and broke it, opened a glass of strawberry jam that had spoiled, brought up a can of pears that I could not open, had to carry it back and get another, dropped my teeth
ein the dirt down cellar and had to wash them off, etc, etc, etc. But I had their lunch ready by one o'clock. They stayed until about three and I entertained them the best I could but how I wished you or father had been here.Mr. and Mrs. Fogg went to the society Wednesday. There were about forty there. They also called on Russell James who is just about gone, probably is dead by this time. He is ninety years old.
Mrs. Fogg's friend, Miss Lovering from Boston is going to teach the Rock Meadow school and board at the parsonage. Mrs. Burnham expects to leave about the first of April.
Father and I had rather a hard time getting home from church Sunday. Victor jumped to get around a washout and broke off the end of the thill (where it was cracked the day you went off), so I had to walk down the steep hill and hold it down. Then it was so icy we didn't dare try to get up "the elbow" so we went up Ben Case's road and came up the cross road but it was so bad there that we both had to get out and tow the horse over. The roads are in a terrible condition, washouts every where. It is no pleasure to go driving now. I think I shall stay at home pretty closely for the next month or two.
Did I write that it is probable that the Goodier's will soon be turned off their farm? Emma is worrying herself sick but I don't see that we can relieve her any except by buying the farm and we havn't [sic] the remotest intention of doing that.
I don't think Amos has a teacher yet.
Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Johnson and Lizzie have moved to California having bought fruit lands at the "Maywood" colony north east of San Francisco. They reached there Feb. 28. I suppose Ned and Lizzie Chapman inspected the Sturbridge Grange last Tuesday evening. We expected them here, just a little.
Mr. Clemence cannot find an unengaged steam mill to put on our lot. Every body is crazy to cut timber. Mr. Gordon says there are fourteen mills busy within a few miles of here.
It is said that John Davidson can't get his divorce now because they require five years desertion in Mass. It is three in Conn. So perhaps they will have to wait one year longer, or hatch up some other cause.
Was it Abington, Mass. or Conn. where Mr Swartz once preached? And was Mr. Van Der Pyl, from Holliston, the Booth's minister?
Sunday morning.
Charlie is walking to Southbridge this morning to spend the day. Father is going to church as it is so icy that I dare not go alone and it isn't safe for him to go.
I have sent for a number of carriage catalogues.
Your loving
Mary.