My dear family,
Your letters are the joy of my existence, I like it all the better to have them come when I do not quite expect them.
This (Wed) morning it rained about as hard as I ever saw it rain; Mr. Packard carried me to school (I have no umbrella as yet) and there were forty pupils there; we had no afternoon session. Privately I thought it was a ridiculous proceeding to have school in such a storm as we had this morning, and then have none on this pleasant afternoon.
I think I am making money this month. I expect to get a full months salary for the three weeks teaching, then this afternoon's holiday, and the school has a day off to attend the Brockton Fair. I think that is Oct. 6. If it only came during the Board meeting I should go to Providence. They have no papers here except the Boston Journal and I miss them though I have little time to read.
The teachers draw their salaries on the last Friday of each month by going to the Mansfield Cooperative Bank, and signing their respective names to a book, whereupon an envelope containing the right sum is handed to each one. Then she counts it and if it is all right, the operation is over.
Sunday we went to the M.E. Church, which is not a very large one, and I heard their minister, Mr. Studley. Best Methodist minister I ever heard. Then we went to the Cong'l. Ch. S.S. and Miss Stetson took me into her Bible class, which has, including Miss Kinne and myself, twenty members. They are studying the life of Paul. The teacher is Mr. Rogerson, father of one of my pupils. In the evening we went to C.E. The meeting was a disappointment to me, though, it was far better than our Union prayer-meetings.
Do you remember you told me to inform you if I met any one I knew here? Sunday night a Mt. Holyoke girl, Jennie Copeland, who was a Freshman when I was a Senior, came and spoke to me. She is not going back this fall. I never was acquainted with her, but she is a nice girl, and I shall hope to see something of her this year. Am going to see her some day.
My desk has not appeared yet. I have left orders with a livery stable man to bring it up when it does arrive. I can't get along without it. We have a little wiggly marble-topped table to do all our writing on. My books are on the floor. My stationary [sic] that I brought in my trunk is about gone.
This afternoon I have made myself a laundry bag out of some yellow bordered toweling. Mrs. Packard's machine runs backwards and I did not make very good work with it.
It is too bad that there should be such a rain on the day of the Brooklyn fair and the opening day of the great Council at Boston.
I do not remember whether I told you last week that I have the whole charge of the Rhetoricals which occur every Friday afternoon. In the first place I had to make out a scheme for the term, and it was something of a task, as each pupil is supposed to make two appearances during a term, and the Seniors have essays, the Juniors essays, and the Sophomores essays and recitations, the Freshmen recitations. Miss Tallman corrects the essays, but I hear them read, also all the rehearsals. Wish I knew more elocution. It will be more satisfactory than drilling those children I had speak Christmas pieces last winter.
So Eva is not teaching after all. They were wise to say nothing about her being hired, were they not? Now I must confess that I have hired a wheel for this fall for five dollars. I have been out with it three times, and can trundle off gaily on a good road, but I cannot mount alone yet. I want to be able to ride over to Stoughton before the bicycle season closes, and surprise Elizabeth. I had to buy a little bottle of witch hazel to apply to my bruises. Mrs. Packard lent me a short skirt.
School goes on quite well; the Freshmen and Juniors are just as nice as they can be in general but the Sophomores, who form my classes in Geometry and Astronomy are hard to manage and every other one is stupid. I have taught my Astronomy class the dipper the North Star, and Vega, the bright star now directly overhead. They are interested in the stars, but the text book does not appeal to their fancy at all. I don't like it myself so well as I do Young's.
Thus. night.
I am so sorry I did not send this letter this morning, so it would reach you Friday. I have no envelope and was waiting for my desk, which has not come yet. Now I'll borrow an envelope and send it on.
Am going to prayer meeting tonight.
If I don't write the things you want to hear, just ask questions,
Your loving Susie
Sept. 21. 1899