Mansfield, Mass
Nov. 19. 1899.
Dear family,
My letters lately have been pretty mean little affairs, today I am going to write a good long one because I am staying at home from church nursing a cold, quite a heavy one. I cough some, my choky throat-cough, you know. I hope it will not last long, for I do hate to cough in school. How is father's cough? I have missed your letter this week. Did you think the very fat one last week would answer for a while? It seems to me there is more sickness and death in Union lately than there has been.
There have been two deaths from pneumonia here. Father must look out for that this winter with his weak lungs. Yes, I think you must be remarkably well to have worked so hard and have been up so much nights without sick headaches. Mrs. Packard has bad sick headaches that last a week sometimes. But her boarders have to eat just the same whether she can or not.
I saw Florence Bliss in Boston. She is teaching in third grade in Brookline, where she has been for two years back. I had a letter from Gertrude Maynard this week. She and her mother have hired a little tenement and have set up housekeeping in a tiny way. Mr. Maynard comes down every Saturday night. She invites me to go down and stay over Sunday sometime. I think I shall go after Thanksgiving. She is enjoying her principalship very much. She did not write whether she is singing in any church or not. I will ask her about the Hailmann beads.
I wrote to Harvey last night and said I would go to Brooklyn for the thirtieth if you are to be there. If not I shall stay here. Miss Stetson is going to her uncle's in Dorchester and Miss Kinne will be here. Mrs. Packard is fatting up her big Brahma rooster. Are you yet thinking about Christmas presents? Let's send one good present to each of the six away from home, from the three of us at home. Give me suggestions and I will make the purchases on some of my city trips.
Did you watch for meteors last week? I did more or less for three nights, and commanded my Astronomy class so to do, but not one did we see. We hope the moon's eclipse Dec. 16. will not be hidden by clouds.
Wednesday evening we attended the C.E. anniversary but we made a mistake in the hour and did not get there till Mr. Sneath was just beginning his address. For refreshments we had cake and cocoa served along with a few toasts by the visiting ministers who sat at a table in the center of the vestry while the lesser personages occupied settees, around the sides.
I hope your new minister will get settled before cold weather. I do not really feel sure that he is coming. Will he be there the one Sunday that I shall be at home? I shall be at Southbridge at 6.30 four weeks from next Friday night. Don't tell me I would better wait till Sat. morning. My vacation is so short anyway - just one little week. New Years Day ought to be a holiday in Mass. Has the school at the Center begun yet?
Tuesday evening.
Your letter came this noon. I am glad father is so much better. Don't let him work too hard. What are you going to do without pigs? Fat Peter on the milk?
I had a letter from Harvey yesterday, enclosing a programme of his lecture course. It gives me a pain to see that there is no illustrated lecture on Venice. If there were I should surely take a vacation and go to hear it, meeting you there. Harvey wants me to go there Thanksgiving, but I think I shall stay here and go to Boston with Miss Winter to some opera or play, and visit Cambridge. But if you go to B'klyn I'll be there sure.
You have not written a word about Max or Rover till this last letter and I have been hungry to hear about them.
You may teach if you can get a good girl, and will take it easy. I don't like to think of you in that dirty draughty room, tho' and I would rather have you refuse Amos' pleadings. Edith Downs is a brick.
Did I describe my new hat? "It is broad-brimmed, light brown felt with a hollow in the top of the crown to catch the rain, trimmed with a fold of" white "silk and a long feather (looks like a turkey's)" The name of these hats go by is the golf hat.
You want a new little sleigh, a pretty upholstered one in dark wood, black or dark green, like Stanley's you know. If you ever see him ask him where he got it.
Harvey says a deer came across his lawn Saturday morning from the north to the south. It is sad about Myra Seward isn't it?
I had a letter from Aunt Eleanor tonight, but it did not contain anything of interest.
Now I have a startling plan to disclose to you. It has been in my head almost ever since I came here, and I have thought it over so much that I am sure it is feasible. My vacation at Xmas is only a week you know. The other schools have two weeks, so Miss Kinne will go away the week before I do, and I want you to come and stay the last week of the term with me. I think you would feel quite at home here, and I could give you plenty to do. You have a hat, and you will have to buy a new coat anyway this winter. If you will come I will buy you silk for a waist when I go to Boston at Thanksgiving, and give it to you for an early Xmas present. And you could either buy a ready made skirt, or the cloth and make it yourself after having it cut, as I did my green one. You need not bring any baggage for I could furnish you everything you need. The fare down here one way is $1.59 or you could get Harvey's mileage. You can cook up a lot before you go and I am sure Charlie would be delighted to keep house again for a while. Also I'll try to work hard when we get home.
I expect you to leave Southbridge at 3.25 Sat. the 16th of Dec. and we will reach there again at 6.30 the next Friday the 22nd. Now this is not a sudden whim, but something I have been planning for weeks. Write to me your decision before I go to Boston, so that I may know about the silk. I can get the cloth for a skirt too, if you so desire and signify.
Miss Winter wants to go the Friday after T'g so as to see the "Old Homestead" in the evening. I believe you have seen that have you not? She has seen it three times and still is not satisfied.
Now don't disappoint me. I want you to come Sat. particularly, so as to go to my church.
With love
Susie.
