24 Steuben St.
East Orange, N.Y.
Nov. 12, 1905.Dear family,
Having a breathing space here at Miss Cutler's, I thought I would write to you instead of waiting till I got to my final destination. At Webster I met Aunt Emma and Uncle Milo who had come up by trolley and were about to take a train for Southbridge to Mr. Morse's funeral. I found Harvey setting up his sitting-room stove. The mince pie arrived in good shape, you would not have known that it had ever left its native shelf.
In the evening we heard Dr. Scudder on Hawaii. He is also under the A.M.A.
Friday morning I did housework and mending and we all were invited to Aunt Jane's to dinner. I spent the afternoon at Aunt Emma's and had supper there, and went to the mission and spoke about Tougaloo before taking my boat train at 8.57. There was a prize fight at the Bradley theatre next door. Had a fairly peaceful night on the Sound, coffee and rolls on the boat, then went to the Penn. depot to see about my trains, finding that I can leave Newark at 3.58 P.M. tomorrow, and reach Jackson at 5.33 A.M. Wed. morning with no change except onto another car at Chat. at 6.30 P.M. Tuesday. The fare is $32.80 and a sleeper through $8.
Mott St. is a dirty hole, and the missionaries live on the fifth floor of a tenement peopled with Chinese on the first and second floor, and Chinese the rest of the way. [sic] I prefer Tougaloo where there is fresh air and cleanliness is enforced. I spent a good four hours at Siegel Cooper's, whence I emerged with a tearing headache. I tried on suit after suit, but could not find one to fit and of course could not leave it to be changed, so compromised on a black skirt (2.95[)] white sweater (1.50) brown fur ($3.50) and hot water bottle (89¢).
Miss K. met me at Hoboken, and we went to Miss Cutler's together. She had to go back in the evening. Went to church this morning. East Orange seems to be quite a pleasant place but the scenery from Hoboken to it doesn't give one a very good impression of New Jersey.
I didn't have time to stop at the express office, tho' I might have as the train was half an hour late in starting so I shan't have the "bad baby" to look at this year.