Dec. 14th.Dear Carrie,-
Miriam and I meant to write a joint letter to you last Sunday, but I did the unusual thing for me, and was sick with a headache. Miriam sat up until no-body knows when [sic] Saturday night and was rather tired as a result.
Grace Bartlett came last Friday to stay until Calleys [?] closed, and she and Alice Thompson were over to supper Sunday night. It seemed so good to see Grace. She was especially visiting Marion Weston, but Marion was pretty well tired out and had to have the doctor one night. I hope that she will get well rested this vacation.
Monday night Miriam and I took a sit-up and did big strokes of bussiness. [sic] We finished cleaning our room and then we varnished or rather "Foop-alacqued" [?] two tables and my big rocking chair. The next morning our welcoming cry to all comer[s] was "don't touch."
Katherine, Louise, and I went with Miriam and Edith to the car, and waved them off. I took their books from their 11.45 recitation and we three went in and had a leisurely lunch. I put on my things and took the quarter past one car, had lots of room to sit down, had only a few minutes to wait in Holyoke, went on to Springfield, and their [sic] in the station were M. and E. and some hundred more still waiting for the train which was nearly an hour late. They may be waiting still for that Boston train for mine came first and the[n] moved me off. It was such a joke.
I was so surprised to get your letter from Boston. I looked at the post-mark and thought "I don't know any one there." It was a lovely long letter. I wonder if you will still be there, to get this letter. You said two or three weeks, and it must be about two now. I am sorry that you are not able to do everything just as you would like to and be back in South Hadley, but you are having a nice little glimpse of Boston. We were down there for a week, years and years ago, and we went on that one Sunday to several Churches, and I still have a dim idea of the grandness of Trinity Church. I hope to go there again some-time.
We had such a good time with music the last week. Wednesday night, Edith, Miriam and I went down to the Holyoke Church to the Christmas Concert. The Church was crowded. The singing was wonderfully beautiful. There was the Holyoke Choir, the College choir and a large choir of finely trained children. The children sang several pieces alone and when all the choirs sang together, it was just a volume of sound.
Friday afternoon Mr. Hammond gave a recital of Christmas music, with the lights turned low as usual. Sunday evening was the Vesper service. R. Mr. Potter of Hartford spoke both morning and evening. I will put in the programe [sic] of extra music if I don't forget it.
You must have been enjoying your music lessons with Mary, it is too bad to have to stop for a while and get your fingers out of practise.
Everybody was as crazy as usual to get off Tuesday morning. The night before we had stockings before the fireplace and Peg Morse was Santa Claus. We had lots of fun. Miriam had a milk bottle with a quotation "I fear thy nature; t'will be too full the milk of human kindness." That is because she is so fond of milk. I am so very noisy that I got a funny combination of a little harm [?] and a harmonica on the side of it. I have it all packed away for a little boy for Christmas. I think that he will be able to make noise enough.
Did you hear, Carrie, about the fire in the Gym? We almost lost our beloved Gym. It was in Thanksgiving vacation, and the fire came from spontaneous combustion. Some girls went over to dance and smelled the smoke. We missed the excitement of our lives in being away - and it is the first real fire since I have been there. The bell was rung violently and every girl and faculty rushed to the rescute. Little Miss Talbot with two big fire extinguishers. Miss Greene in the midst of the confusion at the Gym. walked dignifiedly out holding up her dress and with a dumb-bell in one hand. All the towns-people turned out and worked nobly and not much that is to be seen in the Gym. is damaged. The fire caught in a little carpenter shop under the stage and most of the damage was in that part. They did not have late afternoon or evening Gym. for a while because they feared to turn on the electrics, but I didn't see any of the girls weeping over that - Miriam didn't at any rate.
I feel that with the coming of semesters - our last semesters - that the year was going too fast.
I wonder if you are not going home to Christmas. What a nice time you have had to work on surprises. I hope that you will have just the loveliest Christmas time - you three together. Wish Helen and Mary a merry Christmas from me.
With lots of love, Mary