Dear Nell,Your letter was so like a bit of a talk with yourself that I wanted to answer that very evening, but there was a Round Robin to be sent off and since then various engagements from a Parents' Conference over at school which discussed Self-Reliance vs. Dependence to helping Mother entertain her. Whist Club have kept me from the anticipated pleasure until this rainy evening. How do you spend your Saturday evenings? Don't you hate to have them slip away? Come, let's have a good old confab.
Dear me, how highly entertaining my letters must be! Perhaps you don't even read them. I can truthfully pay you a letter compliment - I always know whether I am in your debt or yours in mind. Now if I were only a Mm de Sevigné, I might be able to write letters that would make an impression upon your ladyship. As it is I can only humbly wait until you deign to toss me a few lines. To such a pass has our old alliance come!
Humph! Abbie & Elizabeth did use to act mighty "keep-off-my-preserver"-like over Miss Smith but I didn't suppose Abbie kept it up yet. I don't care any more and shan't for Mis S- has written me some beauteous letters and there is the Chautauqua episode. How did Abbie really take your pillow gift to the lady and did you go to the Tech concert?
I was greatly shocked by the news of the death of Mrs. Redman. She seemed so well always to me and this was all so sudden. Edith's letter telling me about it was beautiful and strong and brave just like herself. It touched me deeply.
What do you mean? Don't I know that "Edith's a girl in a thousand"? Didn't we all recognize her sterling worth from the very beginning? As for Elizabeth & me and the "taffy on a stick," what do you mean by that? Really anybody would think you were the only one who appreciated Edith. Of course you had the inside track, but then I guess the rest of us knew enough to admire her.
As for Castine - I really don't know what to say. It seems to me that I must see you and the rest someway and you've made me wild to go to Castine. But whether I can go or not I don't know. You New Englanders ought to be able to go, almost all of you, - Gertrude & Nan both spoke very decisively in their last letters. Elizabeth is always uncertain and tho' Caroline seemed less sure in her last Robin communication, I know her mother wants her to go and that will make her pretty sure. My case in this - Mamma & I are left alone now that Syd's gone down to Warren. We are going to give up this house in the spring & move into some little place just for two "old ladies," which means that more of my salary than ever before will have to go into the general purse. Also I should dislike to go so far and leave Mother all alone, though perhaps I could get one of my Elmira cousins to come to stay with her. On the other hand I can't stay here all summer just poking around & be good for anything in the fall. I am hungry for New England, as well as for you and will, be assured, make every effort to go to Castine or any place else you say.
I wish you would consider coming to our Lake. There are always such cheap Chautauqua excursions and we could all be so happy. We'd go to the Falls & hunt up Miss Hartley in Buffalo & [e]verything. But perhaps some other year would be better for that particular Castle.
At any rate we ought to do something if no more than two or three get together rather than let the whole summer go with no sort of re-union.
What about our beloved faculty?
Would we be more likely to have Abbie if we planned on Wood's Hole or someplace thereabout?
Abbie is a mean old pig to trot straight to you with my confidential question. However since you explained so fully & satisfactorily about the man, I'll have to forgive her. I enjoyed your version of the episode greatly and will endeavor to make clear to you how Martha worried me with her story.
I hadn't seen her for months. She didn't get back from Massachusetts till after I went to Carlisle and when I called she wasn't at home & then I went to New York, but finally one beautiful September day Tirzah brought me an invitation to take a trolly-ride with Martha after school. We met and as she settled herself with her firm daintiness she said most meaningly "I've been so eager to see you, - what do you hear from Nellie Swift?" Now Martha never has had a man, - no more than I! - but her mind runs most persistently in the groove of engagements & weddings and I was startled for I tho't instantly with a sort of furiousness that you really had a man & were not taking me even by a hint into your confidence. But I answered coolly "My last letter was about Castine." Martha inquired more particularly and finally was forced to ask me point blank whether you ever had written in any way to lead me to think you had a man. Therefore I turned and demanded the reason for her persistence. Then she leaned back and told me her tale. Of course then I didn't think there was anything in it, tho' she kept insisting that you weren't the sort of a girl to be alone on a mountain with a man unless you were engaged or about to be! You see how much confidence she has in you. Furthermore she declared you both were self-conscious and even colored when Sue Long's engagement was mentioned and that after dinner you wandered off alone!!!
Of course all that seemed much less heinous to me than to Miss Martha, and I scarcely thought of it for some time. Then I went to Rochester with her and again she pumped me about you and in such a way that I began to think that there was certainly something more than the single mountain episode that she was keeping from me until I should hear from you the authentic story. In fact she said so much & was so sure there was something in it that I began to be uneasy. So once when I was writing to Elizabeth I said "Do you think Nell would get engaged and never give me so much as a hint?" And she - oh how you'll laugh! - answered that she thought you would not say much about any important step, implying that she was ready enough to believe the tale. I began to think then that Gertrude or Katharine or some of the girls who were at S. H. at Commencement had put a flea in her ear. At that juncture Martha again said significantly "You haven't heard anything from Nell, have you?" That was more than I could bear. I wouldn't ask you outright, since you hadn't chosen to tell me, and so I fled to Abbie.
Here endeth the very laughable tale of Nell, the Mountain, Martha & the Man. Moral: If you wish to keep peace in the family, when you do "take the important step", please tell your little Fish!
I am sorry you a lone widdy. It must often be dreary, so that you would be glad to go back even to your irritable L. F. B. I wish I could come & share your room once more. Perhaps you think I've stayed long enough this evening. I guess I'll don my red bathrobe and then when I'm all clean, won't you kiss me Good Night?
Your loving
Lucy.January 14, 1899
20 West Fourth St.
Jamestown, New York.