My dear Nell;-Behold me in my ragged old navy blue wrapper with my back to the window, though which is streaming the beautiful sunshine that has come at last with its Indian Summer warmth, drying my scanty nut-brown tresses. The attitude and occupation were such forcible reminders of you that straight way I gave up all thoughts of study or mending and dragging forth my battered old portfolio settled down for a "chaw."
Interruption no. 1
Call of a half hour's duration from Martha Snell. The object of which was to tease me to go to an alumnae meeting next Friday at Rochester. I'd like to well enough but I haven't the cheek to ask Mr. Rogers for a day off. She has now gone over to Jean's to see about that new association we are hoping to get worked up sometime[.]
I had a premonition that your letter would come on the very mail that it did. So I waited for the postman and then carried it off in high glee and read it before school. Oh dear, I wish I did have more time. There are always so many letters I want to write and I never got around to write more than one or two a week. I wanted to answer your letter right away and here it is three weeks since you wrote. Thank you for both stamps and news. What do you suppose I did with the former? Sent them on to Abbie for a photo. of the ruins. It seemed thus to partake of the irony of fate. Katharine wrote that my etching had survived the fire so I asked her to have it expressed to me for I don't feel nearly as poor now as I did last June, do you?
Interruption No. 2.
Noon came and so I was obliged to do up my tangled tresses and attire myself for dinner. After dinner I did the marketing and then went down to Susan's. She teaches in the Junior Grammer [sic] and had invited all her children to a Hallowe'en party, so Lena & I went down to help. We fixed candy in an apple for a "snap apple," carved - oh such wonderful carving! - "fortunes" (merely rich, poor &c.) on apples for them to "bob" for, frosted cakes and then fixed a fishing pond. A few days ago we went to a ten cent store and selected all sorts of wonderful things, squawkers and jumping jacks &c. Around these we twisted wire leaving a little loop, then covered each thing with a fringed circle of tissue paper - two in fact of contrasting colors - pulling the loop of wire through the centre. Then we took sticks & tied strings & bent pins to them. I have described it thus minutely thinking you may sometime be ransacking your brain for ideas and it is really lots of fun. The kids came a quarter of an hour before then were expected but luckily for our tired selves went away promptly at nine. They literally had a howling time.
This is now Sunday a.m. our old time for "picking up". I wonder what you are doing? Sundays "unreliable"! They're almost my busiest days. We don't have breakfast very early, then I dust and fuss around and then get ready for Church, after Church comes Sunday School - I have a Bible class as I long ago promised. We always have a lot of extra people to dinner so the afternoon is pretty well used up by the time dinner is over. Then I have an "engagement" to read Church History with Miss Willard and at six comes a young people's Bible class that I help run and at seven Church and after I come home & have a little visit with Mamma I am ready for bed.
Of course you are as glad as I they are not going to move the College. Truly I should feel as tho' I had lost my Alma Mater if it had been put down in a city and away from our well-loved haunts. I have been wondering if we couldn't take our Berkshire trip next June? I'm willing to save all Winter for the sake of "getting together" again.
I wish Nan hadn't sent out her appeal till after January. I fear we shall lose the endowment. Even Abbie writes that we ought to divide our contribution. Don't you think it would be better to do the other way?
Abbie says there is some idea of having a central dining-hall after they once get fixed around again. I hope they will. It would do something toward keeping up the dear old family spirit. I for one don't want the dear old place transformed into another Smith or Wellesley.
How goes the Eng. Gram.? I am getting very much interested in my class in English. We are studying Longfellow now, so I am reading Tales from a Wayside Inn and some of the other things that I've always meant to read but never got around to do so.
You have about as many classes as I. Do you get rattled and make terrible breaks and then have to back down as gracefully as you can? I am still blushing over a fearful, inexcusable mistake I made the other day in Greek when the Superintendent was visiting the class.
I wish we had the one session plan. Our hours are from 8.50 - 12.00 & from 1.30 - 3.50 and I tell I am tired at the close of that last hour.
I knew about Alice Holmes' plans for this year. I have forgotten who told me but perhaps you remember that I assured you I knew how you got your information about Grace Burroughs &c. I saw a newspaper clipping that came to Grace Gifford about the Hartford Alumnae; it seemed funny that all those theological girls furnished the music.
I've had the '96 bird but the Family one is still a minus quantity.
Thank you so much for your list of the class with their occupations. Most all of it was news to me. Mary S. is at home after all doing nothing in particular.
I must dress for Church now. Write when you can to
Your old room-mate
Lucy Fish.20 West Fourth St.
Jamestown, New York.
Sunday, November 1, 1896.