A Letter Written on Apr 7, 1893

Heliotrope Inn
Friday, April 7, 1893.

My Dear Nellie;-

Isn't it strange that our letters crossed? I wonder if they will again? It is a case of "mental telegraphy," I suppose.

Yesterday the sky was cerulean blue, the sun shining brilliantly, the grass beginning to get green; Nellie (alias Vöglein) and I were out walking two hours and a half, we exultantly zany "Spring is coming, is coming Hear the chirping & the humming"! To-day everything is covered with a soft white blanket that is constantly growing thicker. The day is not unlike Washington's Birthday, - you know how stormy that was.

We have been making popcorn balls to cheer us up, being additionally cast down by Eva's departure this noon to Margaret Lake's. We're trying to persuade the Doctor to spend the night with us. She drops in very often, always in the best of spirits and acts like the - dickens! One morning she acted out a play she saw in Worcester. It was perfectly killing!

You didn't tell me anything about your dress. What did you get and how is it being made? How nice that your sister did meet you after all.

I expect I am getting fatter than ever, doing absolutely nothing but eating, sleeping and loafing around. I don't know whether I shall dare be weighed or not when a week from Sunday comes. That blue striped dress of mine nearly killed me last Sunday.

I am glad your party was so enjoyable, even if you were all fooled and did spill "lemo" on your dress, does it show badly?

Sallie gets up fiendishly early every morning; sometimes I don't hear her at all, again I hear a faint rustling and find myself on the point of saying "What bell has run, Nellie?" The morning of April Fool's Day as I was lazily dressing for our eight o'clock breakfast, she came into the room with a paper bag in her hand. "Do you like dates, Lucy?"

"Well, rather"!

and in went my hand only to pull out an old calendar! That evening little Miss Sallie found her nightgown sewn up.

She's worse than you about not talking after she is in bed. I can't get a word out of her after she begins to undress. She is the oddest child, a regular crank on most subjects. You ought to hear her talk on corsets, dress reform & the like. The doctor is wild beside her.

I am so sorry you have been having an uncomfortable cold. Irene (our "Mop") was in bed with a head-ache all day yesterday. Except that "Our Family" has had excellent health.

I've had lots of lovely letters this vacation from every one almost that I ever hear from. Mollie S. wrote me about a Westfield young man who would like to call on her, only he is afraid he would have to ask the blessing! Gertrude E. has written to me too, she is (I believe) actually pining to be back.

Monday morning we rode down to Holyoke with Mr. Porter singing Forty-Nine Blue Bottles. We did some shopping, then walked back, stopping at the ice-house to eat some cream-puffs & candy we had bought at "Frizzlis," then we had a lift as far as Paradise in a jotting farm wagon.

Wednesday eve. we had a perfect circus with girls next door - We played all sorts of games, advertisements, quotations &c - had lemonade & chocolate-cake, toasted marshmallows, danced and tore around generally until eleven. I have written so many letters that I am all written out, so

Farewell
L. F. B.

Oh, the Dr. has inquired after you