[Three letters in the envelope.]Danvers Centre Oct 3d 1864
Dear sister Clara:
As I knew it was time for me to write I thought I might as well commence now as any time: We are all well at home and I hope that you are too: It is twenty one years since father & mother were married and tomorrow I am twelve years old. I am writing this letter at the shop but think I shall go home soon. Bat [?] has just been here to fill his lantern and has now gone to unharness the horse which I came up from the depot with when I was going to the depot tonight I got down to the meeting house and found out I had forgot my buffalo and I thought I should get a scolding so I went back & got it and got back in good season!
David Wadleigh is dead he died last Sat. and was buried to day. I went to meeting all day yesterday in the afternoon father harnessed the horse an[d] carried Mother and Maria and Mealia and Mamie to meeting. I rode home and then went down to Mrs. Preston's after Edward and Almira.
The rabbits cat dog cow hens and horse are all getting alone well but somebody has been good enough to take two hens and three chickens away from us! At the shop there is nobody to work in the upper leather room but Porter: I guess I will go home and Mealie is all alone so here I go.
I am at home now the rabbits have been in here but I scurried them out a little while ago. I am getting sleepy so I will close.
Goodby from Lucius [about 12 years old when he wrote this]
[Second letter - label on outside says "To my dear sister Clara from Mamie"]
Danvers Centre
Dear Sister,
I have got two bills to put in my pocket-book that Maria gave me. Uncle Porter has been up here and he thinks that the kitty has grown. She is pretty well. I went to Lillie Rice's the other day she was having a little blue dress cut with little spots on it. Maria was cutting it. I went to meeting yesterday int eh rain in the forenoon. I walked and inthe afternoon we rode in the carriage. Luly & I played that the rabbits were cows and he was the milkman and milked them. Mother made me a mince turnover.
When you come home I want you to make me a dress for my doll. I went in to see Loring the other day and forgot to give him your kiss. Papa is going to save some watermelons for you I am eating a pear now. Mother says that I must go to bed so GoodBy.
[Third letter.]
Danvers Centre Oct 3d 1864
Dear Helen.
Monday night has been again come and I suppose I must scratch up my ideas for letter-writing. It is between eight and nine o'clock but it seems as though the evening had just begun. Father & Mother have gone up to Aunt Pope's, the children are upstairs in bed (there is a commotion there of course.) I am sitting here in the sitting room alone. We three staid at home every night but Tuesday & Saturday night last week.
Albert came up Thursday night I believe it was the first time that he had been in the house to stop since you went away.
Mr. Watts commenced a course of singing lessons last Thursday night I do not think I shall patronize them this winter. Do you think that you should want to if you were at home. John B. Gough is going to lecture in Gothic hall Thursday night. I hope I shall be able to hear him. Wouldn't you like to hear him if you were at home though you could not for you have heard him twice and I should make you stay at home so you may rest contented.
I am not going to be as minute in this letter as I was in my lst one for I do not think that it pays. I do not think that it pays. I am going to tell you the most important part of the news. We all went to meeting yesterday although it rained. Mr. M. K. Cross preached in the A. M. Mr. Rice in the P. M. There was no meeting in the evening.
I suppose you went to meeting just the same for all the rain, did you not? It is decided that Delia shall not go out west. Edward & Almira made round through New England last week and we were in hopes that they would call on you but they did not find it convenient. The bell is ringing for nine oclock and I think I shall have to hurry up for my latin books are on the table before me and I must study them some tonight. I received your suggestions with regard to my Latin as very timely and will endeavor to profit by them.
Eliza has not come from Quincy yet and I don't know when she will come. Father wrote her last week that she might stay as long as she pleased as they are most entirely leaving off business. I have got some questions that I want to ask you, if I have not forgotten them. You say at such and such times you can do anything you want to except to talk &c can you communicate in any manner? are there any times in the day that you can leave the seminary if you want to without leave and when are your regular recreation hours. I shouldn't think that you had any time without there was something to do in it.
When Miss Hopkins asked the scholars about walking everyday didn't you tell her that you had been used to walking four miles a day until within a little while and that when you left off doing so it made you sick and if you couldn't do it now you would be so. You ought to have told her so. Every time I think or hear any thing about that lady (Miss Hopkins) I think of Margary, Mrs. Lunice [?], and the whole tribe of them. By the way did you know their little baby was dead or didn't you know the[y] had one.
When I go into the cellar I see your bottle of medicine standing there. I don't think it has been touched since you went away. I hope you won't need it when you come home.
Francis Goss is at home again, when I think of him I think of our omnibus ride. Oh! Clara I did not think that you would go so far as to send for Mr. Hills. I see that you are beginning to appreciate him and his instructions. He always inquires for you when I go up with my pencils on Wednesday and he calls you by your first name and it quite astounds me.
Tomorrow is Lulie's birthday did you think about it being mine last Tuesday? I don't know but what I have told about all the general news there is only I might tell you about the notion the girls have got into of being married. Addie Ropes was married a week or two ago and also H[a]nna Bradstreet and they tell me that Laura Leavitt and Hannah Creasy are going to be married.
The reenlisted soldiers of the 17th regiment are at home on a furlough, among them Henry Hyde, George Dole, Captain Smith and others that you know. It is half past nine o'clock and I suppose that you are preparing to retire if you have not already done so. I must be drawing this letter to a close.
The next time that you write after the receipt of this letter you[r] three weeks of examinations will have passed and you must tell us all about your studies your room room-mate &c.
Mary managed by dint of great exertion to write a few lines to you. She thought a great deal of your letter which you sent her, it was the first thing she thought of in the morning and the last thing at night.
I must now close with much love I am your own Spot Face