South Hadley Mass
Dec. 25th /68.Dear Mamie.
Wish you a merry Christmas! It is about half-past six A.M. and our rising-bell is jingling through the halls. I have risen for the express purpose of writing to you, for last evening I was so busily engaged in working on my tidy that I could not stop to
finishwrite, I am happy to say that the tidy is almost done and I can finish it this morning for what do you think / we are going to have a genuine holiday no recitations at all, the first time in all the history of this Sem. that Christmas has been a holiday. Gymnastic class will practice [until] four and after that we are to have a social gathering in the hall. The Sabbath School are not invited in this time. There have been mysterious whisperings that we were to have a holiday but we did not certainly know until the exercise in hall yesterday afternoon.Quite a number of presents will greet the teachers this morning, for each of the Junior
teacherssections have presents for their teachers which I will ennumerate. [sic] Miss Hazen & Miss Gordon are to have silver fruit-dishes, Miss Clary & Miss Bowers have chromos Miss Savage a writing-desk and Miss Bardwell some books. Miss Bowers' section also have some books for her. Miss Newhalls gymnastic classes have [...] berry dish, a berry spoon and [...] breakfast carton, we are [...]ing to practice any more, so that I suppose she is going away soon to be married the girls have collected some money, fiveteen [sic] or twenty dollars for Cornelius, each one gave five or ten cents, our class will remember Miss French at New Years.Twenty five packages and boxes came last night by express and quite a number the night before, which show that the girls are not forgotten by their home friends.
I suppose that you have been down, long before this, to see what your stocking contained and I do not know but that you were
notdisappointed, not to find anything from me, but you know I told you that I was afraid that I should not have time to make [some]thing, but if you will cut out of [paper] a breakfast shawl fitting [your] new doll and send it to me [I] will crochet one. I want you to write me a letter and give a minute account of all you found in your stocking of the Christmas tree this evening &c. &c. I remember that when I first began to write letters I was more willing to write about Christmas time than any other time for then I could think of enough to say. Received Clara's note last evening - shall call the ribbon my Christmas present.I have had an invitation to Nell Fritchers wedding isn't it too bad that I cannot go.
Ask father to please send me some money in the next letter.
After wishing you a merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and sending much love to all the people I must sign myself
your loving sister Millie