Wednesday evening. [August 7, 1907]Dear Jennie Louise,
Though I don't at all approve of answering a letter I have waited ages for on the day after its arrival, I shall have to this time - not because I'm about to die or anything like that, but because news (?) is gathering so fast that if I waited I should have to send this by freight.
Have you heard about my going up to see Cricket and to spend the third week in August with her, beginning Saturday the seventeenth? Peg wrote and asked Lucy, Muriel and I but Lucy can't go as she will be in Millerton then. Mrs. Strout and Peg have planned it to surprise Christine and she isn't to know anything about it until we are there. I think they have their hands full to keep it from her, don't you? It is a shame you live so far away, though perhaps you wouldn't enjoy it any way with Muriel there.
Lucy goes to Millerton to-day - is there by now, I suppose. She has been in Sheffield a week, was here a week before that, and spent two days with Muriel first of all. While she was there, there was a class re-union committee meeting at Mary Hartley's and Muriel brought her. Lucy sat between Muriel and I and we quite enjoyed it. Ed Shaw is chairman which may explain. There are only five on the committee, too, which makes it even more interesting. Ed simply ignored me except once when he had to ask my opinion & then he made a point of calling me Ruby. As he didn't seem inclined to talk to me I spent my time amusing Lucy, much to his discomfiture, and the next day he told Mary that he didn't think Muriel and I were polite (ahem!) and he didn't like our style at all. How humiliating it must be for the poor boy to realize that it has taken him all these years to find it out!
The first night Lucy was here, we were playing whist, when in walked Curtis to take me to a dog roast. That was the last thing I wanted to go to or to take Lucy to, after our previous experience, but it was so evident that we had no pressing engagement that we had to go. Well, there weren't any dogs, but there was a fine, big, bon-fire and the waves and the moon were great. Frank Armstrong was there too and, as you may guess, he is a circus in himself and we didn't want for entertainment.
I have reached the "dopy" [sic] state and so didn't wake up to entertaining Lucy, or the idea of it, until she was gone when, needless to say, it was too late. Harold took us for a long ride one moon-light night and, of course, we enjoyed that immensely. We also went clamming, black-berrying, walking, went to Helen Grumman's to meet a Cushing girl who is coming to Holyoke in the Fall, and drove up to Stratford to church on Sunday.
Lucy met Horace and seemed quite well impressed - wanted me to bring him to "prom." Maybe I'll ask him & maybe I won't. I've almost decided that I'd rather miss it than ask a man, let alone seventeen.
The dentist has gone away for a month and never was I so anxious to have any one go. He succeeeded in almost killing me (I had five three-hour appointments) but left a thread of life which is supposed to gain strength enough before September, to be ready for more. I only have to have my ears treated twice a week now and that will probably keep on till I go away in the Fall. In the time between trips to town, I've been reading quite a bit and now I am making a dress. What it will look like when finished is still a question but I trust I can wear it mornings anyway.
Saturday, I heard from Rebekah Wood so had to sit right down and write to the eight Freshmen left from my list of ten, two having been so kind as to drop off. Let us hope the fall didn't hurt them. By the time I reached the last one I felt something as I did at the end of the history exam in February.
Until to-night I haven't written but one letter, except to my Freshmen, since I wrote to you last and this effort has quite exhausted me so I'll stop and not go to bed on an empty brain. (You'll notice this letter is so intellectual?)
Please remember me to "Aunt Margaret" and Ella and your father (when you see him) and keep much love from
P.S. Please don't wait so long to write next time. I shall come down to see if you are safe, if you do.