Aug the 2nd
Thurs. Eve.15 Newcastle Road
Brighton Mass.Well! Well! Jennie - and how's the girl - It seems way back in my theology time since I even saw you - child! how fat you have grown - I guess Virginia agrees with you - well and what have you been doing since. Years ago when you wrote me a letter - 'Tis so long - p'raps your memory is n't strong enough for that.
And I've been having the most glorious time imaginable - 20 of us girls from the city where I used to live last Summer - have been camping together. And we did have the time of our lives. Let me tell you - one of the girls uncles owns this lake - pond - whatever you call it - and with it this dance hall - pavilion affair - which he said we could have and welcome - so up we trotted and put up our little cots along side by side in the big dance hall - looked for all the world like a hospital ward - and two of us would get a meal at a time - so you see the work wasn't anything, though to tell the truth I really learned more about cooking than I ever knew at home - such swell meals as we did get - Whew! And we had twelve boats at our disposal - And all the fishing and bathing we wanted. How's that? My my a Reglar [sic] fiend at fishing - Guess the fishes knew it O.K - for all leetle Rutheeee caught were (4 leetle sunfish) [...] one time - Methought once I'd got a whale - but twas only a wee whale [...] - Ha! Ha! / Hee! Hee! Ha! Ha! Bum Mole / "No CANOE" were the orders straight from the chaperone - & it was just as well I reckon with 20 wild[...] - we Read & made [?] good works too - and I've got some awful cute songs - there's one for a whole lot to sing - you wait - now my dear - its up to you - I was awful awful glad to get your letter and would have answered it sooner if I hadn't been going away - you know, so you show your good Christian spirit by answering me right off - Till then - Farewell - and Happy dreams of
I'm not Mabel E[..] but me. I had a dandy long letter from "her" - Vale - again - lots of love - from - R.M.B.
[A note on the envelope's back flap: "Ruth M Bailey?" Yes, I think so!]