A Letter Written on Jan 30, 1898

41 John Street
Springfield, Mass
January 30, 1898

My dear Mother -

We are having a spell of good cold weather. There are about six inches of snow on the ground and its [sic] real winterish.

I changed those slippers for another pair of a different kind for you. Hope you can wear these.

Did you say that Marcia had gone to Lawyer Sullivan's or only that she had tried to go there.

I could make out what you meant about that book of Mrs. Rafter's. They wont [sic] send it for her. Does she want me to send it if the postage isn't more than five cents? And is it Vose Ave?

Yesterday Miss Boyden and I went shopping. She got her a jacket and I bought me a suit. It is black poplin, very much like my dress but not so heavy. I thought it was well made and it fitted me well. It was $13.47. The jacket is lined with something or other - I dont [sic] know the name for it. The skirt is double lined and hung well, I thought. I was saw one for $20 that you would have liked. It was dark grey with a fine stripe. At this same place they had a martin collarette for $18.47 that was handsome. The one I spoke about last week for 12.50 was a martin too but it wasn't very pretty shape. $18, seems a good deal to put into any such thing and yet I've wished these cold days that I had one. Mamie writes not to get a cheap fur but to get a sable or martin as though I had all the money in the world. About the white dress - it wasnt [sic] my idea to have another evening dress. I'm going to have one new thin dress this summer and its [sic] going to be a thin white one because that's most becoming to me. It's a question of how nice a one it will be. Its [sic] an awful job to think and plan about clothes and I wish you'd do it for me. I send you five dollars toward the twelve I owe you. Next week I'll send you another five. I cant [sic] pay Hattie this month now I've bought my suit but if you get the bill I'd like to know how much it is.

Friday we had for a visiting day. I went to Westfield which is about nine miles from here. It was a stupid day but I came home in the middle of the afternoon.

Tuesday afternoon Miss Paine asked me over to Chicopee to an open meeting of their traveller's club. One of the Chicopee teachers who was abroad last year told about her visit to Egypt. She was very interesting and I enjoyed it more than anything I've had lately. Mrs. Paine was there and insisted on my going home to supper with them. Miss Paine was going to have a little company for whist that evening and when we got home she had word that one of the men couldn't come. She wanted me to stay to take his place. I didn't care anything about it and wasn't dressed for it but finally I agreed to stay for the evening. When the others came it was snowing and it continued all the evening but we didn't think it was anything serious when we started home. However when we got down to the car-tracks we found that the cars were stalled clear down at Chicopee Centre so we walked about a mile down there only to find that there was no hope of getting to Springfield by electrics that night. Some girls who live there in Chicopee took us in for over-night and the mean [sic] walked to the Junction and took a train down.

Ask Mamie if she isn't coming out here pretty soon.

If you are having cold weather keep a good fire in your room when you are in it.

Yours with love
Nellie.