[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading.]Sunday 12:30.
Well, dearie - it is a queer world, to be sure. I want you to come to see me. I don't approve of your staying around South Hadley till Thursday. You ought to get away. Guess you wouldn't have had a very good time here, for my father is that melancholy! He really is very poorly. The Dr. finds what he calls congestion of the liver - gave him physic for a child of 12 and it nearly tore him to pieces. Also hardening of the arteries - what Effie Read's mother has been having these many years. He is taking whiskey night and morning! I never expected to see my mother deal out whiskey. Also has forty other medicines, more or less. Papa really is very feeble - barely crawled around the house yesterday, but he is quite a little better today. The Dr. is the one who gave him stuff for his
years - that really did good, but I'm not awfully impressed with the man, tho he has had much experience with many old men at some Home. He thinks Papa will improve - but I doubt if he ever does anything more than get about the yard &c. Mamma has something that seems to be doing her cough good. She worries so over Papa that it tires her and yet she seems about as well as usual. You observe that the situation is doleful.The painting and papering upstairs are about to begin. One possible tenant has called, but my father doesn't take to her. He's particular. I'm going to start him on flower seeds this week. That will occupy his mind. I'll dig the dirt and he can sift it after it is dry. He'll be able to do the planting in boxes I guess & to plant the garden when it gets time, tho we'll have to have it dug up by somebody else.
So much for my family - hope yours is no worse off. I think we'll have to open a Home for them so that they'll have company. But your mother probably has too many distractions. Will she be able to go to Newburyport?
Summer? Gracious, I dassent make a plan - but all the same I'm going to get off somewhere for a while unless things get much worse. Seems to me I have to in order to keep my balance.
Janey is just getting over a second attack of the grip, but hopes to get to Boston on Wed. If she doesn't I'll sell the ticket. Hope she will, for I don't want to go alone. I told her we'd give her her next Xmas present now. If she goes, I'll pay you moneys, - if I sell the ticket, I'll also pay you moneys.
Opera programme good - Magic Flute Wed. P.M. & I think I'll go rush. Sunbrich & Gadski are the stars. Ternina sings in Tristan & Isolde Sat. eve. & I shall rush to that if I can get a companion - can't rush very well alone in the evening. I want to see the Walkure again, but I suppose Tristan is a better choice. Probably I ought not to go at all, but I have at least 1.50 in my pig bank - all pennies, saved for this occasion & I'm not going to divert them into clothes.
Well - Friday I bought me a real good looking rain coat for 13.75 - proper Cravenette cloth - grey - one cape - loose with belt. I cut it off yesterday. In order to get sleeves I had to get length. Size round doesn't count - I wear any thing from 36 to 40 & this may be 42, I'm not sure. Shoulders fit however, which is the point. I don't see but what it looks as exactly as well as the $18 ones. I am convinced that Bonney's is the best of that lot of stores that come within my range - not the Tremont St. row.
I send back the picture - should not have recognized Miss Neilson from my memory of her. No - I'll not tell to anybody the things you reveal! Why should I? But on the other hand seems to me it would be easy for instance for Miss Purington to guess that you'd be apt to mention the Searles plan to me.
Do I understand that Miss Woolley broke off the Ben Greet arrangement? Seems to me the girls were greatly at fault there - don't they know a good thing? But also I should say that Miss Woolley's temper probably got away with her and hurried her writing. Sorry to have Jeannette out of dramatics things because it seemed to me that she did good work for the college there. I doubt if the girls can do anything good without some such aid as hers.
Oh - a special delivery letter from that agent Fisher chased me from Northfield to Wellesley & then here. There is a vacancy at Somerville & he & Prin. Whitcomb remember me! I fear I take some foolish satisfaction in having my plans made. You ought to have seen his wording of the letter - "local candidate who got it before thro' committee influence" or something like that. I'm going to write him today and I'm wondering whether Effie Read would fill the bill.
You asked about A's, B's &c at Wellesley. I asked the Dean if they had any tabulated information on that point, and they haven't - of course it would be a lot of work to get any. Personally I don't think they are a bit more lenient than at Mt. Holyoke, except in things that are affected by the passing mark at 60. Math for instance would be - but as far as I have been able to judge, it seems to me that in most things as many would flunk at Wellesley with 60 passing mark, as at Mt. Holyoke with 70. That is still the passing grade, isn't it? I asked a few who have large classes how many A's in a division of 30 - and they say on the average not more than 2 or 3 (A = 90-100) & 5-8 B's (B = 80-90). You may get something from this. In reckoning up the Durant & Wellesley scholars an hour if A work for a semester counts 5 points, of B work 4 points, C work or below - nothing. To be a Durant scholar a girl must have 175 points in 3 1/2 years (with 9 hours at least of A), or 125 points in 2 1/2 years (with at least 6 hrs. at A) - a Wellesley scholar must have 140 points in 3 1/2 yrs. or 100 points in 2 1/2 years. There are about 150 Seniors & the scholar list just out includes 10 Durant & 15 Wellesley scholars. It is possible that the points are for year hours instead of semester but I am pretty sure not. Some girls are ruled out by having more than 4 hours of D work (below credit = 60-70) or by a condition after Freshman year. There is a math. problem for you - I wasn't equal to it. But I think the point is the scarcity of Durant scholars.
Yesterday I did chores and cut off my rain coat - worked a little while on the shirt waist I had begun before. I have altogether too many things to do this vacation, and I have to fall upon house work &c much more than usual.
Wicker suit cases cost $5+ and are no lighter than the one I have, or very little. The kind like G. Berry's is no lighter. She got hers at a reduction you recollect. My $2 one isn't so worse, tho it wont stand the racket that a leather one would.
Well - I'll stop & write to Fisher. This has been much broken up by dinner, dish washing & people who call to inquire for Papa.
Love to year, dearie - my father & mother are sorry you aren't coming & so am I. I want to see you & you'd relieve the atmosphere & advise me about my clothes - drat 'em -
Love to you, again -
Abbie.