BLACKWELL FAMILY
ALICE STONE BLACKWELL
Kitty Barry
July-Dec. 1880Bear Croft, Attleboro, Mass.
July 18, 1880
Dear Kitty :-
Phebe has a boy, who weighed
ten pounds + a half. She is said
to be doing nicely. I warned Mr. 
Beeman that if he didn't send me
a postal card as soon as the addition
arrived, I would make a pin
cushion of him when we next 
met; so he wrote the card the
day his son + heir appeared.
I left Agnes + Aunt Emily
at Harrison Square. All the family
were pretty well, + I have heard 
nothing to the contrary since. 
Misses Joy + Price, our pretty Sophs, 
+ Miss Eliot + I, came down to
Attleboro six days ago, + at the station
met four more girls - Cadge,

[very quiet uncomplaining girl, but has not
been well, + was allowed by her folks to come
down here under the impression that it would
be a]Alice Budlong + her sister Annie, + a
Lizzie Little whom I did not know,
though there was a girl of the same
name at [Chauncy?]. This noisy +
grinning party drove off in a picnic
wagon through a beautiful green road,
talking nineteen to the dozen, of course.
Somebody called out to know who
had any matches, + Alice Budlong
showed us her red hair with a sublime
air which said as plainly as 
words, "What need have you of matches
while you have Me?" When we reached 
the farmhouse the party quartered themselves
in their respective apartments +
a general howl arose for the trunks +
hairbrushes. The trunks arrived later, +
the party unpacked + settled down, with
a noise as of innumerable guinea hens.
The farmhouse is two + a half stories
high, not large, but neat + well-kept.

[splendid chance for her to rest. Much rest she has
got. My hand happened to touch her write, + her]


at one another across the intervening 
space with a mallet + brass lamplighter.
We were destined to have a 
scare the first night. Laura + I were 
lying in bed peacefully when we
heard a squeal in the Sophs' room, + 
a scuttling, + then prolonged giggling.
After the giggling had gone on some
time, our bedroom door was burst
open + there was an irruption of the
Sophs. Miss Joy threw herself upon
our bed + went off into hysterical
giggling; Miss Price stood at the
foot motionless + silent, like an avenging
spectre. It presently came
out that Miss Joy, while sitting in
her nightgown, had seen a hand + 
arm put aside the rosebush outside
the window, as if somebody were
about to peep in. Hence, the squeal 
+ the scuttling. The girls upstairs

[Miss Blanding. Miss B. is an amiable, jolly
oldish maid, sister of the man who owns the]smelt cigar smoke the same night,
but no one appeared. After that our
friends armed us with two huge horse
pistols which aren't loaded + wouldn't
go off if they were; + Cadge has a dagger
cane, + we have a variety of other weapons,
more or less deadly. Laura slept
with one of the big horse-pistols under
her pillow, + I with a shillelah (club
loaded with lead) under mine. One
night after we were asleep, our door
open + in marched a solemn + 
alarmed procession from upstairs.
They were in various stages of
semi-dress; one carried a lamp, one
a horse + one a croquet mallet.
They informed us that they heard
footsteps!! We sent them back to
bed. And one morning I was up
before the rest + prowling about barefoot,

barefoot, + I thought I would have a 
look at the girls upstairs. Hell, if
you'll believe me, they had barricaded
the staircase by spreading a hammock
across it + putting croquet 
balls on the stairs, so that anyone
to go up in the dark would
knock the balls down with a 
great noise, + get his shins bumped.
We have had some very jolly
times. The girls are mostly nice-
looking, + it is pleasant to watch
them. Lizzie Little, who has gone 
home, has a pale but not yellow
complexion, a quantity of black 
hair, + magnificent gray eyes
which look black at a little distance.
When she is undressed 
for bed + has a lace fillet around
her head to keep her curl-papers

[house. She is one of us, + takes her turn at the
cooking. A large dog has been added to our]
[garrison by a friend, + a microscope to our
amusements. The other day we heard a report]in place, she looks like Rebecca in Ivanhoe.
The Budlong girls are exceedingly bright
+ jolly; Alice, the eldest, is an artist, a
very good girl, with red hair + a comical
face. She has real dramatic talent, + 
can act out funny scenes in a truly
excruciating way. And withal she is
always lady like, which can't be said
of some of our party when they are
on the rampage. Her sister is a funny
roly-poly dumpling of a girl, only fifteen
or so, but already very attractive to
the gentlemen. She is bright too, + 
has a round face + funny bright
eyes which Cadge compares to
"huckle-berries in milk" when
they open widely in amazement.
Her funny ways would make
an anchorite laugh. And oh my 
dear, you can hardly realize the ec-

[ (maliciously circulated) that 8 young men were coming to
live at Noah's Ark, a house not very far off; + Miss Joy]


It is unpainted, but has flowers in
front + a barn over opposite. There are
two bedrooms on the lower floor, + four
of us sleep in them; the other four in 
a double bedded attic; and you may
fancy what cackling there is. We do 
our own cooking, + take turns in ruining each
other's digestions. There is no house
near us except a single farm house
where we buy milk + eggs. The neighborhood
is beautiful, the road shady,
the red lilacs in the fields gorgeous, + 
right across the road, a few fields away
are boundless huck-berry + blue-berry
pastures. Such huge berries! We go
out with pails and bring home quarts
+ quarts, + eat them with bread +
milk, + make them into pies + pudding.
Dr. + Mrs. Sanford drive over + bring
us some provisions; + as the town is 
only a mile + a half away we can

[pulse was going like a trip-hammer. She will
probably leave us + go home, + I think it is the]walk over ourselves + buy things. We
have three hammocks slung under
trees , + the girls lie in them + read +
doze. Our mishaps in cooking would 
cause you to smile benevolently; but
our scares about burglars would kill
you with laughing. At first I had
Miss Eliot for my room mate, + our
two Sophs occupied a little room close
by. We four, being on the ground floor,
were supposed to be the most exposed
to nocturnal depredations.
But Miss Joy is a quiet muscular
little Soph whose presence in the
near neighborhood was reassuring.
Laura Eliot + I went up the first night
to make an undress call upon the 
four above stairs. We found they 
had taken croquet mallets to bed
with them as a defense against
burglars, + two of the girls were lying
in bed - separate beds - sparring

[best thing she can do, though we shall hate to
lose her. She got a nap this afternoon, thank goodness +]


Bear Croft, Attleboro, Mass.
July 25, 1880.
My dear Kitty:-
Tomorrow we go home. We have
had a jolly time in spite of all
drawbacks, + the girls affirm that
I have grown much plumper +
browner, in spite of loss of sleep +
amateur cooking. One of the girls
thinks she has been over-eating, +
anticipates getting home, where she 
shall eat less. We take what we 
call "pic-nic suppere" generally;
that is, each goes to the cupboard,
takes what she wants, + its it when
+ how she likes. We find that we eat
more when we do this way, for we
can gratify our own preferences in 
the choice of food; + there is no formal
beginning or leaving off.
Among other jollifications, we have
been on a picnic - four young men +

[which she gave me readily. You may expect to
have several pages of next week's letter devoted
to a narrative + of all I have been able to learn]the driver, + all of us girls + some other
girls. We met another load of young
men + girls, friends of Cadge's + of the 
Holmans, at the picnic ground. It
is a beautiful place, + we had it nearly 
to ourselves. There are woods + a 
lovely river with a few lilies in it +
the place hasn't been spoilt by fixing
up. There are a few benches + a swing;
nothing more. We strolled about, + 
there was whist playing + joking, + 
a violent flirtation between Annie
Budlong + Cadge's brother John, a
handsome but conceited-looking student
from Brown. The Holman boys are
three - Emery + Frank, brothers, +
Sammy, their cousin. They are related 
to the Pierces of West Brookfield, +
know Phebe, at least Emery does; so
we had something to talk about. Emery
is a promising young doctor, dark,

slim, sallow, very much admired +
deferred to in the neighborhood. I think
he is imperious, despotic, + blessed with
a high opinion of Mr. Emery Holman, +
a conviction that that genleman ought
to have his own way. But my acquaintance
with him is so slight that my 
impression ought not to carry much
weight. I have talked about him because
his family + Cadge's would like
to make a match between them, + there
was a time when he would have liked
it too, but Cadge wouldn't. She liked 
him better than anyone else, however,
+ admitted to me in confidence that
she sometimes doubted whether she had
done wisely in not taking him. She
has known him all her life + admires
him greatly; but I think they are
altogether too much alike to be happy
together. Two such pairs of wickedly
snapping black eyes in a household

[about Mr. Frank Bates, who has become so interesting
to the girls of '81. Lulie wore a pretty pearl ring, +]
[seemed happy in her mind, but not at all fluttered
+ embarrassed in talking about him. She speaks]would be likely to set fire to something.
Frank, the younger brother, is also a
swarthy fellow, but very good tempered
+ not overbearing like Emery. He sketches,
+ he + Alice Budlong had out their pencils
at Woodard Springs. That's the picnic
ground, + there is a mineral spring
with iron + sulphur in the water. We 
were to have sent up a balloon, manufactured
by the Holman boys + adorned
with absurd pictures; but at the last moment
it turned out that some necessary
wire had been forgotten, so it didn't go up.
The young men had also planned an
egg-race, which was to be run by us
girls. You take an egg in a spoon, hold it
out before you, + the one who reaches
the goal first without spilling her egg
is the winner. Four of five of us were 
ranged in line + started at the word of
command. Two of them immediately
outran me, + I supposed I was beaten.
But as I came trotting up to the bridge

(the goal) with my egg, what was my surprise
to find myself greeted with excitement
+ exclamations + declared winner.
All the rest had lost their eggs. So the boys
cheered me on the bridge, + I was goose
enough to enjoy it, for I had been mooning
about in my usual fashion during the 
afternoon, alone a good deal, since I was
neither able to sketch, to flirt, nor to play
whist. So it was fun to win the egg-race.
They declared it was something awe-inspiring
to see me steadily bearing down upon the
bridge with my egg held out straight + 
stiff before me. It was pretty dark, +
the whole race was a sort of ghostly performance.
There was a dark lantern in
the party, which the holder would turn
suddenly on somebody's face, making
the victim visible to all the company
but blinding him entirely; + one of the 
girls told fortunes with cards by the light
of it. It grew late + I was sleepy + longed 
to go home, + so did several more of us. 
Several parties went out the river in a
boat; + Emery + Cadge + a Miss Rounds

highly of him, + I respect her judgment more than
Cadges. The young man's choice alone speaks well

for him. On the whole, I'll give the heads of what
I learned about him now, for something else maysat under a tree + wouldn't budge. At last they
came away, Emery mad enough at having to
come; + we got home at about 1.30 A.M.
During the first part of the ride home I was
dropping with sleep; + I put my head
down on the rail of the picnic wagon +
took a nap. Then I woke up + felt as
bright + wakeful as possible, + should
have been glad to have the ride last
longer. We sang, mingling college songs
with hymns in a somewhat scandalous 
manner, perhaps sandwiching
"Rock of Ages" between "Upidee" + "The
potatoes they grow small." The Holman
boys are quite good singers, + I revelled
in the abundance of bass, + felt as if
I were having all the fun of a spree
without the wickedness. It was very
pleasant riding between the dim moonlit
fields + thinking how astonished
the inhabitants of the lonely farmhouses
must be as such a storm of singing
swept past. We drew up before the house
in the midst of a performance of Old

Hundred which might have waked the
seven sleepers; + our part of the crowd
being deposited, the rest rode on toward the
village + doubtless roused the echoes
some more. The other Holman boy, Sam,
I got better acquainted with yesterday, when
three of us girls took tea with his mother.
He is very fond of animals, + has a lot of
beautiful pigeons. It was a pretty sight to
see them come around him + perch on his
arms + shoulders, + eat from his hand +
even from between his lips. Some of them
were tumblers. He is a thorough boy, though 
nearly six feet high. Rather a rude boy, sometimes,
giving blunt + not over-civil retorts
to our teasing; but he seems so young
you can't resent it. He is interested in Botany
too, + showed us a quantity of specimens,
pressed so exquisitely that at a little distance
you would have taken them for delicate
flower-pictures. His mother is a nice
woman, jolly + stout. I like her better
than Emery Holman's mother, whom
I suspect of being deceitful - at least, capable
of saying one thing + meaning
another. She is more stylish, but I don't

[have happened by next week. In the first place, he
is fine-looking, as any man ought to be]
[who is to carry off our bonnie Lulie, prettiest]like her. Hattie + Lulie have paid us a 
visit, coming one morning + going home
the next evening. It did seem so good
to see them again! I fairly gloated over 
them, + the girls laughed at me for looking
so happy. Even my mouth was hardly
capable of a grin wide enough to express
my feelings. Oh, did I tell you, had the 
news come when I wrote last, that Lulie
is engaged?!!! To one Frank Bates, of
Providence. I declare, I envy him. But 
from all accounts (except Cadge's) he is
as near deserving his good fortune as any
young man would be likely to be. (Cadge
has just passed by me, + with a wicked
glance + a flirt of her fan said "Give her
my love!") Cadge is disgusted about
Lulie's engagement. She says he is good,
"Oh, he's good enough!" with an indescribable
accent, "but thoroughly commonplace."
And by engaging herself tohim Lulie
has convinced Cadge that she too is thoroughly
commonplace. Which I think
is by no means the case. Hattie slept
with me the night they spent here, + I
[humped?] her diligently for information, 

[girl in '81. In the next place, he is thoroughly]


pure + honorable, + already, young
as he is, has influence by moral
weight. He has a high reputation 
among business men as being both
"smart" + trustworthy; he has domestic
tastes, like Lulie, + agrees with her
in his notions of what a home ought
to be. Is very kind to his mother.
Is a strong Baptist, + a member of
Mr. Bixby's church, to which Lulie
also belongs. You know Lulie is an
immovable Baptist, + I don't think
she would be comfortable unless
her husband were one too.
They have known each other a 
long time + used to sing in the
choir together. The present state
of things has only been coming
on for about a year; + it came

[the bank, + recommended him; so he left school + has been in 
the bank ever since. But he wants Lulie to keep on at college,]to a climax on the 4th of July. Mr. 
B. is "teller," whatever that is, in one
of the national banks of Providence,
+ has a pretty good salary, but nothing
else in the way of money. He is 
generally spoken of as one in a 
thousand, as to character; + I saw, 
Good! over the engagement. There
are two drawbacks. He is two 
years + a half younger than Lulie
(who is twenty three) + he has not
had as much education - book
education - as she. But he is said
to be quite her equal in intelligence,
+ to be diligently making up that 
deficiency. The way it happened was that
just after he entered the high school the
principal of the grammar school was
asked to recommend some young man to

[which is nice of him. They probably won't be married for a couple
of years. Goodby, Affy, Alice Stone Blackwell]


Gardner, Mass. 
Aug. 22, 1880.
Dear Kitty :-
Here I am still at Gardner. A diarhoea, 
which quickly blossomed into dysentery,
prevented me from going to Providence.
It's a blessing it did not wait till I got 
there, + then pounce upon me. So you 
must make allowance for the fact that I 
write in bed + with a bad pen. In the first
place, make your mind easy about me.
It isn't a bad attack, + I am taking Aunt
Emily's medicine. Papa is spending the Sunday
here, + has brought a rich bagfull of magazines,
books, + newspapers. Uncle G. is in N.Y.,
where he is lonesome + uncomfortable. Howard
has got over his bowel-trouble + looks much
better; but the baby is not well, + cried a deal
last night. Aunt Sarah's inside is disturbed
too, + Uncle Henry has a lance back; so that
Emma has boated that she was the only able-bodied
member of the family. The food where Mother
boards has given her a sour stomach, but she is
otherwise well. She spends the day here + takes care
of me, which is a great comfort; but it is a
reversal of the natural order of things that she
should have it to do for me. 

[your professor's theology. She has got an unsatisfactory place
at last. This is a short + I fear a stupid]When I wrote to you last I had been having
the blues + was horribly bored. About that time
Mr. Black, who had been away for a visit, discovered
that we were here; + after that I had
almost too much occupation. I had started to
walk home with Mamma that evening, when
we met him on his way down here. He turned
+ walked with us to Mamma's boarding-place, + 
then walked home with me, + being invited in, 
came in + stayed till after nine. We talked theology
after a fashion which was enough to have made
this staid old orthodox mansion rattle its every window-
frame with horror. And by a point-blank
question he got it out of me the very extreme point
of my Heresy, which I don't think I had ever
told anyone before, except Miss Andrews. And he
said he had never told anyone except some
young men who were in the same fix.
And we sat + glared at each other. I don't 
know whether it was relief or an additional 
distress to have fairly let it out once - I do know,
though, that there is nothing which stirs up the
latent orthodoxy in you like discussion with
someone even less orthodox than yourself.
By + by Uncle G. + Emma came in, + of 
course that put a stop to the theology. My sleep

was decidedly broken that night.
The night afternoon Mr. B. took mother
+ me out rowing; + we picked berries from the
boat, + then rowed to the other shore + landed,
+ ate some more; + also young checkerberry
leaves. It was a lovely day, + through the trees we
could see the water + a little hill beyond, all
bright in the sun, + looking as if the
New Jerusalem might be right over there.
And I rowed one oar going home, + got along
pretty well till we began to talk about [Dames?],
+ then I got excited + caught crabs. Mamma
steered. It seemed good to get an oar in my
hand, + I felt four years younger when we
landed. Mr. B. walked home with me again,
+ Emma lectured me for not asking him to come
in. But I didn't want him to come in; I didn't 
feel up to theology that evening. Besides, I wanted
my supper, + have no doubt he wanted his. But
Emma says it is no matter if you know anyone
won't come in; you ought to ask 'em. After supper
I started to climb Dr's Hill behind the house,
with a Miss Wood, who was sewing here. We were
struggling across the boggy base of the hill when
a singular yell behind us made us turn round.
I had a vague notion that it was to warn us of
dangerous cattle. But in a minute Mr. Black 
appeared. He had come to the house to invite me to go
riding, + finding us gone, had started in pursuit.
We went back to the house. He had a carriage there, 

[letter. I hope to send a better next time. Yours affectionately,]
[affectionately, Alice S. Blackwell, Uncle G. is expected back
shortly.]with his sister in it. You know I saw her at
Harvard. I seized the nearest shawl + hopped in.
First we drove up [Coey's?] Hill, + found Mamma
out watching the sunset. She was surprised
enough, not having expected to see me again
that night. Then we turned round, + drove down
the hill, + along to So. Gardner; + Mr. B. did act 
as if he were possessed. In the way he drove, 
I mean. The horse was fresh, + he seemed
desirous to see what speed he could urge him.
Miss Gerty + I in vain entreated, as he jounced us
over hammocks, + whirled us through hollows,
+ raced across railroads without stopping to look
out for the engine. He was evidently out "on a tear",
+ as unmanageable as any boy. We drove up on to 
a high point + stopped awhile to watch the evening 
colors; + then drove home by a roundabout way
in the moonlight, which was lovely, + made it 
look like a different world. The moonlight, I 
mean. And we certainly managed to talk a 
deal of nonsense; not sentimentality. Mr. B.
reproached me for spoiling all his poetic remarks
by some damaging criticism. But I'm afraid
poor Miss Black was cold. I was, + she
was lightly wrapped up. Anyway, she bore it like a 
good sister. The next day, a few minutes before
one o'clock, Mr. + Miss Black appeared with a four-seated carriage, met Mother + me by previous 
agreement, + we all drove across the country to
Mt. Wachusett + up the mountain. It was a 

lovely day + a beautiful ride. Mr. Black
contrived to inspire mother with confidence
in his driving, + I think she enjoyed the excursion
greatly. But I don't think the view from
Wachusett is as fine as that from Mt. Washington
or Mt. Mansfield. But the country between Gardner
+ Wachusett is certainly very beautiful. I hope
to take you that ride some day. When I saw Gerty
Black at Harvard, I thought her not so pretty as I
had expected from report; but her prettiness grows
upon one. Mr. B. drove mother up to her porch on the
hill, + then took me home. I had told Mamma in his
hearing that I should come up to see her next morning; 
+ as I was alighting he said that if I would tell him
when I was going, he would walk up with me. I told
him that depended on what time the baby went to 
sleep. No use! He asked if the baby did not go to sleep
about 9 o'clock, and I couldn't deny it. I had already
pleaded an engagement with Hattie Herrick when he
hinted at an afternoon row. But next day I
was laid up in bed, + so effectually excused.
Since then I have lain on my back.
My great solace has been the receipt of
letters + postal cards. This morning arrived a 
pathetic little note from Miss Putnam which
made me hopping mad. She is poor, + wants
to get teaching. One would think that ought not
to be difficult for the finest scholar our University
has ever sent out. But she says "seminaries etc"
won't take a Universalist. She has lost threethree places just for Universalism. At two
of them she was acknowledged to be the
best qualified of any applicant; at the last
so much so that the principal wanted
to engage her, but the trustees wouldn't 
agree. It made me want to hit every church-bell
of those that were ringing in such a
sweet + self-satisfied manner for morning-
service. But perhaps the bell of the little
Universalist church was among them.
Miss P. says "In this last school they have
engaged a teacher of Latin who has read none
of the authors required for the last year +
a half of the course: her orthodoxy weights
more than her lack of Latin."
Now it is comprehensible that the orthodox
shouldn't want to engage a Universalist 
to teach theology; but to object to
her teaching Latin + Greek seems to me
pure bigotry. No orthodox teacher is expected
to season Horace + Herodotus with
brimstone, however devoutly she believes
in it; + you might be in a Latin class for
years without knowing anything about

Dorchester, Mass.
Sept. 12, 1880.
My dear Kitty:-
Our household at present consists
of ourselves, Mary Robinson + her nephew,
a boy about Nannie's size; 
Aunt Emily + Nannie, Agnes, Florence
+ Mr. Washburn. Mr. Washburn preached
for Mr. Bragg this morning, + was of
course invited here to dinner. He + 
Flo are now confabbing in the parlor. 
Mary Robinson + nephew, as well as
Aunt Emily with Nannie + Agnes,
took us by surprise. We had heard
some time before that they were
coming, but did not know what
day; + they arrived yesterday, all five of them. Fortunately, mother is feeling
very well at present. I don't know
what to think about Mr. Washburn.
I told you, I suppose, that Aunt Nettie
wrote to him some time ago - asking
his intentions, I understand; - and that
he said he thought a great deal of Florence,

[Hattie + Louis [Snow?], had all disappeared. We hurried forward a little
while, but could see no trace of them; so we gave them up + came home
at our leisure, discussing Vanity Fair + other harmless subjects. Or
perhaps it
was on our
way to 
church we
had discussed
it; it is
no matter. 
I didn't know
the way, 
+ they say
Mr. Chase
brought me
home the 
longest way
around. Anyway, 
we]Florence, but was not in a condition
to marry, because of his poverty + poor
health. Aunt Nettie stopped the correspondence
between him + Flo, but he
has lately asked + received permission
to renew it. And yesterday Flo went
out with him to visit his relatives
at Newton; + he + she have had a discussion
of the matter, + settled that
they are to be friends simply, but are
not to marry anyone else. Flo was
feeling blueish this morning, + expressed
her conviction that he would 
marry someone, + that she should become
an instructress of little darkeys
down South. She is very nervous + 
fidgetty today; but I expect that tonight
or tomorrow we shall have a 
good confab, + she will tell me how
matters stand. Agnes has grown
plump, + her hands, feet + legs are as
brown as an Indian's. Aunt Emily

[found Hattie + Louis Snow on the steps when we got to Mrs. Peirce's, 
+ they said they had been pursuing us through all sorts of back streets.
This
we declined
to 
believe,
as they
had
been
ahead
when
we 
lost
sight
of them,
+ also
had got
home 
first.]


very much about it when you write
home. That boys should speak of him
as "that old man," + that experience
should show that his strength is
not what it used to be, is disgusting 
to him. You should have seen his
grimace when Mamma came to the
"old man" part of the story in relating
it to Aunt Emily. And he 
makes as light of the whole thing
as he can. The next day (I think
the very next) he went bathing
again; but young Mr. Garrison
promised to keep an eye on him. 
Papa went away out, farther than
anyone else, + came out chilly + 
exhausted. Being reproached by
mamma, he said he wanted to 
see if his power of swimming
had really deserted him.
We had high times theologically
at our Sunday dinner. It isn't
often that we have theologue at table,
+ when we do, Papa is pretty sure to

[send to Washington to be exchanged for new bills, + said that they were what
might be called the "filthy [hiere?]". A telephone communicates with
Mr. Chace's office - the office where he works, I mean - + we talked to him through
it. 
Hattie
represented
herself
as a 
book-agent,
+ offered
a new
work
by 
Canon]get into a tilt with him. Mr. Washburn
is entirely plucky, + desired no quarter.
Mamma of course turned in
strongly on the unorthodox side, + told
how bewildered Admiral Farragut's
son was when he came to Asterville
+ found himself among the young
Garrisons, Motts, etc. - a hundred or
so of most excellent people who
yet professed no creed, never went
to church, +, as he expressed it, had
"no religion". He asked someone,
young Garrison, I think, what it 
meant! And Mamma talked of
the wane of the old beliefs with
placid satisfaction; + to Mr. Washburne's 
assertion that statistics
showed a larger proportion of the population
to be church members than
ever before, Papa brought forward
his favorite theory that a majority 
of orthodox church members don't
believe their own doctrines, + stay in
the church for social + sympathetic

sympathetic reasons. And it is a curious
fact that as Papa believes the orthodox
to be skeptics at heart, so they 
believe that the Liberals have a secret
though smothered conviction that
orthodoxy is true - that there is a 
hell, + that they are going to it. It is
queer that neither side can give the
other credit for sincerity, at least.
When Theodore Weld was out here,
Papa asked him whether he thought
there existed a single educated man
of forty who had entire belief in the
immortality of the soul. Mr. Weld
is somewhere about eighty, with an
eye as keen as a boy's; + the energy
with which he answered Papa was
refreshing. He disclaimed all respect
for the stock arguments in favor of
immortality, but professed most
fervent + immovable faith in the 
doctrine. So Papa spoke of him to
me next day as "a soft-headed old
man", very good but not over-wise.

[Farrar. Mr. Chase is an Episcopalian. He said he rejoiced to see me looking
so well, + asked what I thought of the color of his neck-tie. Lulie]
[+ her aunt joined us at the office, + we went down the river
together. I shall have to wind up in a hurry. We have made]But mother, who knew him all
through her antislavery work, says he
is not only a man of great moral
excellence, but one of rare genius. 
His conversation is certainly brighter
than that of almost anyone I know.
Well, all this is a digression. I 
want to tell you about my Providence 
visit, but don't know how to convey
to you the pleasant impression the
people down there, + the life they
led, made upon me. It is so different
from anything I am used to.
There are a lot of young people who come
in + out at Hattie's, the door-bell rang
again + again; + they are very nice young
people. Lulie + her cousin Louis Snow 
+ Frank Bates are almost regarded
as members of Mrs. Peirce's family, +
she heartily adopted me as another.
Louis Snow is a plump young fellow
with a comical face. He is full of
fun, + gives one the impression of being
very innocent, which they say he
is. He goes around with Hattie a

good deal. Lulie's "aunt Lulie" is really her
mother's cousin, + is a bright-eyed, stylish
woman with handsome white hair. She
is energetic + self-willed, a Unitarian, + 
said to be very worldly. I'm sorry Lulie
shouldn't have a better specimen of Unitarianism
under her eyes. They are rich, +
Mrs. Snow is said to be very kind to Lulie
but to lead her a somewhat trying life of
it by vigorous + continual nagging. I told
you about Frank Bates. We saw a good deal
more of him afterwards, + I liked him better
after every interview. He + Lulie make a
handsome couple, + a very happy one.
I have only to shut my eyes to have their
images come bobbing brightly before me,
with Mrs. Peirce + Hattie, Mr. Chase + Louis
Snow, hovering about. Speaking of Mr. 
Chace, I remember our Sunday evening excursion.
You know Frank + Louis + Mr.
Chace were to take us to church that evening.
Of course it was understood that Mr. Bates
would take Lulie; + I'm told that when I
had gone out of the room, Mr. Chace asked
Louis whether he had any choice as to
which girl he should escort, + being

[the acquaintance of some nice, intelligent + wealthy people who are delighted
with Aunt B.'s book + have worn their copy till it looks almost]
[like an old book. You are going to be written to about it. I mean, Aunt
B. is. Goodbye. In haste, affy, Alice S. Blackwell.]answered in the negative said that in that
case he should take me. Which he did. We
took the horsecars, + having been previously
schooled by Hattie, I let Mr. Chace pay my 
fare. But my self-respect was diminished
by just the breadth of that car-ticket. We
heard a popular preacher hold forth about
Abraham + Lot. That is the subject the
International Sunday school lessons have
reached, + all the ministers seem possessed
to preach about it. I heard one sermon on it at
Gardner from the Methodist minister, a 
lecture at Providence Sunday afternoon
from Hattie's minister, + finally this evening
another sermon, all denouncing Lot, + 
pointing so many more morals at him
than they properly could that I felt disposed
to take up the cudgels for him. We 
sat in front of the rest of our party at
church, which was annoying, as I 
was deprived of the pleasure I had anticipated
in watching Frank + Lulie.
When we had started to walk home,
I stopped a minute to put on a shawl,
+ when we started on, Frank + Lulie,

is portly + jolly, as usual. She is
very nice. Papa + Mamma made a 
few days visit to Osterville, Cape 
Cod, not long before I came home.
A lot of descendants of the old antislavery
people, Mr. Garrison, Lucretia 
Mott, etc. have a sort of summer
colony there. They had a very nice
time, but Papa came near being 
drowned. There is a vessel moored 
near shore, which they go bathing 
from; + Papa, instead of going bathing 
from the shore-side, like young Mr.
Garrison, must needs plunge off on
the sea-side, where the waves beat +
buffeted him, + mother thinks there
was a sort of swirl which tended to
draw him under. Anyway, she sat
on the deck, looking placidly about
+ rather wondering that she did not
see his head anywhere, when some
boys raised a shout from the end of

[We said we had been chasing around after them, + Mrs. Peirce afterwards
made a pun on that word 'chasing.' They upbraided us with having come the
longest way, + Mr. Chase intimated that he had not been particular about
coming
the 
shortest
way;
+, to
make a
long 
story 
short,
they
teased
me
about
my
"elopement"
ever afterward.
A few days]the vessel, "Here's a man drowning"!
Mother shouted to Mr. Garrison for
help, + ran to the front of the boat,
where she saw Papa on a raft, pale
as a ghost - she says he will never look
whiter when he is dead - and a boy of
fourteen or so was swimming to
shore with the rope of the raft in
his mouth. The other boys when
questioned said that they saw Papa
plunge in, + remarked that that old
man couldn't buffet the water on
that said the boat. So it proved;
and whether he was taken with a 
faintness, or whatever it was, they
saw him in danger. He cried, "Help
me, boys! Help me, boys!" So they 
say; he says he cried "Push out the
raft!" Once on the raft he was safe,
though exhausted; + when the raft was
towed into shoal water, he waded in
the rest of the way himself. This
incident is gall + wormwood to Papa,
+ you + Aunt B. had better not say

[after, Hattie + I went to the Bank where Frank Bates works, + he showed us the inside 
of the safe, + tossed about big sums of money with remarkable freedom. He
showed us the bundles of dirty + dilapidated old greenbacks which they]


Dorchester, Mass.
Oct 10, 1880.
My dear Kitty:-
It doesn't seem as if much
had happened this week which would
be interesting to write about; yet the
week has been a busy one throughout. 
Papa got home last night, + seems
fairly well + jolly. Mother has been
feeling very well this week; + college
has already produced a strengthening
+ slightly fattening effect upon me,
which mother observes with pleasure.
It is such a blessing to have regular
work, + young society, + plenty to
interest yourself in! As for business,
- in the sense of busyness, I mean -
take my yesterday's doings as a 
sample. In the first place, being
Saturday morning, I stayed in bed
longer than usual. After breakfast I
filled my school satchel with apples

[But I don't believe prussic acid will produce the slightest effect upon his
hardened inside. I suspect he is like the girl Hawthorne tells about, whose
father had fed her on poisons till they were like her natural food.
Horrid story!
I read it
at Mrs. Budlong's in
Providence,
when 
Hattie
+ I
were
making 
a call
there.
- After
all, I
should be very
sorry if any -]+ pears, enclosed our gray kitten in a
basket, wrote out a message for Miss
Wilde + the printer, + went into Boston.
The first thing was to deliver the kitten,
so I betook myself straight from
the station to 36 Yarmouth St., where
Hattie + Lulie abide. Hattie opened the 
door to me, + seeing the covered basket 
demanded "What have you got in there?"
I answered "Alice Louise Harriet Budlong 
Green", which is the name they 
proposed to give to the little feline. Mr.
Goodridge has suggested that it be called
"B.U." for short, + the idea is considered
a good one. Hattie took me up 
to her room, where we opened the
basket + took out the inmate. It was
curious to see the change in that
kitten's face since she was put in.
She looked older - aged by fright, I
suppose. She went upstairs in our 
arms when I was shown Alice [Budlong's]

[thing happened to Prof. Bowne. It is delightful to see a man with such a
clear, quick mind, + I take real satisfaction out of his lofty forehead, all
uneven
with
bumps,
+ out 
of the 
keen 
intelligence
of 
his
look, 
which
almost
sends
a
shiver]


went to such a length + annoyed her
so much that she determined to come
to America. She told me how one day
she + Theodora (the daughter) were out
skating on the ice, + a great crowd of 
boys + girls surrounded them. A policeman
rebuked the crowd, + it immediately 
drew back + formed a large circle,
leaving her in the centre - a most
embarassing position. She gave, in her
funny dialect, a graphic picture of herself
skating with two other ladies, hand 
in hand, with the boys trailing after
 like the tail of a comet. She painted 
away, declaring her intention of stepping
into the place left vacant by the death
of the painter Hunt; + I didn't know 
whether she was in joke or in earnest.
The daughter was thinner (she has been
sick since I saw her last) but has improved
greatly in her English. She did
not squeeze me so much this time, but

[The third hour he hears us recite in Theism, + leaves me rather less certain
about the strength of the theistic argument than when he began. The
other
day
he
likened
Spencer's
theory
to
"a
chimera
vaulting
in a
vacuum".
He has
one redeeming
[qual??] ]held my hand + kissed it occasionally,
which was much less objectionable.
She told me how the children she played
with at home used to call her "boy-face",
which I take to be equivalent to
tom-boy; + how when she was little
she begged her father for a suit of
boy's clothes. She always delighted in
climbing + swimming, + such boyish
sports. when I came away she
stood on the steps with the sun
making her fair hair bright, + watched
me away up the street. They are an 
odd couple, she + her mother. They
have moved to a lodging near Mamie
Molineux's house, + she (Mamie) has asked
mother whether it would be well
to cultivate their acquaintance. Prof.
Buck told her Miss Hansteen was
widely known in Europe, + that disposed
Mamie to know her; but on
the other hand the daughter's queer

ways make her doubtful. Mamie
says she saw her one day in the
little park near their house, lying on
the grass + reading so intently as to
seem oblivious of all that passed
around her. Mamma advised her to
be friendly with them, they being 
strangers in a strange land. however,
this is a digression. I went up to the
the Journal Office, + then did an errand,
+ then came to the station, stopping
on the way for mother's satchel
which had been left to be repaired.
Came home + dined, + began to post
up my ethics book; + then hurried
off to the city again by the 1.56 train,
with copy for the printers + a message
for Miss Wilde. Having visited Journal
Office + printing office, I took the 
3.15 train home, walked up, + found
Lucy Wheelock + her mother here, We 
had half expected them. We visited

[though, + that is his affection for Miss Putnam. She had a holiday lately, + came
to Boston; + you should have seen how seraphically he beamed upon 
her. 
She
has a 
head 
almost
as 
clear
as 
his
own,
+ 
decidedly
more 
level
in
some
places.]
[No wonder he takes pride in her. She appeared behind my chair suddenly,
just before ethics; + I arose + fell upon her neck; + I being somewhat
bulky
+ she 
quite
minute, 
we 
came 
near
going
to 
the 
ground.
This 
was
nuts
to
the class,]with them till about half past four, +
then I drove them to Squantum + 
back to the station, + waited there for
Papa till about half past six. Supper
wasn't over till half past seven or so, +
eight o'clock is bed-time. Such a busy
day left small time for writing editorials
for the Beacon. They must be
written this afternoon if possible.
It is so much nicer than vacation!
But that dreadful debate Friday next
weighs on my mind. "Resolved, that
suicide is sometimes justifiable."
That is the form to which it has
been changed; + hence I shall have
to make the first speech, + Mr. Holman
will come right after me.
As the subject was first worded, it
would have been just the other way
about, which I should greatly
have preferred. But Mr. Holman
wanted it changed to the present form.
I do hope nervousness won't get the

[so I hurried her into the hall, where we could embrace unobserved. Don't
know when I've made such an exhibition of myself before folks. There is no]


Which we understand that Henry has
since done, with excellent success.
Of course you are not to say a word
about all this. - Papa likes Harry; +
I like him better than Charlie myself.
He is more of a boy, + seems to have
more fun + frankness to him.
We do have such times with Prof.
Bowne at college. Twelve hours a week 
of such mental gymnastics as his
recitations + lectures are, is rather much,
but I wouldn't give up a bit of it.
What does the villain do but give us
a written examination on the first
two chapters of Theism the other day,
without a word of warning! Unless
you had read said chapters, you could
have no idea of the diabolicalness of 
such a proceeding. I asked Mr. Foster
what he would take to poison him
(you know Bishop Foster + family live
with the Bownes) + Mr. Foster agreed
to do it, with prussic acid - as he had
been treating of that poison in the ethics.

[I do hope the eyes are not in fault again. You had better send a postal card
once a fortnight if you for any reason can't write a letter, so as to save]better of me. That would be too great
a triumph for Cadge. She squirms with
rapturous anticipation; + I'm bound to
disappoint her if I can. It was a piece
of impishness her putting me on against
Mr. Holman, anyway. But it is quite
within her power as president, + there's 
no fun in having a president unless 
you obey her.
Harry Spofford was out here
the other night, + sat up till midnight
unburdening his heart to mother,
who comforted him in her own wise
way. I had gone to bed as soon as they
got home that evening, which happened
at about 10.30. Harry has
been under the impression that Charlie
didn't care for him, wasn't brotherly,
etc. etc. And indeed, if his
story be correct, Charlie has been
treating him rather coolly. Mamma
reminded him (Harry) how overwhelmed
with work Charlie is, + advised him
to go more than half way to meet him.

[family news. Uncle Sam is reported well. I have been reading "Sister Dora".
Isn't it wonderful? It's some little time since a letter came from you.]

Budlong's room, over Hattie's + Lulies; +
then down with us to the basement,
where were the family + Lulie + a 
good fire. Being taken into Lulie's 
lap + caressed, she decided that she
was in a good place + began to purr.
She was warmly welcomed by the
family; + having seen her duly settled,
+ having left part of the apples + 
pears with Hattie, I went across
to Selma Krehbiel's room on Waltham
St. Saturday morning is my time
for [ramping?] about among the girls.
I knocked at the door of Miss Krehbiel's
room, but received no answer.
Supposing she was down in the kitchen,
I opened the door + walked in; + there 
she lay in bed (it was about 9.30)
sleeping so calmly + comfortably it 
would have been a shame to wake
her. So I filled her fruit-basket with
the rest of the apples + pears, + silently

[down my back sometimes. With all which, he does propound outrageous
statements sometimes, especially in the ethics. Several days in the week we
have 
three
successive
hours
under
him; 
+ at 
the
end
of the
first 
two, 
my brain
feels
like putty.]stole away, chuckling in my sleeve. Miss
Krehbiel's room-mate, Lizzie Price, has
been having a terrible crop of boils, +
had gone home to Gloucester to stay over
Sunday. Next I went to call on that
Norwegian lady + her pretty daughter.
I have not seen them since that
memorable ride when the daughter 
squeezed me so distressingly; + I went 
with some secret dread. Miss Hansteen
was painting her adopted daughter's potrait
when I came in. They welcomed 
me very cordially + chattered away to
me in imperfect English, telling me
amusing things about their adventures
in Norway. Miss Hansteen says that
there all the women stay at home like
mice in their holes; + she, being the 
only woman who did anything in 
public, was regarded as a sort of
monstrosity. Hence she could not go
out without being stared at, + it

[The effect of his teachings is decidedly skeptical thus far. The first hour he
lectures on ethics, + mixed up one's ideas of right + wrong. The second
hour
he lectures
on 
recent
English
Philosophy,
+ shows 
you 
what
a fool
Herbert
Spencer
is.]


Dorchester, Mass.
Dec. 26, 1880.
My dear Kitty:-
Christmas has come + gone. 
Christmas Eve I began my supper
alone, with a variety of vague
+ frightful forebodings as to what
might have happened to all my 
relatives. The first to arrive was
Mamma, who was just home
from Washington. She caught
a bad cold there after Papa left, 
and a big snowstorm came
up just about the time when
she had meant to start for
home; so she yielded to the
Spoffords' persuasions and
prudently delayed a few days.
She stopped a day in N.Y. to 
go to an expert in throat-diseases
with Aunt Emily; but
Aunt Emily was too busy to

[in Schenectady, it can't be made this side the Alleghanies successfully
+ he can't bear to give up what has been his life-long wish.
So I think he will do it. But he says he is determined not
to
worry
about 
it,
anyway.
An 
excellent
determination -
if he 
can 
only
stick to it.]go after all, so we are still without
a decisive opinion upon the
throat. But Aunt Emily has looked
at it + prescribed some preparation
of carbolic acid + borax. Mother
coughs shockingly, but declares
that her cold is much better + is 
passing off. She looks very well
otherwise. She went out to East
Orange + spent about half an hour
there. Both the little boys are
looking sturdy + well, + the younger
is just on the point of walking.
He crawls everywhere like a little
spider, Mamma says; + 
shows frequent flashes of a
peppery temper, a demonstration
all over in a minute. Aunt
Emily had not heard from Aunt 
Elizabeth for so long that she was
quite anxious, + didn't know
whether you were in Nice or where.

Cornelia had a bad cold. Aunt
Emily has tried sending Cornelia
+ Susie to the public school, while
continuing Nannie at the private 
one; but she gave it up after a
day or two. The children came 
back reporting that one little
girl was violently shaken, + 
another struck under her chin 
so that she bit her tongue + the
blood ran out of the corners of
her mouth. Aunt Emily spoke
or wrote to the teachers about it;
+ the next day they took Cornelia
into a room alone, asked her
what she meant by telling such
stories, + told her that she had not
seen any little girl shaken; that 
little girls were not shaken there;
+ that the girl whose mouth she
thought was bleeding had only been
chewing a red ribbon. They gave

[Did I tell you that I went to Judge Sewall's office in Pemberton Square
for mother, a week or two since? It is in the top of the building; and there
were
bookcases
around
the
wall
with
no end
of leather-covered
volumes
in them -
statues, 
+c; +
there 
was
a
picture]
[of Washington over the mantel-piece (it didn't hang plumb) + one of Garrison over the closet door, + a bust of John Brown in bas-relief by Judge
Sewall's 
private
desk;
and
as he
stood
at it,
with 
his 
white
hair 
+ 
beautiful
profile
outlined]her positive orders to tell Aunts
E + E that she had been mistaken,
+ that it wasn't so; + Cornelia 
was so frightened + excited that
she came home + was sick in
bed for two or three days. Aunt
Emily of course took her children
away, + I believe sent the teacher
a note saying she could not
send them to a school where
the first thing they learnt was
deception. Yet that is considered
a particularly good public school,
+ is better ventilated, according
to Aunt E., than any private
school in the city. And while
Miss Putnam was here, she
came home one night quite full
of the things Lucy Peabody (who
graduated in '79, + now works 
with her in the laborattory, + who
teaches in a night school) told

her of the way the scholars there
are treated. And that is considered 
a model nightschool, too.
However, this is a long digression.
I left myself sitting
at supper Xmas Eve. Mother
came first + was warmly welcomed; 
then after a while Gracie
+ Uncle Sam arrived. Papa did
not come till late at night, after
we had all given him up +
gone to bed. He rang + pounded 
+ couldn't make anyone hear; +
finally he went down through 
the scuttle into the cellar + came
up the cellar-stairs + pounded 
+ called till he roused Maggie. 
She let him in, + he stole quietly 
into bed without waking Mamma.
She didn't know of his 
presence till she heard him
breathe, toward morning. This

[against the window, I had an unusually strong sense of the majesty
of law, + felt as if I should almost like to study it. Papa + Mamma
would like to have me do it, but I object. 
Eliza Putnam, 
Cadge
+ I
have
agreed
to go
together
this 
week
Tuesday
+ call
on
Prof. 
Bowne.
I look forward]
[to it with anticipation mingled with terror. While I was prowling
about in search of Springfield St. the other day (to leave a Xmas card for
old Mr. [Walcu?t] who calls himself my grandfather) I came upon
Rutland
St.,
where
Prof. B.
lives, + 
it gave 
me
quite
a
shock. 
I gazed
down
the street
longingly,
wondering
which]was considered quite a triumph
of strategy on Papa's part, + he exulted
in it. Charlie Spofford + Lucy
Wheelock came out to dinner. I
invited Mr. Goodridge, but he
couldn't come. Maggie in Mamma's
absence had got us up a
huge plum pudding, which I 
consider very good. She had some
trouble in finding a satisfactory
receipt in our American cookery
books, on which she cast scorn.
The Xmas was quiet; your letter
of Dec. 3 (the first from Nice)
+ Aunt B.'s enclosure were read aloud + much enjoyed.
The usual comment-
"What a good letter Kitty does 
write!" duly followed; + there were 
sundry compliments to my sweetheart
which were highly agreeable 
to me. Please thank Aunt B. heartily
for her very kind note. It is always

always with some diffidence that
I bother her about my small nervous
worries in regard to you;
but she answers so kindly + so
fully that I am ashamed of the
tremors with which I penned
my billet. But by the by - one thing
I must urgently beg of you. Don't
you breathe a syllable to Aunt B. 
of anything I may be betrayed
into saying about my theological
worries, or I shall hate her. It
would be entirely unjust, of
course, but I certainly should.
To return to Xmas. There were a 
great many Xmas cards sent us
to notice in the Journal, many
of them beauties; + these were
duly distributed. Miss Wilde presented
Papa + Mamma with two
lovely painted tea cups - or coffee-
cups - + saucers. Hers has violets

[*was the house. I quake at the thought of going there, but shan't mind
it so much with Miss Putnam along. She is the queerest combination, +
her face shows it - + an uncommonly big
forehead,
with
something
almost
infantile
about
the
lower
half
of her
face. 
So she 
has a 
wonderfully
fine
understanding, 
which amazed the professors at college. it wasn't mere memory,
you know - fine memories are comparatively common - but power to 
see through things + take them in their completeness. And
yet her
ways
are
somehow
childish,
+ her
small
size
heightens 
the illusion. 
Her voice
+ her
laugh 
are*]on it, + his has barberries. I went
in to church (at E.E. Hale's) in the
morning, + came out by the same
train as Lucy + Charlie. After dinner
we talked, + had a little music.
That is about all the Christmas.
Gracie had made some pretty presents
for us, among them two tiny
Xmas cards, white, with swallows 
on them of her own drawing. These
were really admirable. By the by,
Gracie said a funny thing about
the wind, which was blowing
great guns. She said it sounded
like a lot of spirits which had been
ill-treated + were all howling. She
says those queer things sometimes.
Now I come to an aggravating
circumstance. Florence's new aunt,
Mrs. William Brown, has determined
to make a match between
Flo + Washburne. She says (in effect)

that what is the matter with him
is not want of wait but want of a
wife + a home; that her husband can
get him a charge where he would
have $1500. a year, + on that he could
afford to marry; + that she would
have him down there when Flo was, + in three
weeks would have them engaged.
So at last accounts he + Flo were
both at Mrs. Brown's, + Mrs. B. was
carrying on her operations. Now I
don't think Mr. W. will succumb, 
for I don't believe he wants to marry
Flo - in fact, Flo said herself when
she was here last that she knew
he was fond of her, but didn't 
think he quite wanted to marry
her - and Mr. W. has a pretty steady
head, and will hardly let himself
be politely forced into doing what
he doesn't choose to do. But it is a
disagreeable position to have Flo
placed in. If I were Flo I wouldn't
stand it. However, Mrs. Brown
probably didn't say to Flo plainly -

[those of a little girl; + when she slept with me she got hold of one of my
thumbs with her little plump fist, + held on to it like a baby. To see her in
her 
short
white
nightdress
you
would
take
her for
a
little
girl. There
isn't 
the 
slightest
affection
about it;
it is]
[her natural way. And the combination is very charming. We were all
startled to hear of George Eliot's death. I am glad she is gone, for her
sake. She must have had a dreary time of it during]"I am going to invite Mr. Washburne
here + see if I can't bring him to the
point + make him propose to you." If
she were shrewd, she would say "Suppose
I invite him here for a few 
weeks. He needs recreation"; + then
Flo would be pleased at the idea of
seeing him, + would stay. But it
seems to me it is calculated to give
him the impression that Flo's friends are
throwing her at his head, + that is
not a pleasant position for a girl
to occupy. Aunt Nettie won't interfere.
She says the whole thing has
passed out of her hands. I don't 
see that we can do anything, but I 
wait with interest for the news from
Orange.
Papa is bent on transferring
the machinery to Schenectady  +
setting up the beet sugar-making 
there. It will involve a deal of
hard work for him, + possible failure
after all; but he says that if beet
sugar can't be made successfully

[the last years of her life. - By the by, did I tell you I voted last election? I did - for members
of school-committee, you know. I must tell you about that next time.]
[Goodbye, Mavourneen. Affy, Alice S. Blackwell.]were looking longingly toward the
Annisquam shore to see if they
were not coming with our supper, 
they were putting poor Lill's feet
in mustard + water + trying
to bring her round. And you
just ought to have seen the 
rows of blisters on Cadge's palms!
These things were told us in confidence
by Laura Eliot. Cadge +
Lill don't know that we know.
Well, we sat down to eat at
our leisure + rest from our
labors; + presently Eliza + Emma
Atkinson arrived, + told their
adventures after they parted 
from us. They got to the Laboratory
wharf all right; + Eliza 
threw her hat (which she hates
to keep on her head) on the wharf,
+ proceeded to secure the boat.
A gust of wind took the hat
into the water, + it sailed away 
before the wind. Emma, who
was in the boat, rowed after

[in imminent need of clothes, but do want the envelopes
+ white neck-ties of which I spoke in a former letter.]it, + chased it up the river I
don't know how far. She finally
caught it, but you never saw
such an object. From a good-
looking hat it had become an indescribable
scare crow. Eliza was
rubbed + dried + fed - though
she couldn't eat much - + we retired
to bed after the most adventurous 
day we have had. Eliza was
greatly consoled by finding that
the man who rowed Miss Durfee
had had a hard time in getting 
home, + had come nearer 
to running on the bar than we
did. Before learning this, she
had laid our difficulties to her
awkwardness as well as to the
strength of the wind + shallowness
of the water, but now 
decided that the latter were
alone to blame. Cadge, Lill +
Eliza are now convalescent, + 
the rest of us were not hurt.
Indeed, scrambling over wet

[With much love, Alice Stone Blackwell. Remember me to Maggie.]