Viewing page 143 of 186

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

I imagine that I could get my money out of them too,if I tried very hard. I get one big one for $8.95 that had formerly been $29.50; and I got some small ones for 99cents each made of carpeting worth $9.00 a yard.
I wish that you could see the place. I think that you would like it. I have a pantry, a wood and coal closet, and a toilet, all opening off my kitchen, which is in the ell of the house, has three windows, a built-in china closet, and a catchall closet behind the stove. One window, beside the sink, faces east; the other two, south. From the kitchen I go into my living room, which also has three windows facing the same way as do those of the kitchen;and into another extra room which has two windows, one facing north, and one west. I have to go up two steps to go to these rooms. My bedroom is on the front of the house. I keep the windows open night and day in there. It has two very large closets in it, much like those in your front chamber. 
I have to heat the place from the kitchen, so all I try to heat is the kitchen and the living room. We have been having some pretty cold weather, but I have kept fairly comfortable. I bought 200 bags of coal and had them put into the cellar, and last week and this Mr. and Mr.s Maclam have brought me up enough to last for the whole week. I keep the fire night and day, so get along very well. Tomorrow I am having a woman come in to do some cleaning. I got rather done up doing what I did, and last week I scalded my two feet when the bottom dropped out of a gallon glass jug which I was planning to put into my bed. I went over to Winchester to substitute last Friday, just the same, however, but did not get out Monday or Tuesday. I was unlucky enough to break one of the blisters Sunday morning, so had a little soreness, but they are healing nicely now. I can't seem to get over the rawness in my chest. To-night, when Mr. and Mrs. were inviting me down stairs again, I told them that I suspected that the cats might cause the irritation. I hope that she isn't offended, but I just can't be going down there all the time. The place smells to high heaven, and they are both very bigotted in their religious views and are always trying to rope someone in to go to their "Brotherhood" meetings. I get tired of the talk, and have hopes of squelching all invitations before they materialize. He works in Manchester, and gets home only once a week, so she is lonely. Embroidery, church, visiting me, knowing her neighbor's affairs, etc. constitute her excitement. Last week when I went down, she sat embroidering and he reading at the dining-room table, with only a high overhead light. After a while he began to talk about school subjects, Evangeline, etc. I suppose he thought that he was making conversation on the subject that would interest me. I feel so sorry for people who find every interesting thing in life a sin, and every dull thing a virtue. Believe me, I hope to keep good friends with them, but at a distance. 
Mrs.Windram, the woman I lived with out on COmmonwealth Avenue, when I was teaching in Boston, is coming out to see me tomorrow. She was to stay over night, but this morning I got a postal from her saying that she had forgot about her bird. I suppose, therefore, that she will have to go back at night to look after him. 
If you feel like writing a letter I shall be glad to get it, but if not, at least a postal would tell me how you are. 
I still plan to get a letter off to Doris soon.
Love to you both, and best wishes to Mrs. Osborne.
Lena