June 9th, 1897

From MM Hartwell: South Natick, MA
To Frank Gleasure: The Square, Listowel, Ireland

Dear Frank,

I received your letter and am always interested to hear how you are getting on. Everything seems about the same here. The schools close next week.

"Memorial Day" the schools had some exercises in the hall. Music and speaking by the different schools and some old soliders from the "Grand Army" spoke to them afterwards. The scholars went to the cemeteries to decorate the graves. Your mother's grave was not forgotten by her friends. I saw Miss Reardon planting a geranium by it. If you were to come back now, you would miss my old barn. It has been taken down and the shed that was between the house and barn. You remember where you had piled up the wood? They were pretty old and my brother thought best to have them removed. I miss them very much as they seemed like dear old friends to me. The place hardly looks natural without them. There is to be something put up in place of them sometime. Mr. Bair is at the hotel now. I think he was pretty lonesome up on his farm in New Hampshire and likes to get back here. We have had a great deal of rain this month and last and today is a cold, [?] storm. We have been having plenty of strawberries. Do you have them where you are? And all the small fruits we have here. Are the wildflowers the same? I would like to have some of the shamrock you were looking for, and if you find anything we do not have here, you might put a pressed blossom in your letter when you write. Do you study [?] at home if you do not go to school.

I suppose Anna and you all have grown so that I should hardly know you. Mrs. Williams is here and she wishes to be remembered to you all and says tell you Marian always wants to put flowers on your mother's grave when she goes to the cemetary. Now I shall be glad to hear from you again and with kind remembrance for you all.

From yours sincerely,

MM Hartwell

Thank you for writing. Your letter was very interesting.