March 7, 1897

From: Helen A. Reardon
To: Frank Gleasure, The Square, Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland

My dear Frank & Annie & all,

Your very welcome letter came in due time and we were all glad to hear from you.

We were much interested in the scraps from the newspapers. There is no such state of things as you hear. The times are about the same as they have been these three years. Now that the inauguration is off their hands there will be doubtless something done at Washington. There is much to bring up though in Congress at once. The Cuba question comes first. Then Alfred Hartwell is on hand at Washington now to push the Sandwich Island cable etc.

The Boston Globe sent thirty teachers and thirty pupils to Washington. They have just got home. The coupons have been published in the paper and thirty teachers from the New England states that got the most votes were sent all expenses paid and a substitute paid for the week. Each teacher could take the pupil who saved the most coupons for him. Mr. McGrath came second on the list and he took a boy in Natick by the name of Fred Fair with him. It was a great time for him. They saw all the Inauguration exercises and had a fine time.

There was a great wedding here last week. Frank Pfeiffer and Kate Neuschafer. They had beer and a lively time.

John Griffin is still at home. He does not seem to get anything to do. Mr. Bailey gets along without him very well. Fred goes down to the car morning and afternoon and does the booking.

Max Gruhn called here last Sunday night to show us his report card from the High School. It was a fine one. The teachers have told me they think him very bright. He earns his car fare and clothes in the shoe-shop and he has time to draw outside. He is going to learn to shade pictures and earn something this summer by that. He got a chance to put this shading into these large crayon portraits. I hope you keep up your drawing no matter what the paper is. Sketching outdoor landscapes is good practice. Then you cannot till but you could get a chance to learn engraving or lithographing. Don't for one minute give up the idea that you are going to school again: There is a report that Mr. Emerson is not to be here another year. Pratt Daniels has applied for the place. Pratt graduates from school this June. He has improved very much and will make quite smart fellow I think. Celia is going to school this fall at Bridgewater. Ned is in school. I do wish May could be in school here. It is wonderful how the children learn to read by the Pollard Method. Ned can read quite a little and only commenced in Sept.

We all had a good laugh over Joe's exploits. He often got into little scrapes here. We should all like to see you all.

They have a great place at the Whittemore farm. They have a race track all built and are boarding a great many valuable race-horses. They employ a blacksmith all the time. have a shop there.

I will send a Globe this week. For two or three weeks it has had nothing of interest in it.

Write to us as often as you can. I hope Annie will write too. Miss Bailey says she would send you some stamps if they would be of any use. Is there any chance for you to collect old stamps there? If so we might exchange some. Is the shamrock green now?

Mrs. Bailey and May and Fred, Miss Smith Miss Bailey join in sending love to you all and hope sometime to see you again.

Helen A. Reardon