"I am in society here," Eleanor wrote to her friend Albertina, with a
pardonable emphasis on that phase of her new existence that would
appeal to the haughty ideals of Miss Weston, "I don't have to do any
housework, or anything. I sleep under a pink silk bedquilt, and I have
all new clothes. I have a new black pattern leather sailor hat that I
sopose you would laugh at. It cost six dollars and draws the sun down
to my head but I don't say anything. I have six aunts and uncles all
diferent names and ages but grown up. Uncle Peter is the most elderly,
he is twenty-five. I know becase we gave him a birthday party with a
cake. I sat at the table. I wore my crape da shine dress. You would
think that was pretty, well it is. There is a servant girl to do evry
thing even passing your food to you on a tray. I wish you could come
to visit me. I stay two months in a place and get broghut up there.
Aunt Beulah is peculiar but nice when you know her. She is stric and
at first I thought we was not going to get along. She thought I had
adenoids and I thought she dislikt me too much, but it turned out not.
I take lessons from her every morning like they give at Rogers
College, not like publick school. I have to think what I want to do a
good deal and then do it. At first she turned me loose to enjoy myself
and I could not do it, but now we have disapline which makes it all
right. My speling is weak, but uncle Peter says Stevanson could not
spel and did not care. Stevanson was the poat who wrote the birdie
with a yellow bill in the reader. I wish you would tel me if Grandma's
eye is worse and what about Grandfather's rheumatism.
"Your fond friend, Eleanor.
"P. S. We have a silver organ in all the rooms to have heat in. I was
afrayd of them at first."
* * * * *
In the letters to her grandparents, however, the undercurrent of
anxiety about the old people, which was a ruling motive in her life,
became apparent.
* * * * *
"Dear Grandma and Dear Grandpa," she wrote,
"I have been here a weak now. I inclose my salary, fifteen dollars
($15.00) which I hope you will like. I get it for doing evry thing I
am told and being adoptid besides. You can tell the silectmen that I
am rich now and can support you just as good as Uncle Amos. I want
Grandpa to buy some heavy undershurts right of. He will get a couff if
he doesn't do it. Tell him to rub your arm evry night before you go to
bed, Grandma, and to have a hot soapstone for you. If you don't have
your bed hot you will get newmonia and I can't come home to take care
of you, becase my salary would stop. I like New York better now that I
have lived here some. I miss seeing you around, and Grandpa.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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