Monday Morning

Kansas City Nov 11 1901

Mrs. Helen M. Caine
1021 Gratz Avenue
Knoxville Tennessee


Monday Morning
Dear little Mamma,
After two fine cool days it is warm again this morning a feels like more rain.
It is so long since last Wednesday that I have forgotten what I did except my letter to you, but I remember we didn't go to church, for I was lame from my mornings weed pulling and Walter didn't feel well, and afterward when we heard Mr. Dew led the meeting we weren't particularly sorry that we didn't go.
Thursday morning after my usual routine, I decided to make a visit or two and then spend the rest of the day with Mother Neff; So I started out about ten-o'clock and rode down to_____ thinking I would spend a few minutes with Mrs. Householder, but found she had just_____ out on Troust Avenue with the people with whom they had been boarding. Then I stopped at Mrs. Hughes as I wasn't sure she had left town, but found she had taken the children and gone to join Dr. Hughes Monday morning. This gave me a little extra time which I spent at Mrs. Fowler's. Miss Miles is in Boston with Mrs. Chase, as perhaps you know , and Mrs. chase and the baby are to return with her in September for a visit. Mrs. Fowler's health seems better this summer, but Mrs. Walter Fowlers is miserable and I do feel sorry for her.
Well, I arrived at Mother Neff's just in time for a early lunch, and found that she had made arrangements to take a Mrs. Lloyd (Cora's Aunt) out driving in the afternoon, so we visited for an hour or so and then she brought me home. I had been wanting to go down to the office and as I was all dressed I decided that was just as good a time as any, so I got in the car and the "baby" surely surprised to see me. Jay was there and I talked to him a minute and had a little visit with Paul-the child is handsomer everyday-and at quarter to four we left the rest to do the work and ran off up town where we dissipated on ice cream soda(and Walter had a cherry cobbler, too) and bought two fine new pairs of suspenders for a dollar at Browning and Kings-to every appearance just as good as ones of Bullines for twice the money, so you see "you can't most always tell".
Friday I cleaned the Linen closet, though, of course, Bridges wiped the walls and shelves. When the things were all spread out in your room and the sewing room I wandered how the closet could ever hold so much and not seem crowded. I found the disagreeable odor was from the fur jacket and cape, so I put them in the sewing room closet as it is nearer a window and more easily aired. The jacket never smelled before, so it must be something Mrs. Rudd did to it. I dusted your room, tended the plants, and put away the clean clothes, so you see it was a busy day. I the evening we went out to Troust Park to hear Mr. Chaffee sing-he and Mrs. Vorhees sang there every evening of last week and with so much success that they are engaged for this week. On the car we saw Jay and Sarah had Miss Marry Green-they were just out to cool off. Sarah was wrapped up though, and didn't look very well. While we were listening to the music Mr. Hallenback came up to talk to us and said he had just gotten back from Chicago where he and Mrs. Hallenback had secured fine church positions to begin the first of September. It must have seemed queer to him when neither of us expressed any regret at this news, but he tells such whoppers that it is impossible to know what to believe. Yet if it is true, Walter won't know what to do for a soprano, for there is no one who can approach Mrs. Hallenback for church work. Dora informed me Friday morning that she had an opportunity to go home for nothing and would start that evening after dinner and would return Saturday night. I wasn't at all pleased at such short notice, as you can imagine, but there was nothing to do but put up with it, I had her make the bread and got Bridges to scrub the kitchen and pantry, so that my stay in the culinary department might be as agreeable as possible. Walter wouldn't let her set the table so we ate breakfast on the slab in the pantry-we had fruit and scrambled eggs with fresh bread and butter, and Walter made the coffee which looked perfection, and he said it was. Of course he wanted me to go right off to spend the day with his mother, but there were too many things to be attended to, so I decided to stay by myself in spite of it's being a dark rainy day. We had quite a discussion about dinner, Walter insisted on our going down town, but finally he gave in after getting me to promise to have a cold lunch instead of dinner. Well, I spent another busy day, as you can imagine and splashed around in the sink till nearly noon, but you just ought to have seen how clean I made the refridgedar and filter! I dusted the white room and our room and did lots of odd jobs, and about 4 o'clock Walter came home with a basket of plums, some cantaloupes, cheese, and sardines. He positively refused to let me have lunch in the dining room, so I fixed it on the slab again. The only hot things we had were fried potatoes and tea, but with the sardines, salad, bread and jam, cantaloupes, tarts and cake, we "made out" very well and both thought things tasted much better than usual. I washed the silver and piled up the dishes for Dora, and we spent the evening reading. Sunday morning we went to Dr. Neal’s church of tenth and forest and he gave us a beautiful sermon from the 21st chapter of revelations. I enjoyed him more than Dr. George and I know he is a dear good man--and he called us "beloved". We read after dinner and each took a nap, and then went over to Jay's but found no one at home. We went on up to George's and waited on the porch for nearly an hour till father and mother Neff got home from the Good Way Mission. We had a pleasant visit and a good lunch-of course-and then concluded to go down to hear Dr. Wilcox. When we got to Woodland Avenue the cable stopped and so after sitting there till half past eight we hunted up a red car and finally got home about nine.
So we have still to hear a sermon from Dr. Wilcox. Mrs. Gilbert says they think him a very strong speaker, and I think myself he is quite homely enough to be smart.
No, we have had no more news from Dr. Quayle, but I think it was his stepmother who was ill instead of his father.
Tell Ned I have reread "The Bandman" and although it harrows my feelings beyond expression, I think it is a great book, and Red Jason are of the mighty spirits of the world. I have been reading a number of serial magazine stories, too--"The Castle Inn", "Carleane", and "The Garden of Swords"--all finely written but anything but pleasant reading. I wonder if Ned has read them.
You musn’t expect me to tell you if I am taking good care of Walter--you must ask him.
I haven't said anything about the wall yet because nothing has been done yet. They have been so slow about the foundation of the houses and we can not begin till their stone work is about finished. You would see the reason if you were here, but it would take too long to try to explain it. We shall surely begin work next week, I think.
I will enclose a letter from Louise which you can send to Auntie if you like.
I still borrow matches from your room just as if you were here, and I wonder what I will do when the box is empty.
Mother Neff said to give you her love. I have lots of letters to write, but I just don't get at them. With much love to all,
Affectionately,
Anna