Dear Reader,
Henning Minn.
Oct. 11, 1898
Miss Alice E. Anderson,
Moose Minn.
Dear ALICE:- I received your letter to-night, have read it and will begin an answer so that I can mail it tomorrow, you see, as is Saterday. We have just heard that John Lind, the Populist Candidate for governor, was elected, so of course we will not have any more cold weather, will we?
While playing with the other little boys and girls today, I fell down and cut my right hand on an old broken bottle. Nothing serious. Just let a little of the bad blood free. Have just written a letter to father and mother. My school will be out in two weeks so I will have time to come up and visit your school will I not? Those bright streaks which you children saw in the sky must have been Indian Signals. I should say they MAY have been, because they probably were not. Could tell better if I had seen them.
My landlady, Mrs. Edwards, starts for Wisconsin on the evening train to-night. I judge from what I hear that she expects to be gone all winter.
So you change as you grow older? Well I don’t know as I change very much. Perhaps the only change in me is that I get a little homlier as I grow older; but I could not get very much homelier. I don’t know whether I am glad or not because you have changed. It depends a little on what the change is. But to tell the truth, I have wished that you would change some.
That piece of poetry is very nice, but it made me feel more like wanting a home than ever.
I only used that style of letter head when I wrote to Lute, and when I wrote home. Of course I feel that way. I have not seen any of my relatives since last writing to you except Lester, Edwin, and Uncle Art. Saw them in Henning last Saterday but just had a chance to speak to them. I am going to Sunday school now and trying to be good; don’t know whether I improve or not. Mr. Edwards and I had another combat last week, and he got pretty well riled up. He said that miracles were not needed now, that people would not be sick anyway if they would not break God’s law. The next morning he had the sick headache, and was sick all day. I did the chores for him and that night and the next morning. I have to smile sometimes when I think about it.
About that point in law, I did not intend to convey the thought that I had any evidence in particular to bring up, but if it is necessary the question could be soon settled by writing to the Clerk of Court at Fergus Falls. I have been thinking of writing for sometime but have not thought it was really necessary YET.
I accept your thanks for what little I did but still do not think my actions had much to do with her sending the bond. Mrs. Tucker wrote to the Supertendant and I guess it must have been at her request that Miss. Hixson sent the bond. The Superntendant has not visited my school yet. Mr. Fritz was elected Superintendent last Tuesday.
You don’t see the need of two teachers in the same room? Why don’t you know that one teacher can not conduct a recitation properly and keep perfect order all the time? Now would’nt it be nice if there were two teachers and while one was hearing a recitation the other could be back among the children to keep them from standing on their heads, throwing paper-wads, drawing ghastly pictures and such things, answering questions etc. and then while she was conducting recitations the other would be attending to that part of the work? I don’t know of any school where they have that plan in force but I just happened to think it would be an excellent idea and so asked the question.
I will give up AGAIN that you are right on that four and five business, and I think I saw what you were trying to get at alright, because I am not so hard of comprehension if I do look green. But what if six 4’s and five 5’s do not make an equal number of 9’s, it would make---Oh! I forgot. They would make seven 7’s and that is almost the same. And if you worked examples like some of my scholar’s do, you could make an equal number of 9’s out of it easy enough. I could not really say whether that married couple were one or not, but I can answer that letter after I get married, if I should ever be so fortunate.
Yes I remember that word, Legend, I think, however, that Webster’s improved dictionary must be wrong.
I am awful glad you asked me to correct your mistakes in grammer for I have noticed one that seemed so peculiar that I have just ached to mention it. Did not see it in your last letter though. Sometimes you use the phrase something like this, Would have been, or could have been, or had OF been, or would OF gone. If you will please say, would HAVE been, could HAVE been, had HAVE been, or would HAVE gone it would be better would it not? I hope you will correct any mistakes of mine that you see. I cannot offer any excuse for putting a period after miss unless it is because I so seldom use it in writing my name that I had forgotten how to use it.
Well if I lose that knife I will buy another and trade with you again. No I don’t think it is right for any person to go and find out how another stands in his examinations, but you know I didn’t find out how he stood in his examinations.
We are learning a few pieces for the last day – I mean the Last day of school. Are you going to have a last day of school up there?
Write soon.
Yours Sincerely
Leon A. Gould.
No mopy sentiment at the last of that one.
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