Letters - Dear Leon, live in hopes and I hope not to die in despair, Alice

                                                                                                                                    Bemidji, Minn.
                                                                                                              Jan. 30, 1900
                                                                                                                                                    
Dear Leon;-
So I am in town again working for my daily bread. Are you surprised to hear it, or have you heard it before? I have given up getting that school this winter so thought I had better take up with the next best or next worse which was to work out, of course. I never made up my mind that I would try working out again until Sunday evening. Then I was in hopes I would have a chance to see you before starting out, but of course I did not. I got here about nine o’clock this morning and found plenty to do to keep me busy until nine tonight, and I am nearly as tired as I was the night after first day of school I ever taught. Tomorrow my work commences three hours earlier I suppose.

    Well such is life in the far north. How are you boys getting along? The weather is about as cold as it got a few times last winter, isn’t it? I have not told you yet who my Master and Mistress are, have I?

   Well they are not Bampy and Mamy this time. I am working at Mr. Charley Nangles. Catholic’s you know, but they do stoop so low as to allow me to eat at the same table as them.

   Well we have not had a chance to have that talk yet; but may live in hopes and I hope not to die in despair.

    I can not think of anything sensible to write so guess the best thing I can do is go to bed.
Please excuse this poor writing and if you find mistakes, blame the pencil and not me.

   They have a sick baby here; which, naturally, causes a great deal of worry.

   Well I must stop I cannot tell whether I am spelling the words right or wrong.
Shall I tell you that I would like to either see you or hear from you sometime in the near future? Please excuse this lead pencil as I have no ink with me and I wouldn’t bother to borrow any. Now I am going to stop; bidding you good night.

                                                                              As ever your true friend,
                                                                                  Alice E. Anderson