Dear Sister Margarette

I suppose you will not read our letters, till you have talked a long while with Edward about us. I should like to come with Edward very much and stay. I think I should be contented to day with two brothers and one sister. Perhaps if Mr. McAllister's [McAllaster] family go West instead of East I shall come with them if they will take me.¹ Mrs. McAllister has a fine little son & she takes great delight in calling him Colonel and Major. I always laugh when she talks to it about being Colonel. They talk some of calling him Hugh Alfred but it is not decided. Mrs. M says she cannot bear the name of Hugh but she will have it named so for her husband. I attend the Academy this term, like Miss Childs much better than I expected, but not so well as our former Preceptress. I should have continued at Mr. Ballard's but Mr. Buswells family moved out of town, and no other girls attended but me, and I did not like to go among the gentlemen alone. Mrs. Ballard's health has been declining fast since the death of her son Charles & she is very low spirited. It effects [sic] her very much. The Academy is very full this term 40 ladies upwards of 70 gentlemen. They talk some of having an Exhibition. Last year the Exhibition did not close till after one, little too much for country fashions I think. Mr. Childs enters college at the close of term, Moody Currier will take his place. Miss Mary Childs her Sister and Harriet Long are going to Ipswich.

I should think you might take a trip to Hopkinton as well as some of the other places you go to. When the railroads are finished then it will be a short ride. When you see Miss Alice Chase you must give my best love to her and tell her I wish she would come to Hopkinton and be my Sunday school teacher. Miss Clark has gone to Boston again this Winter. Miss E. Harvey is at Troy and I don't know who I shall have this Winter. Mr. Chase and his family started a journey last week Monday, they will be gone a fortnight. Mr. Madison Putney takes his place. Bishop Chase has been been [sic] here and Bishop Griswold comes this month some time. I suppose Edward will entertain you some of the long Winter evenings in giving descriptions of us. I wish I was going with him to keep him company. I set a great deal by Edward and feel loth [sic] to part with him but it is for the best. We all shall miss him much to keep us company and telling us the news. I send you a specimen of my painting as a small token of my remembrance. It took me half a day to paint it. There is nothing I like better than to paint when I have nothing else to do. As soon as school is done I shall learn the Mezzotinto of [from?] Catharine. I mentioned to E. Chase that she could have an opportunity to write, but not whether [sic] she will or not. She told me [to] give her love to you and all your acquaintances. Give a great deal of love to brother C. [Calvin] and take a good part of it yourself. Edward will bring lots of love and kisses from all. I should like when you have an opportunity to write to me. I thought your husband would like something to put his pins in and have made him an invisible. From your ever loving Sister,

Hannah.

¹ See footnote 1 in W0175 for a comment on McAllaster family.

² To learn more about Margarette Barker Lerned [McQuesten] please see W0609.