July 24, 1907

Revere Beach

Boston, Mass.

My dear Mr. Henderson,

I am writing this letter under difficulties. Mother and four friends and myself are sitting at the beach. We are ready to go into the water. The tide is in and we expect a jolly good time. I wish you could do likewise. It would do you so much good.

It is a week later than when I started. I hope you will excuse it. This is Sabbath and just raining hard. We must leave here tonight, our boat leaves Providence at 7 P.M. I do not like to travel on the Sabbath but we could not get a state room on any line until late next week and I must visit Philadelphia and Camden next week. I would like to get home by next Saturday.

I am so glad Nora is so happy. She deserves it all and I only hope nothing will blight her happiness. I only wish I could visit her sometime. You know I am always glad to hear of any thing that concerns the girls and I am glad to hear of Bertha’s fine position. Seventy five dollars is a fine salary. Did I tell you I am to have fifty dollars a month next year! I think that is a fine salary for Lancaster to pay, especially in the primary grade.

Only four weeks before we get into the harness again. I am not rested, in fact more tired than when school closed. The summer I visited at your house I weighted 135 pounds now I weigh 120. I am not so wise as you. Are you still gaining in weight?

Oh I wish you could have taken this trip with us! I have been going every day, getting all the knowledge possible. I have been taking auto trips nearly every day. We had a very jolly and quick witted guide. He said some of the most comical things I ever heard.

Just take part of the residential trip. We are now passing Symphony Hall, the home of the Symphony Orchestra. This building is so musical that even the pictures are said to have cords. On the left is the Boston Conservatory of Music. It is so musical that even the doors have keys.

We are now passing down Commonwealth Avenue referred to as the Fifth Avenue of Boston. Here every blade of grass is a greenback; every bird has a bill, every chimney a draft, every horse a cheek but still the people are not satisfied but must go away for a little change. We passed Brookline considered the richest town in the U.S. It has about 15,000 inhabitants. It remains a town by the option of its people. It is rated that for every 100 people there is a millionaire.

The car system here is complicated. You go upstairs to take a subway and down stairs to take the elevated. Washington Avenue here is 49 1/2 miles long. Just think of one continuous street so long bearing the same name all the way. Of course I visited Bunker Hill monument on Breed’s Hill, Charleston, Harvard College, events all thru Lexington, Concord & Lincoln. We saw the homes of Emerson, Hawthorne, Louise Allcot, the woods where Emerson and Hawthorne received their inspiration. I saw the Colonial Inn, the Wright House, The Monroe House where Washington and Lafayette stayed is wonderfully preserved and is still owned by the Monroe’s.

Oh I could keep on writing all day. It is a good thing for you that you are not going to see me very soon, for I am afraid I should talk Boston to you until you would grow desperate, because I certainly am full of it now. I met a very intelligent woman who has lived here twenty five years and she said I knew more about Boston than she did. Oh I wish you could see the free library here. It is considered the largest of New England and the building itself is without a peer in the world. It is Renaissance style of architecture.

The dome of the state house is gilded. It is regilded every year at a cost of $9,000. At night it is illuminated and can been seen for fifty miles at sea. I think if I stayed here another week I could get up in the front of one of those sight seeing autos and shout through one of those megaphones. On Thursday afternoon we went sightseeing and right in Brookline one of the tires came off our auto and about forty of us were stranded. We walked to the nearest car and rode back to Boston. Our guide made his speeches all the same. Momma is anxious to get home but I do not want to leave the “hot bed of the rebellion.” There is only one thing to mar my pleasure. I do not like the people with whom I am staying and one of our party. I do not think you would either.

When are you going to apply for the position at St. Paul? It will be going further away from home but you will be further East. This Sunday is exactly like the first one I spent at Moresville.

I guess you are wondering when I am every going to stop writing. I am sitting on the floor and am about getting tired.  Oh, a friend just came in to call and brought me the most beautiful rose jar, filled with rose leave. I hope I get it home safe.

I enjoyed your last letter. You were very good to me to write while I am here.  With best wishes and hoping to hear from you soon I am.

Sincerely,

Daisy Holzwarth

Blogger Note: I swear when I opened this letter, it still had sand in it. 🙂  I enjoyed hearing about all of the places she visited and it has sparked me interest to head out east and explore all of these markers she mentioned.  Anyone willing to let me stay with them while I visit Boston?