312 No. Second St.
Millville ,“New Joizey”
Sunday PM
Dear Mother and all,
Well, here I am and it's not half bad. Up to the present time, I've had just two attacks from mosquitoes. It's
really an awfully interesting experience coming down here, so many things are so different. All the people we have met so far seem very nice and I'm quite sure I'm going to like them. I'm awfully surprised at the way things grow around here when the soil is so sandy. All the way from Trenton down the line outside of Camden. You somehow feel as though you were right in the center of things down here. Camden is as exciting for me as New York. The electric terminal, steam terminals, and ferry all to-gether, and so many people going back and forth from Philad. and miles of trucks going over by ferry with fruit and produce for the Philadelphia markets. Lots of fruit out around here, peaches and tomatoes and melons especially. And you should see the box hedges down here. They were all along the way from Trenton to Camden and here in Millville, everybody has them. You'll find them in the most ordinary places, and the most elaborate ones. If they don't have a hedge, they have a fence. Everybody's porch, rich and poor is screened in. One of the queerest things about this place is the way you'll go along the street and see a very elaborate and beautiful home with the worst old ramshackles on both sides. There seems to be no nice residential section, but everything is mixed in with everything else. I love to hear the people talk and feel quite at home for they say towwn and dowwn and all, like you say I do. And everything is “don cha know” They slide their phrases in together, so I can hardly understand them. We stayed all night at the hotel, and Mr. Sickles had already engaged the rooms for us. The next morning we went to his office and he told us all about the places he had in mind, and went right around with us to all of them. On the way round he pointed out all the residences of this or that one and who they were and what they did and all kinds of details even where to get good ice cream.
Then he told us well about the churches and all about the places along the shore where we might go for Labor Day. Everybody here seems to be expected to “go somewhere” for Labor Day. We may possibly go out to Atlantic City.
The place that we are located in is the pleasantest that we found and about the only one where there was more than one room. We are with a lady who has recently been made a widow and she is very nice, about 55 yrs old and her name is Mrs. Mayhew. She had the two rooms each $3.00 a week and we had to draw straws to see who would take which room. Mine is much smaller but more attractive furniture (white iron bed, white dresser, white stand and white paper with narrow rose border). The other is much larger and with a larg bay window but unattractive old fashioned furniture and old fashioned big figured wall paper so it was fifty-fifty.
She (Mrs. M) is alone now so there is just Miss Orvis and I and there is to be another lady who is to tutor one of the school principal’s children. Mr. Sickles has been trying to persuade Mrs. M. to take in boarders and I guess she is going to take us now and maybe some outside teachers too.
None of the others come until tomorrow night. I’d hate to be in their places. Like Miss Orvis very much. Didn’t you like her at the station that morning better than before? I did.
By the way did you lift that suitcase of mine? I’ll never be the same again. I didn’t have to carry it terribly far but then it was quite a ways around the different platforms. Just once I could find someone to carry it for me. I don’t see how I ever managed it for the next day I could hardly lift it off the floor. All the train men whistled when they picked it up to put it on the train. Eliz.[Marion’s sister] said she wanted a new one. I wish she’d take this and let me buy a lighter one for she won’t have far to carry hers back and forth from Syracuse.
The fudge and lunch were awfully good.
Went to church this AM. Where Mr. Sickles goes. It was a regular old time Methodist. We met his wife and several people. Guess will try another tonight.
What happened to the gas mantle fixtures we had. I'd like one of the good ones if we still have them. Everything is gas down here.
Schoolhouse is on this street, just a little ways down.
Mrs M. has an Edison, but no piano.
Front yards that aren't kept up are just like the beach at Sylvan Beach. Although this is a 15,000 population, everybody seems to know everybody else and their business, just like a small town.
May go to Aunt Lill's next weekend, but I'm not sure. Eliz let me know right away if you are going to get in on the train that gets there at 12:30 Syracuse time.
Don't forget my stunt book. And moths and butterflies.
Hot here to-day.
Lots of love from
“home of the “new teachers”
Marion
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