262 LETTER-FILES OF S. W. JOHNSON 



sunshine and a new green world of beauty and bird music. 

 ... I have been busy as a bee "doing stunts." Am now 

 fixing the screens on Tom's balcony window, and have looked 

 at small nails in the sunshine until I can hardly see the letters 

 I am now making. ... I have just returned from accompany- 

 ing Fred and Mary to Ashland on their way to New York. 

 They reached Gray Birches Sat. night at 10 o'clock. . . . We 

 had a very pleasant quiet visit. ... In the afternoon Fred 

 and I walked down my path to the lake. We inspected all the 

 4 houses (bath and boat) on our beach, and walked back by 

 the easy public road. 



We found the purple lady 's-slipper (or moccasin flower) 

 growing near the Bunce cottage and in bloom, also abundance 

 of the Polygala paucifolia in the lower woods. I boxed 3 

 lady 's-slipper plants for Mary to carry home and cultivate. 

 She had never seen it before. . . . With love to the home 

 friends in 54 and 52. Yours, S. W. J. 



(ORIGINAL DRAFT OF A LETTER TO THE TRUSTEES AND 

 FACULTY OF LOWVILLE ACADEMY.) 



June 19, 1908. 



Gentlemen, Your very kind invitation to attend the Cen- 

 tennial Celebration of the Academy under your charge was 

 duly received, and I have delayed my answer in the hope that 

 I might find it possible to be with you on that occasion. . . . 

 Were I 20 years younger I should not hesitate to take a night 

 train for Lowville, but the family council vetoes such an 

 undertaking, and I most regretfully feel compelled to forego 

 the pleasure of enjoying your Centennial festivities and 

 solemnities. My life-companion, whose name, as Miss E. E. 

 Blinn, closes the list of preceptresses, given on page 76 of the 

 volume entitled "Lowville Academy Semi-Centennial, " and 

 who filled that position for 4 years (instead of 1 year, as stated 

 in Dr. Hough's historical address, p. 76), desires to be remem- 

 bered to any of her students or acquaintances of the old days, 



