Acton was a suburban town of about seventeen-hundred citizens, twenty miles west of Boston. The railroad had arrived there twenty years earlier. Edwin owned his own home in town and worked with his seventy-six year old father John, and his older brother John, Jr. They operated a shoe manufacturing business started fifty years earlier, in 1815.
Susan describes the installation of a new pastor in her church, hoping that prior "discords" might be harmonized. She mentions attending a "Vocal and Organ" concert in Lynn, the evening before and encloses a copy of the program, underlining her favorites.I have not seen Mr. and Mrs. James Fletcher since he commenced his labors in Danvers. I have been told his school has opened very pleasantly and I doubt not that he will enjoy it very much. I think they both may feel assured that their welcome was a cordial one.There is always a peculiar interest to me in these early months. I so love to watch the springing of the grass and opening of the first flowers. They seem ever to be teaching such lessons of trust and are so sweet proofs of God's watchfulness and care.
The days of our school term are passing very quickly. Less than four weeks now remain, at the end of which time, I presume, my connection with the school will terminate. Although I have enjoyed some things here, I anticipate more pleasure in a school of a higher grade.
Susan has been asked to become an assistant to the principal at the High School at the next term. At this time she is teaching at a primary school in a section of Lynn called Gravesend.The first of May is given us as a holiday, and should it be agreeable and convenient to yourself, it would be pleasant to me to see you on that date, instead of the next day, Wednesday, as I shall be totally disengaged from school duties. Shall I expect to hear from you?
Monday morning.
I took dinner at your brother's yesterday. I found them well and pleasantly situated. Lynn, Danversport, Boston and Acton, were all connected by frequent and punctual train service. Service ran six or more times a day. Susan was able to travel easily north to her Danversport home from her weekly teaching location and Edwin could visit Lynn from Acton, with a Boston connection. While there were horse-drawn street cars, Electric trolleys would not come until the 1890s.
In these times, before telephone and telegraph, the mail service was extraordinary with deliveries twice daily, often the next day. All this for a three cent stamp! Edwin received Susan's letter Monday evening, in spite of her mailing it the very same morning!