[Lucretia Peabody Hale to her brother Nathan Hale, circa 1870]

Keene    Feb 2 [1870?]

My dear Nathan,    I feel as though it were some time since I have written to you.--I here look at a little green book, in which I am striving to record when I write letters, and find I wrote last, just a fortnight ago, --time I should write again. I want to ask you to make a little correction in my Juif Polonais article whenever it comes into your hand, which I will put on a separate piece of paper, that you may put it in some illuminating place, in case Edward¹ has not yet sent it you. Another business thing I want to ask you in private, not wanting to trouble Edward with it. What is the schedule of prices? or is not there any? I am highly pleased with my payments, but as Charlie² says, want to know on which account to put them--whether $37.50 is for my story unpublished? or for Grimm published? I concluded from the $10 I received for the first that there was a schedule for say $5.00 a page perhaps $6.00? -- Perhaps you can answer all this from your inner consciousness, as I would not care to bother Edward.
      We are beginning on our winter now, and the country looks cheery with snow. I am not quite ready to subscribe to the exclamation "much healthier weather--more seasonable"--as I have been remarkably well in the last month of mildness, and find myself shivering today in the snipping air. But I should not complain, for I have been out 3 times today! Quite a long walk this morning, calling on the Handlesons--out to tea at the Whites ³--then home and at 7:30 going in Grimes's hack (so called) to arrange that a sewing woman shan't come tomorrow! You know Susie⁴ and I have some contempt for such--and I was amused at myself at the sense of relief I had in putting her off till next Tuesday! quite worth the 50 cts I had to pay Grimes! Events had so accumulated I found I should hardly see her long enough to tell her what to do. The nemesis will not devote himself--(or herself from the termination?) to heaping up wrath for next Tuesday--Mary Dinsmoor has gone down to Dedham for a visit! Margaret stays away over next week--So I am left quite deserted. Even Mrs. Woodward, my neighbor has gone off this morning with her husband for a 3 day sleighride up in Vermont. I have her key and admit to her piano. I have lately taken to playing duets with her! Tomorrow Mr. Lothrop lectures here and brings Mrs !! invited by the Methodist minister to deliver his lecture on Wesley. She will dine at Brother Dinsmoor's (Methodist) but they come here--for the night after the lecture as Mr. White cannot very well ask them there. So I don't see but that I shall have to have a Symposium here after the lecture.
       Susie writes me of a roar you and she had over Fanny H's views on Boston society, and her father!! I should like to have been there to join!     Have you written Mrs. Perkins about her story? I really think you will find it has a good printed effect, and that you will be glad to have inaugurated a new author. Think
[on side and top of page 1] of its being Feb!!
With much love goodbye from your ever Lucretia --
       I was much pleased at what you wrote me of yours and Edward's views of what I had sent for O and N⁵--and meant to have put my thanks therefor earlier in
[on side of pp. 3 & 4] this letter--I have not heard very lately from Sarah Brown herself-- Have you heard of Mr. Hamilton's death? I did not till Sarah King alluded to it in a letter.

General note:   For the most part, transcripts retain the author's original spelling, abbreviations, underlining, capitalization, and punctuation (or lack thereof).   Transcriber's comments, changes or additions are in brackets.

1. Lucretia and Nathan's brother Edward Everett Hale
2. Charles Hale, another brother
3. Lucretia's lifelong friend Margaret (Harding) White and her husband the Rev. William Orne White
4. Lucretia's sister Susan Hale
5. Old and New, a literary journal edited by Nathan and Edward Everett Hale