NOVEMBER 6th, 1898 - RGJ to ELG ______________________________________________________________________________________

No envelope. At this time, Ruth was well into the fall term of her year at Farmington State Normal School. "Mr. Purington" was George C. Purington, A.M., Principal of FSNS.

A fall 1898 class picture (below) shows…

Back Row, left to right: Vesta Chadwick, Melvina Greene (no relation to "my" Greenes), Harriet Davis, Della Foss, Bertha Brown, Edith Ames, Emily Hoyt, George C. Purington, Principal, Sara Young, Margaret Flanagan, Irving Heath, and Zelina Lawrence

Middle section (confusing; not sure how she ordered them): Bertha Gordon, Sadie Knight, Lena Call, Rose Parker, Gertrude Jones (my grandmother, in front and left of GCP with "frog" on her dress), Roberta Stubbs (my grandmother's good friend - directly in front of GCP.), Gertrude Palmer, Edith Thompson, Bernadine Larrabee, Harriet Buck, Elisabeth Townsend, Martha McPhail, Elizabeth Gillette, Bertha Bridges, Ethel Jenks, Gertrude Williams, Carrie Butterfield, Lucy Smith, _____ Wiren, Winifred Bridden, and Inez Harlow.

Seated front, left to right: Irvin Lenfest, William Porter, and Howard Wright.

Her spring-term classmates, pictured below on Feb 11th, 1899, included, from left to right, Maud Parker, (Ruth Gertrude Jones), Florence Barbon, Vida Kitchen, Catherine Sline, Nellie Skinner, Edith Whitney, Nellie Skinner, Grace Lilly, Lela Barbon, Lena Young, Roberta Stubbs, and Edith Kalloch. I cannot explain why Nellie Skinner's name is duplicated - I have simply transcribed the names from the back of the photo. As the letter below explains, Lena Young and Roberta Stubbs were Ruth's closest companions at the school. I have a series of letters from Lena to Ruth subsequent to their graduation.

"Doris" is Doris Shirley Jones, born Aug 3, 1897, daughter of Ruth's brother Walter Shirley Jones and his wife Alice Frances (Graves). Sadly, Alice died of consumption March 25th, 1903 when Doris was only five. Walter married Anna Maria Bray on December 17th, 1904. "Marion" is Ruth's older sister.

Farmington, Me.

Nov. 6. 1898.

My dear Ned,

I have just come in from Sunday School and want to spend the time before dinner with "Moses." It was communion Sunday at our church this A.M.

I went up to Mrs. Carsley's yesterday and got some "Oxford Democrats" to read and in one was Mr. Haughton's sermon on the "Sin of Impurity" and before I went to church I read it. I think it is every word true and I agree with him on the subject. Wish I could hear Mr. Gale. Mamma wrote that he was still in Norway. The next two weeks will probably pass quickly as I have so much to do. There are to be tests the last of this week and all of next. A lyceum next Saturday eve. A Social at the Cong'l church Friday eve. and Mr. Purington entertains his Sunday-School class one evening this week. and the last night of school there is a "farewell social" at the Normal.

Friday, I went to Wilton to the Franklin County teacher's convention. Went on the 8:45 train and came home at 4:40.

Mr. Purington gave a lovely address in the P.M. We Normals carried a picnic dinner and what fun we had. All the time I was on the cars, I was wishing I could keep right on toward home and when we started back to F. at night I wished all the more that I was on my way to S. Paris instead of going back to Farmington for two hard weeks. We had a Social in the gymnasium Friday eve and I had a real good time. I had a lovely letter from Walter's Alice Thursday. She says Doris can say "Gertie." I am so anxious to see the folks in S. Paris and Norway that I can't hardly wait.

The work here is hard and I will be glad to have a rest but I enjoy it very much and think I have learned a good deal in the last ten weeks. Mamma sent me a programme of the "time" at the church in which you participated. I trust you enjoyed the part which you carried out.

I have my trunk packed as much as it can be, and I just enjoyed putting in this and that and thinking about "home and friends." I suppose the time is passing quickly with you as you are busy. I am just living in the future, thinking of what a great time we will have when I get home. Won't it seem lovely to go to meeting in my own church and although I enjoy here very much and every one is so kind, I would rather be at home, and how lovely it will be to have a chance to get into a kitchen and scrub and cook. I believe I wasn't made for a teacher, because I like house work better. I am afraid if I tell you how much I weigh you will say, "Halloa Fatty," when you see me.

My weight is 129 ˝ lbs. Never weighed as much as that 'afore."

How is sixteen pounds for a gain, in ten weeks. I have eaten dinner and had a nap. I did not sleep more than three hours last night and the night before so I am dozy all day.

I went over to Roberta's room to look up the C. E. subject in her "Golden Rule" and Lena Young read the talk on the subject aloud to us and I went to sleep in my chair and they put me on their bed and covered me over and Roberta played on her Autoharp and I slept nearly an hour. I feel better now. Oh Ned, I don't know what I should do if it want for those two girls they are so good to me and they pet me to death. I should be more than miserable if I didn't have someone to make of me, and they are not silly about it but just as kind and affectionate.

Mr. Purington told Marion that I "chummed" with two of the best girls in school, and he told the truth.

Mrs. Carsley has named her baby Ruth. I received the paper you sent yesterday. Many thanks for it and also for the letters of the past week. I enjoy them so much. I had one from Mamma with a fifteen dollar check which was very acceptable. I must write to Margaret as I haven't written for a long while. I shall be down to the office at 5 o'clock Monday night asking for "Box 57."

Excuse me if I make mistakes, one of the girls is reading aloud and I may write what she says, I am so sleepy.

It is nearly meeting time. Wish I could go into the church and see you sitting there. I can picture you all as you are at home, and I sit and dream about you many times during the day, and found myself talking aloud about home when I was alone here the other day. Well, must close, so good night. Lot's of love from your loving Ruth.