Dear Miss Blue,

How ungracious of Melba and her friend Martha to leave you to look after Martha's two little girls, Penny and Daphne!  The moon always has a mysterious effect on the planet and being in a strange house with no familiar playthings not even a canary singing in his cage to delight them with songs only a canary can sing, warbling and jumping around the cage from the little swing bird cages always have (birds warble best when they are sitting on the swing),I can understand how disoriented they must have been.

Horehound drops have always been a favorite candy of mine, Miss Blue. Why, on my way to the John Monteith Library, six or seven blocks from home, I would always stop at the drugstore on the corner to buy a small bag of horehound drops, a few pennies worth, and there in the Children's Room, after finding a book to read, sitting by a lovely fireplace I would open up the bag of horehound drops being careful not to let the librarians see me eating candy (which was not allowed in the library).

Chutney Season is here and so are the Bartlett Pears - of all the fruits, the most elegant in taste and shape and so delicious.  Pear Apricot Chutney is the only chutney I have ever made.  Have you made chutney of any kind, Miss Blue?  Let me know if you have for I would surely like to try another recipe.

Oh my!  I forgot to tell you about the Pear Tree I have planted in my garden.  Yes, Miss Blue, it is rather small, as all fruit trees are, but it will grow and the pears will be tasty when they are ripe.  A fine pear to take to school .  

All my love, Pearl - hoping to hear from you soon!