Dearest Auntie:
It was such a beautiful visit! You can't think how much it all meant to me -- being with you, the theaters, the city itself, the warm hospitality and above all the gracious tenderness of everyone and you in particular toward little Alice. It was all heart-warming and stimulating beyond words.
Your [grand-niece] is a changed child since you saw her. Yesterday evening, suddenly, without the slightest warning she began to creep or rather to hitch herself along at a great rate with much excited panting and jubilant crowing. She hitched along across the [dining] room. She hitched from Edna to me and from me to Edna. And she hitched to wherever we put the bankers magazine which had been her first objective.
This morning she sat up in bed and rolled and hitched herself to the edge where to my horror I found her sitting with her feet over the edge. In another moment she would have been on the floor. It was quite too much for me -- the sophisticated fashion in which she sat there. What had happened in that little brain to so transform her between yesterday morning and this one! Even yesterday afternoon she hadn't shown any symptoms of the impending change. The New Year has literally presented me with a new child.
And while we all sat around in an adoring circle this morning watching her travel she suddenly began to play patty-cake with much precision and gusto. The little fat palms came together with as much firmness as a four year olds. She became so absorbed and pleased with this patty-caking that she quite forgot to creep until we started her off -- after the bankers magazine again. And once started the only way we could put her new obsession out of her mind was to bundle her up and take her out doors. She promptly went to sleep so we left her out and when we brought her in she was literally snowed under for the big flakes had been falling for over an hour. She looked like little Rose -- Red when she appeared and the first thing she did was to start patty-caking. Altogether it has been a wildly exciting day.
Mary is missing it. She is in Mount Carroll where she went yesterday for the [Hostetter-MacKay] New Years Eve party. I shan't tell her about the [page 2] Dicky-bird's new accomplishments -- just let her have the joy of discovery.
I feel quite elated because I find I can put Grandmother on the bed from her chair and vice-versa. I did it yesterday and today, though I had Mrs Rutter come down for the night.
I rather think Mary will get off quite shortly for her Iowa trip. Grandmother is so well just now. We have quite good times together. She asked all about you and about Miss Smith and remembered both Miss Eleanor Smith and Doctor Hamilton perfectly. She is beginning to count on your coming, as is your
Marcet [signed]
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