Mary Leslie Newton describes the distraction of writing a letter in a hammock, an upcoming social call during which the planned topic of discussion is Marie Antoinette, the receipt of her job application, and the recent arrival in the area of an "authoress" named Mrs. Butler.
Mary Leslie Newton discusses the news, the weather, games of croquet and beanbag with friends, adventures along the Dayton railroad, flower gathering, Sunday school, and briefly mentions a visit to the cemetery.
Mary Leslie Newton describes going out to the country with her aunt, making a series of social calls, and getting caught in a rainstorm on the way home. She discusses a potential job at a new school that is being built, but says she does not feel she will be hired.
Mary Leslie Newton notes her upcoming birthday, the recovery of her family members, a recent funeral, and the possibility of a visit to her father in Ooltewah. A humorous aside written down the page describes a new member of the community.
Mary Leslie Newton recounts her birthday gifts, including a cloak and a subscription to Harper's; she notes but rejects her aunt's suggestion that, at 17, she is old enough to begin putting her hair up. She recounts some humorous mishaps, including her grandmother spilling ink and her own clumsiness…
Writing in a daily journal style, Mary Leslie Newton recounts the weather, prayer-meeting, Epworth League, and her family's recent spate of illnesses, including issues with her own teeth.
In this undated letter, Mary Leslie Newton describes visiting the school building and sitting in on a variety of lessons, as well as receiving a photograph from a previous teacher. She mentions a social call and her music student. The letter shifts from being handwritten to typewritten near the end.…
One of the longest handwritten letters at 9 pages, Mary Leslie Newton recounts a great deal of news. She notes that the rumors of a panther were found to relate to bear sightings, describes a visit to the Teacher's Institute, and shares her Halloween events. Several pages of postscripts note…