As
the reader may be interested in the contents of the letter as well
as Dick, we transcribe it below.
It was dated Barnton, Conn., and commenced thus,--
"DEAR DICK,--You must excuse my addressing this letter to 'Ragged
Dick'; but the fact is, I don't know what your last name is, nor
where you live. I am afraid there is not much chance of your getting
this letter; but I hope you will. I have thought of you very often,
and wondered how you were getting along, and I should have written
to you before if I had known where to direct.
"Let me tell you a little about myself. Barnton is a very
pretty country town, only about six miles from Hartford. The
boarding-school which I attend is under the charge of Ezekiel
Munroe, A.M. He is a man of about fifty, a graduate of Yale College,
and has always been a teacher. It is a large two-story house, with
an addition containing a good many small bed-chambers for the boys.
There are about twenty of us, and there is one assistant teacher who
teaches the English branches. Mr. Munroe, or Old Zeke, as we call
him behind his back, teaches Latin and Greek. I am studying both
these languages, because father wants me to go to college.
"But you won't be interested in hearing about our studies. I will
tell you how we amuse ourselves. There are about fifty acres of land
belonging to Mr. Munroe; so that we have plenty of room for play.
About a quarter of a mile from the house there is a good-sized pond.
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