In one of his many office renovations, Steve Roman came across an interesting letter written by a young girl, name and age unknown. Found behind an old wall, the letter is written on the back of a business invoice belonging to John Mattson, the original builder of the house. It is presumed the girl was a boarder in the Mattson home due to the letter’s contents. The letter ends mid-sentence so it is likely another page followed but is missing. Here is the letter’s text (with grammar and punctuation mistakes just as she wrote it):
“I hope this later will reach you, as it is the most important of all. I’m writing this on an old bill head because I haven’t time to go down town and I haven’t any other. Mrs. Matson asked me to write a letter this morning about 20 minutes after 8 as this is Friday and we were to have three test today. I told her I didn’t have any time as I wanted to get to school at eight 35. She said the letter had to goe this morning and I said that didn’t only 15 minutes to get to school in, and that that couldn’t do it till I came back for lunch. She pulled my hair and told me she did not want to see my face today so I went up in my room and got my books and when I came down she said she was going to get me a room in a Swedish ladies house and told me to pack and she would bring over in the morning. Now what shall…â€