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Fred’s handwriting is horrendous - partly from fatigue, partly as a general rule.
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Boston, Oct 12/1918

Dear Alma:

Your letter came Friday but so far it has been hard to find any free time.  The pneumonia cases keep coming and going too.  I made out five death certificates yesterday, all pneumonia.  There will be some more today.  The mortality for out pneumonia (epidemic influenza [???illegible???]) has been nearly 50%.  Many of them lived but a few hours after coming in.  It becomes little depressing after a few weeks.

There is little time for recreation now.  Sunday I got out on the ambulance and brought in an old woman with a gangrenous gallbladder.  There was but one surgical intern in so the medical interns took the job.  I gave ether and my senior assisted the surgeon.  They borrowed some medical nurses for the instrument table.

Mrs. Ruggles called me up and said she had a message from Miss Hinsdale saying Grace had arrived.

I wonder if Logat’s [???] man has been drafted of shipmented [???].  He ought to have gotten around for the Ford long ago.  I suppose it could be put in Smith’s barn till the fellow comes.  I sent the wright [???] a check for the [???illegible???].

The nights have been cooler and your garden must be about done for the season.  Are they going to do any fall plowing?

I think I will send you some vaccine for the influenza etc.  The Dr. in Mead (?) can give it to you if you want to [???illegible???] it.

With love,

​Fred.
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1.
Massachusetts Homeopathic Hospital - Wikipedia says:

Massachusetts Homeopathic Hospital was a homeopathic institution in Boston, Massachusetts, at which the first successful kidney removal in New England was performed. Established by an act of the Massachusetts legislature in 1855, the hospital opened its doors in 1871 at a site in Jamaica Plain. In 1874 it moved into a newly built facility in the South End of Boston. Over the next 30 years its facilities in that area were expanded, and in 1908 it opened a satellite facility in Brighton for the treatment of contagious diseases. The hospital eventually abandoned homeopathic practices, and in 1929 became part of Massachusetts Memorial Hospitals. This was eventually merged into the Boston University Medical Center, now part of Boston Medical Center. The hospital's main building survives, and is known as the Talbot Building; it now houses the Boston University School of Public Health.

I asked AG if her father had any interest in homeopathy, and she said no, and added something about hospitals merging.  But if the Homeopathic Hospital lost its homeopathic flavor, it probably was after this era - see:
2.
Mrs. Ruggles called me up and said she had a message from Miss Hinsdale saying Grace had arrived.
Miss Hinsdale is Ellen Hinsdale, head of Mount Holyoke's German department.  Grace is Grace Bacon, who taught German at Mount Holyoke, and who went to France with the Red Cross in the fall of 1918 for about six months.  Both are on the Non-Family South Hadley folks page on this website.

3.
Mama Margaret mentioned Grace and Miss Hinsdale in a letter a few days later:Miss Hinsdale and Miss Pierce was among the crowd.  Miss Hinsdale and Miss Pierce were here last night with their knitting.  Grace sent a cable gram that she was in France, well and happy.

4.
This letter from Fred to Alma got passed around.  Mama Margaret sent it on to Eva with the letter in which she mentioned Grace and Miss Hinsdale.
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