To the Editor:

Did you ever hear the saying “You can’t go home again?” Well, I did, this fall. I went to my old home in the Bartlettboro Neighborhood of East Stoneham. I was anxious to know if the “Balm of Gilead” trees were still there, but they weren’t. The lady who now owns the place, Wendy Kelly, was gracious enough to walk around with me as I pointed out various memories to her, especially the private rock that was claimed by my cousin, Jean and I, many years ago. The Butternut tree was still there, however, the other trees and landmarks were long gone, claimed by decades of time gone by. We left the farm in the summer of 1939 and moved down to the village where my Dad had built us a small house.

Did you ever visit Garnet Brook in Stoneham? You can dig rough garnets from the sides of the brook. I have some that I got many years ago. Did you ever go up on Ayers Ledge? You can see three lakes from there. My dad used to hunt deer in that area. Did you know the town of Stoneham once (1841-1843) bore the name of Usher? It was named for Ellis B. Usher of Hollis, Maine. He died May 2, 1855, leaving a large estate.

Marilyn Jones

Chester, South Carolina