Greetings dear readers! I am your “Marilyn Beane’s World” correspondent back for another week’s journey. If you care to join me, we will start from my home at Windward Gardens in Camden. As we travel, I will give you the news.

While rummaging in an old box of papers, I rediscovered a half-finished manuscript that the late Carol Brightman and I had intended – but failed – to publish some four decades past. It contained excerpts from the diary of Adelaide Butman, who had spent her early years in Round Pond between 1888-1902. Adelaide’s memoir, in addition to its literary merits, intimately captures with the eye of a close and affectionate observer the vitality of village life and the surprising diversity of its inhabitants.

It’s Molly, one of your adult services librarians! Today, I have the bittersweet honor of writing my very first and last newsletter message to you. Over the past two and a half (incredible!) years working here at Skidompha Library, I realized that I need to be closer to my family; I will be leaving Skidompha to move to Chicago on March 22.