Vassar Collage, Mon. Dec. 4, 1865
My Dear Brother,
I received your nice long letter last Friday,
and was very much gratified to hear from you. 1 wrote to you last week
on rec4>t of the dft. you had forwarded to me. I also reed a paper Sat.
the direction of which looked much as thoughtit might have been written
by Mary. Am much obliged for the same, aad for all your kindnesses to
me. I don't care about taking the Forts, paper, but if you would send me
one once in a while, X shall be very willing to accept. You are very kind
to me indeed and don't think because I don't say much about it, I do not
appreciate it. What £ say or write always seems so stiff, that 1 some-
times chink I would do better to leave it unsaid. I will try and keep an
account of money, as you wished, drawing from the Bank here. I shall
have to see Mr. Vassar, the treasurer about it. I wish you would write a
note to him about it} you can send it to me, and I will give it to him. X am
afraid he might think there was some mistake in it. You know there are
so many girls here, and they've nothing to trust to but appearances. So if
you will do that, I will be ever-so-much obliged to you, I went to the city
Sat. and came home, nicely tired out. X have a Job on hand X am greatly
dreading and that is to have some teeth fixed. They have a dentist come
out here every Sat. and I guess I'll take my turn next Sat. The sooner over,
the better. X think you have given your boy a beautiful name. I always like
"Robert,"— I suppose it is "Bobby" for short—and hope he may prove as
Dec. 4, 1865 - 2
good a man as his name-sake. I am sorry to hear that Mary suffered so
severely* and very much rejoiced to know she Is improving. The bell has
rung, and 1 must go to gymnastics, will finish this evening. I am glad you
are getting along nicely with your house, but you must not be in too great a
hurry and take your family—ahem—into it before it is sufficiently dry.
Better live crowded a little while. I scarcely know what to write to you
about, there is nobody here you know any-thing of, but my-self, and I must
either talk about that interesting personage, or imagine you know every-
body, as well as I do. Guess I'll adopt the latter method as I've no desire to b
become egotistical. One of our teachers Dr. Avery, received sad news a few
days suice, namely, the death of her father. Ol what a loas it is to lose a
father) One never knows how precious the relation is until the dear one has
gone, never more to be seen on this earth, never more to mingle in the paths
of men.
The more I think of our dear father, the more I lament his departure.
I, some-times, when I hear other girls speaking of father or mother, and
looking forward with such happy anticipations to the time, when they will
meet one or both, think it is very hard, that I should have, so early, been
deprived of both. But when I think how much better off I am than many a poor
orphan, how good God has been to me In giving me, brothers, aunts and many
kind friends to care for me, when I so little deserve any, I am rebuked, and
ready to fall to the dust with shame for daring to quarrel with such gaacious
Providence.
Dec. 4# 1365 - 3
The girls sre ell studying, perhaps I should be doing the same.
One of them just remarked "Why, Gild, have you got all your lessons for
tomorrow11? I guess I will have to look over them a little yet this evening,
but there's glenty of time. We are taking pretty long lessons in Cicero
now, as we want to finish this oration before Christmas. What do you say
to my coming here four years ? I don't know yet how the course will be
arranged, but I have a desire to take the regular course. However, I
think probably I can accomplish my work in three, and I guess I will be
willing to leave school, by that time. Though I am so much accustomed to
school-life, X don't know hardly how I'll conduct myself, when I am free
from &TAch fetters. I guess I will always stay at "Vassar", and perhaps
some-day attain the honor of "lady-principal-ship." No, I have no such
ambition, but really. If I ever should teach, I would like to teach here.
The teachers all have nice salaries, and don't any of them, teach more than
four hours a day. Then Prof. Knapp has a class in German for the teachers
so they can pursue that study. Our ink is getting pretty thick, and I cannot
see the lines of this paper, so you see I am laboring under difficulties. In
two weeks is vacation and the girls all go away. One of my parlor-mates
is going to stay. I sm going to spend my time reading, writing, and skating
if there is any ice. There is a poor show for it now. The weather is unusually
warm. You say yod^eard from Carlos. I wish he would favor me in a like manner.
I wrote to him a few days after I first came here, but never a scratch of the
Dec. 4, 1865 - 4
pen have I had from him. I think I*U have to do, as I did with you, keep
writing until I get some response. I am much pleased to hear the "Spader"
is to prove successful, for both of your accounts.
I should like to see you all tonight, and the baby; most of all. I am
very anxious to get a peep at it. Sallle wrote me it looked just like our
mother's babies, fit it looks like Cora or George, I know it is pretty; but
I can't say about the rest.
Well, I must look at my lessons a little, though I think I've about
mastered them. Give love to Mary, Charlie, the baby, and last but not
least, in stature or in love, your own self.
Wishing you a happy good-night, I remain,
Your loving sister
Annie.
(Annie (Glidden) Houts, '69,
P.S. I will take back what X said in my last, and ask you to write soon,
often, and as much as you can. Yours fcc. Annie.