Vassar College.
Feb. 3. 1871.
My dear Mamma,
It quite amazes me to leara that you still continue to write to your
daughter who is so far away. I should think you would forget that you even
had another child, aad have ao doubt but that you would If it were not for
the frequent letters she seada you. Your letters I perceive are gettiag
soon
shorter and shorter and I shall not be at all surprised If they willAbe
monthly Instead of weekly ones.
I write home almost always twice a week and aevcr send a letter
less than four pages long and generally receive in return eight pages, once
a week and sometimes not as often. And there are three persons at home
to write and so much to tell of interest to mei Then the amount of wool
and ivory you keep about you ought to prevent you from having anything to
do*
The thought of staying here and graduating had never seriously
entered my head, although we oftea talk of who will be our valedlctorlaa
fee. la our class. But last week Prof. Vaa Ingen our drawing teacher was
trying to persuade me to stay and now your letter speaking of my doing
so has come. I want to remain one more year aad caa tell then whether
I wish to come back agaia. It depends very much upon how I get onin my
classes. If I could graduate la three years I would fee to do so but if I
must come four, I do aot care to. I shall study next summer aad If by
doing so I can enter_Sophmore, I shall be very happy for then It will
Feb. 2, 1871 - 3
only take three years to graduate. Mr. Smith is very kind, and it will
be very pleasant lor me to have a friend among the trustees of the Col*
lege, but fear he will forget all about me before next June. I have looked
in the catalogue and find his name but among so many had never noticed
it before.
My examination In French came off yesterday morning. Our class
did very nicely and I think nearly all have passsd. Without any conceit I
can say that I am sure that X passed. I would have done miserably if X
had not when Hfcave studied French so much before. X really feared the
examination very much although I need not have done so, for more than
but our teacher
half the time we were being examined there was no one In the roomAand
the rest of the time Mademoiselle and one other teacher were there.
I have Just come from my last Latin examination, and am ashamed
to say how badly X recited. We were examined for an hour and a quarter
this morning on the Latin grammar and I dhink X did pretty well and all
the others In the class did remarkably well, but unfortunately there was
ihtf no one In the room but our teacher to hear our recitation; and this
afternoon when we did not recite nesrly as well there were five persons
in the room at one time! Our lesson this sftemoon was the first two books
of Caesar to translste; of course we did not expect to go over It all; but we
teacher
were to be prepared upon all, because we did not know what ourAwould ask.
She gave out the topics a few moments before each one recited her chapter
so that she might have time to read her part over; that Is when Miss A.
Feb. 3, 1871 - 3
commenced rending, she would tell Mies B. what chapter she was expected
to read. Our teacher Miss Lord gave Miss Nelson who sits next me a
certain chapter to road and when her turn came to do it, she said that
she could not. Than Miss Lord turned to me and said "Miss Pease you
may read it without any preparations." I got up and managed to stumble
through Its but almost made a "fiaale," as a failure Is graphicly described
at this college. The chapter was a very hard one but I could have read it
well, if I had only had a few minutes to look it overt and was almost the
only one which X could not have read without any hesitation. I was very
sorry that X did not do better for the Prof, of I*atin was In the room at the
time* also one of the teachers that X like very much, and X think Miss Lord
was disappointed In me.
X shall not ask you again to write oftener to me, because of course,
X do not want you to write unless you wish to.
With love to all goodnight
J.
iJulia M. Peasa, '75,
I have written Carrie a short trench latter, "just for fun." X hope she will
be able to read It.
My roommate has just told me that she was informed that X did
"splendidly" in Latin. X am sure that I did not, but it may not have been as
bad as X thought. X fear that I will have to have a now dress soon as I am
II
quite destitute, andAX do have one it will have to be made
but X will wait and see what you say about it.
Feb. 3, 1871 • 4
in Poughkeepsle
A