Vassar College,
Feb. 11, 1871.
My dear Mamma,
X will commence a letter to yon this evening and III do not have
time to finish It before the bell rings lor ten ocloek, X will leave it and
write whenever I have time and anything to say.
I have Just come over from the Gymnasium where the girls have
been dancing. I am as load aa ever I was ol dancing and wish so much
to learn to dance well* It seems strange that there Is no dancing master
here, II there was one he would be well patronised, lor a great many
girls say that they wish to learn. I suppose the Trustees think that our
heads and leet cannot both be trained at once. Our lady principal Miss
Lyman is very ill, and we suppose is not expected to live but a lew days.
We do not really know much about her health, but this evening in Chapel
Prol. Orton prayed particularly lor her, something which has never been
done before. It & not the case with almost all consumptives that a short
time before their death, they seem much better? 1 think I have heard so.
About a week ago Miss Lyman was better than she has been for a long,
long time. She even went to Faculty Meeting and was on her Corridor
several times during the day. But since she has been growing worse, until
now we would not be astonished any morning to hear that she was no more.
Last evening a lecture was delivered before the College by Bishop
Huntingdon ol Central New York. I was very much pleased with the lecture,
but was so very sleepy that . . . parts ol the letter are destroyed, did not
pay it the , . . attention. I am told . . . he will preach tomorro . . . such
a pleasure to hav . . . -copal service now, whea we have it so seldom. It
will be quite wonderful if I am not a Baptist whea I retara home, for
almost everyoae here belongs to that church. The Presideat aad I think
all the Frofessors are Baptist.
W ed. Whea I stopped writiag 1 was telling of how we expected to
pass Sunday, and new I will tell you how we did paas it. In the morning
Bishop Huntingdon (I don't know whether his name is spelled with a T or d.)
preached. The text was, "The Master is come aad calleth for thee," and
the sermon was very fine, although very long, it did not seem so. We
were In Chapel two hours aad I think our service is net more than one
hour long.
Mrs. Blxby, a missionary from Burmah made an address in the
evening. She told us a great deal that was Interesting about the Burmese,
of their religion and customs. They believe in transmigration and accord-
ing to the manner in which they have lived in this world they will be placed
In the next. The women try to be very good so that when they are bora
again they may be meni And this is their greatest hope. After her address
Mrs. Bixby showed and explained to us many articles which she had brought
with her from Burmah. I don't know what you, who have such a horror of
wearing earrings In the very civilised manner In which we wear them.
Many of
would think of those we were shown. A The earrings are larger around than
my thumb, aad are pat through a hole made la the earl. The hole Is made
■mall at first bat gradually Increased In slae. They manufacture silk,
which is really very nice. I have come to the end of my paper and will
close my description of last Sunday by saying that It was almost the
pleasantest day I have passed In the College.
Tour loving daughter
Julia.
(Julia M. Pease, '75)