Vassar College,
Feb. 11, 1871.
My dear Carrie,
By the time this reaches you I presume you will be at home,
resting after the gaieties of Galveston. I hope you found out something
of Etta Rise ,7 ,. It is now almost ss hsrd work for me to write a letter
as a composition for I cannot dignify my productions with the name of
essay. There is literally nothing to write about. I cannot discourse
upon yesterdays sermon as 1 have neither the power nor desire. That
is the only variety this week, being by Prof. Orton in place of the Presi-
dent. professor Orton generally keeps us wider awake than the Presi-
dent, for he brings home truths which we cannot help hearing even if we
soon forget them. We have been informed that Bible classes begins very
soon. It will however be voluntary which is a great point. We can also
choose our own teachers. I have chosen Miss Lord but do not know
whether I caa be in her class. She is a very lovely woman, and is one of
my five "admirations." Profs. Hinkle It Van XngenpDr. Avery, Miss Kapp
are the others.
Moilie Hill has begun Germsn this semester and that makes me
perfectly wild over it. You know it has always been my great desire to
study it, and it is so hard to have someone in the parlor studying it and
not be able. I go around continually trying to pronounce "Ich," "Nicht"
and many other words which hsve that peculiarly German sound of ch. I
shall not be able to study it for a long time. Why do jou not begin German?
Feb. 19* 1871 * 2
There are ever so many good German teachers at home* Mrs. Kupfer
and Prof. Hamvasy fee and I know you caaaot help lovlag it. There are
so many beautiful things to read la German and so many educated per sous
at home to speak it with. Do begin it. The snew is almost all gone agaia*
and the days are again Warm and pleasant. It seems very hard work for
it to be cold and we are paid for every cold day by several warm ones,
. i - 1 ;
that is, warm for a northern winter.
You may or may aot have received a note from a friend of mine
here, Laura Howe wrote you a note and told me she sent it in which she
enquired concerning the number of my brotherow You know the six are a
myth and I presume thought her letter (if every received) rather imperti-
nent. It was not intended to be so and was written in fun. Answering it
may be at your pleasure. Laura G. (middle initial, is really a freak of
Dame Nature. I never saw such a specimen before but we manage to be
very good friends. With love and kisses for all
Your loving sister.
{KMia M. Pease, '75,
I send a programme of the string band concert given here last week.
,1871,
Feb. 19. It is just s week since the letter to Mamma, which I send with
this, was written, and nearly as long since the one lor you was begun. I
will finish yours today and send in the morning. I am very sorry that I
could not find time to finish these letters and send during the week, for
it |is, a longer time than ever before between my letters home. It seems
a most discouraging task to write to you, Carrie, for I have such lots of
things to say that I can never write them all. Ohi if you were only here
to talk to, it would be so very nice. There are two very pleasant girls
here from Arkansas. I have not known them very well until lately, but
like them so much. They are sisters and have always been together, just
as we have, and it makes me homesick to see them together having such
a loving time. I like the younger one, Mary Hughey, better than any girl
I have become acquainted with, and she is, indeed, the only one whom I
should care to know after leaving school. Last Friday night I attended
one of the Societies in the Hall. They acted several scenes from a story
called "Marion Berkly," and did it very well. The story is one of school
life. Marion is at a boarding school where they are not allowed to receive
boxes from home, and one of her offenses is receiving one. It is done
secretly and the girls bring it upstairs themselves and in doing so, drop
it on one of the girl's feet and hurt her quite badly. Her foot swells so
much that she can not wear her own shoe and stocking and with great diffi-
one
culty they procure^of the Lady Principal's, without her knowledge . Then
they have the table nicely set for a champagne supper, when in comes the
1
Feb. 19* 1371-2
Principal. Marion turns the matter off very nicely by asking her why
she came so early, that they were going down to invite her up as soon
as they were ready. She is pacified by the present of a chicken and cake
and before she leaves condescends to drink a glass of champagne with
them. It was very tempting, you may be sure, to have all those nice things
In view and yet not have any to eat. There were many other nice scenes
but I have not room to describe them. I will only say that the gen tlemen
looked and did very nicely and could hardly have been told from the "bona
fide" article. Between the first and second parts of the entertainzmn t
Miss Beach personated the U.S. flag and spoke, "When freedom from her
mountain high." She looked perfectly beautiful and her speaking was very
goods only she did not knew the piece perfectly.—— I believe I have
never written you much about my new room-mate, and now I cannot write
of her as that for she told me this morning that she Is to be moved again.
I like Miss Woolsey very well, but will be glad to be alone again. She goes
on the plan that everything is common and so I find her using my things
quite comfortably. My blacking bottle I find quite empty although she has
never asked me for permission to use It. I forgot to wind my watch a few
nights ago, but wound it in the morning and did not set it, as I did not know
th~ right time. Much to my amaaement, about noon, thinking to set it, l\
found it had already been done for me! It seemed rather a cool proceeding
on her part. My watch has one peculiarity to itself. It I wear it only half
; , ' ' \
A
Feb* 19, 1871 - 3
an hour it will stop, and not move until taken off—but If I leave it on the
bureau it never stops. So I am forced to lay it away and use it only as a
clock* It is perfectly useless as a watch to be carried about on the per-
son. Do you ever go to see Mrs. Grumbles? You have never written me
of doing so9 but I wish you would go often. It gives the old lady such
pleasure, and when she has so few pleasures, 1 should think you would
add to them whenever you can. We have two holidays this week. Washing-
ton's birthday, which comes on Wednesday and Thursday Is the day of
Prayer for Colleges. The latter can hardly be called a holiday as we must
be all the morning in Chapel. And Wednesday Is one of our church fasts.
\
It is the first day of Lent. I do not think I shall go to church that day ^
because I have not anything very suitable to wear. Of course we can not
attend service during Lent and we have nothing at all tempting to eat which
would be a hardship to deny ourselves and so I think of no particular way
in which to pass Lent differently from any other time. From this time on
to the end of the year I expect to be very busy and fear that I shall not be
able to write more than once a week to you all at home.
Wilfe love to all, Julie.
(Julia M. Pease, '75,