Vassar College,
May 20, 1871.
Dearest Carrie,
Much to my surprise this morning I have received a long letter
from you. I have given up sspecting any thing from you but a short note
with Taps and Mamma's letters. Another letter which I received tMs
morning surprised me. It is so long since I wrote to Julita Rlgby that
t thought -he was not intending to answer my letter, and of course the
one from her was a great pleasure. She says, "Send my love to Carrie
wh^n y ou write, that is if she is within sending distance, for she may be
on the Alps or at the North Pole for all I know, dear old Carrie. I remem-
ber her so well. I fancy X see her now bending so studiously over some
dry eld book and yet always so ready to Join in any fun that did not take
her out cf her atmosphere of books."-— Julita seems to be enjoying her-
self vary much, and I think is something of a flirt, and yet I don't like to
apply that word to her.
Cur first sketch from nature was a view of our lake. It is a pretty
as
view but of ccurseAmy first attempt it is not very good. It is recogniaable
but tLo foliage look much as if a fly with dirty wings had been crawling
over tho ;>aper. We are now making a drawing of a fine old pine tree,
which is jufet outside the college grounds. Next Saturday we intend to go
down to the river and sketch. We shall provide ourselves with lunch and
spend tlits day on the river bank. "Only four more weeks," we say again fc
again as we used at the old Ftm. Sem. But these four weeks are very
terrible to look forward to. We review ia all our studies and the classes
are all open to visitors during these weeks. I dread Rhetoric more than
any study because we recite by topics. It disturbs me, first, to see Miss
Clarice sit there and fold her arms after having given me a topic, and then
while I am trying to express in words one idea all the others take leave of
me. I hope you do not think that I write compositions now. My first
attempts will be next year while Freshman. The thought of writing them
'♦fills me with anguish," but fortunately the thought seldom comes to me.
With the noon mail came the Latin Grammar. We have finished
learning rules this year but it will be useful in looking them up when we
prove our lines fer scanning* I have been using a grammar belonging to
one of the girls and am glad that I can now return it.
time
I have always forgotten when I have had to cut a pattern of my
drawer.:, but this evening will do so and send soon.
Are you reading many books now? I commenced "Hypatla" a long
ttnas ago. After having had it renewed for three weeks and then keeping it
a week over my time, I returned It without having read half of it. Sunday
afternocnn for the last three or four weeks we have been reading "Faith
Gertney" a little story by the author of "Leslie Goldthwait." We have now
finished it and I have tak X shall keep it until college cloeea and not find time to read it. I
planted the balsam seed snd '.he seed of the sensitive plant which mamma
sent me* Our heliotropes and geraniums are beginning to show signs of
life, but we need rain very much. I imagined that here we would not have to water our plants but fic-5 that we do, and already I have watered them
several times.
In a letter I received a few days ago from Aunt Maria, she says,
"Mother was in about her usual health till Friday morning the 21st April,
when she was suddenly taken with spasms of the throat & lungs and was
insensible from that time till she died, on Saturday morning at two oclock,
wl en she dropped away very quietly,"
Do write me good long letters, and tell all you are doing.
With much love to all
Your loving
Julie.
The pattern of drawers which I have cut is of those which are banded at
the knee.