"Vassar."
28 April 1872
My dear Mamma,
I have just come from making a call upon Dr. Avery. Found her
very, very pleasant, I grow more charmed with her every time I meet
her. She is one of those strong minded women, and yet does not go to an
extreme. Captain Roberts and Nannie are in Po'keepsie again. (I believe
I forgot to mention in my other letter that they sent a great deal of love,
many regards, to you all). Our Founders Day is Monday, tomorrow, and they came back to attend the Exercises here in the evening. Mr. Boardman from Philadelphia will lecture for us and then there will be supper and promenading, for guests are invited. I presume we will have a very pleasant time. I send you a complimentary invitation. Tomorrow
is a holiday, which pleases us very much as the days are Just beginning to
become very warm.
 Our class has begun Botany and we find it very interesting although
we have not yet begun to analyze. I am very desirous to make an Herbarium,
since the flowers of this region are so different from ours at home. Would you like to have me make one? If so, I will if I can find time. The pressing is a good deal of work, bus there are nice presses here which make it quite easy.
 If you could make me a swiss waist I would like it very much for
the Concert at the end of the year, Monday of Commencement week. If I
only had the machine I could tuck one in almost no time and the making is
very easy, but alas! I have no machine, and shall have to ask Carrie to
do it for me. I will be very much obliged if she will, for I almost need
it to wear at the Concert with my alpaca skirt. Plain muslin tucked in clusters of five tucks would do nicely. One of my parlor mates has just had one done for tomorrow night, and only the tucking cost two dollars and a half. That makes a muslin waist pretty expensive. It would need to be made longer than the waist, so as to belt under the dress. They fit better than when a regular waist.
 I have for a long time tried to decide what to
get with my birthday present. Now I have come to a wise decision. Prof.
Van Ingen is going to take several of the painting scholars down to New
York to go through the Academy of Design, I am very anxious to go, and
think it would be as sensible a way as I could spend my present. The fare down and back and a meal taken in New York would amount to nearly five dollars. The rest I should spend for some nice book. If Miss Terry commits we are going, next Sat. is the day appointed. I will try and write again this week. Please excuse this wretched scrawl for the love I bear you.
Lovingly, Julie.