Vassar College N.Y. April 30th, 1871 Dear Allie, I was so glad to get your letter last week, I should have answered it right off, if I had not had one from Mother to answer. I gave her an account of any goings on in Rahway, which you probably read. I forgot to say that I saw Mrs. Pitt Cooke and Sallie Ripley on the street but as I was in a street car, I did not have an opportunity to speak to them. I also saw Sallie Reber on Broadway, but as she did not return my bow, I suppose she did not recognize me. Mary Taylor is back again. Her mother died during vacation, and her father thought it best for her to come right back. I am so glad, for I was not suited at all with the girl that they put in her place. I did not have an awful time to get along with her simply for the reason that she was hardly ever in her room during the day and I never slept there. However that is all over with thank fortune, and I have got Mame back. What a grand looking place, your house must be nowadays. I hope you will meet me at the depot when I come home for there is danger that I may not find you. I have received word what Mollie's particular business is. As you have probably surmised, she wishes me to be a bridesmaid. She said that she had asked Aunty, and Aunty said "do Just as you please" so I wrote an acceptance. Aunty said she would be at home the 29th of May, so she will have plenty of time to have my dress made. Won't I make a gorgeous bridesmaid? I don't know anything about Mollie's plans, whether she expects to have groomsmen or not nor who her other bridesmaids are to be. O about Albon's wedding description Tell I take it all back, I hope he won't kill me, but really I took him for Dave Myers! Isn't it a shame that Mr. Hall has sold his place. What pos- sessed him to do It, it couldn't have been necessary could it? I thought he was rich. I don't know what room they have been fixing up. Do you mean that the whole family are going to live in those rooms that he had for an office? I had a letter from Lizzie Camp, in which she said that she had been very sick, confined to the house, for I don't know how long. You never told me that, why didn't you? She also said that Sallie had been taking care of her, and that they are both going back to Lancaster. I have taken it for granted that they are there by this time and so have directed a letter to Lancaster. As to Arthur I am not surprised, for Minnie Monroe had informed me that he was going to stay in Toledo another year. I understood that he had engaged himself at the school for another year. I don't really much believe that he will ever go back do you? Do find out all about Lee and Sallie. If they are going to be married before I am home for good, and are not mar- ried during one of my vacations I shall never speak to them again. How elegant their house will be, when it is finished. We must go up and make a visit together this summer sure-pop. What Miss Ames did Charlie Horton marry. Was it Annie Ames? If so all I have got to say is poor girl. I never was so amazed as I was to hear about Jinny Dresback. Isn't she a goose? I guess I have got something to match that though, Jessie Campbell, our former Matron suddenly took it into her head, after vacation that she did not wish to stay here any longer. So she piled off to Po'keepsie, and married our porter! A brilliant exchange don't you think so? We have a lovely Matron now Mrs. Humphreys. She is about thirty and her hair is as grey as a rat. She wears it in a frizzed pompadour and a coil, she is quite dark otherwise, and altogether is an elegant looking woman. There is quite an excitement here over a disgraceful report, which is going the rounds of the college. I don't know whether to tell you or not, but I guess I will. Miss Morse called a young lady up the other day, and wanted to know if she knew anything about the smoking & drinking which was going on in the college! It happened that this particular young lady did not know anything about it; but we have since heard that with a few young ladies the practice is quite common. One of these girls has really been drunk. On [dit...] Did you ever hear anything so disgusting. It is reported that we are to have a grand lecture upon the evils of smoking, drinking, flirting with the Bisbee boys &c,&c,&c (Bisbee boys are boys who attend Bisbee's school in Po'keepsie) and then these certain young ladies are to receive their marching orders. If there are any further developments I will let you know. Of course you will not mention this out of the house for it would injure the reputation of the college dreadfully, and you know it isn't any too good in Sandusky. We celebrated Founder's Day last Friday. Prof. Raymond of Brooklyn read Twelfth Night to us, and kept us in a roar, all the time. After the reading, they had two of the finest tableaux I ever saw. They were "The return from the vintage" and the ascension of Marguerite repre- sented in Marble. By the way I have a bone to pick with you, what did you go and tell that company at Aunty's that I had dyspepsia for? The one that wrote that company letter. I just think you were a goose to talk about such a thing. What did Chas. Doddler & Jay Buttler mean by asking me if I had "boarding school dyspepsia"? I didn't take. Remember you said you would answer this the very next day after you got it. Lovingly Sallie Please send my dresses and things right on for it is getting warm.