Vassar College,
Po'keepsie, N.Y. Apr. 2. 1876
My dear father & mother,
I have been trying 
to write my letter all day but 
have been real busy and now 
there are four girls in here, but I 
want to write and will, girls 
nothwithstanding. This is the love-
liest day we have had this 
spring, warm and pleasant. 
Nellie, Corie and I took our 
exercise after bible-class before 
chapel, and it was so lovely. 
Yesterday morning I put the 
shirring on my alapaca skirt and it 
looks splendid. My Japanese is 
splendid. I like it all ever so 
much, everything about it. It 
is just exactly as I wanted it.
I do not see, Ma, how you 
could fix it so. The girls say it is 
the most becoming dress I 
have. The waist is a perfect fit. 
Just right in every way. I do 
like it so much, I wore it to-day 
for the first time. Rev. Mr. Tyler
of Amherst College preached. He 
is an old gentleman and looks 
very much like Mr. Burt. His 
delivery is much the same as his. 
Helen went to N.Y. Thursday
morning and her sister met her 
there to go home with her. I was 
awfully homesick all day 
Thursday, it did seem as though 
I could never stand it here 
until June. I do get so homesick, 
but I hope maybe I won't 
after vacation for then it will 
only be nine weeks. I don't 
think to write about every part 
of my dress because it is all
allright. I do not need any other 
dress only ray light calico. Ma, 
my alapaca overskirt has had 
it's day, you will have to give 
up all idea of making any
thing out of it. I do not care 
for my calico, before the first 
of May, and it does not need 
anything to be done to it only 
to make it higher in the neck. 
But there are two things I do 
need. I can not wear either 
of my underwaists, they are 
too small. Can you make 
me two high in the neck (so I
need not wear under hand
kerchiefs) without those little 
puffed sleeves and long 
enough to cover my corsets 
make it of thin cloth like my 
other waist and just put
an narrow edge around
the neck and the arm-holes. 
I do not want to hurry you too much, 
but I would like one before I go 
to Winsted, for I have to wear my 
best corset and it will get so 
dirty. I shall wear any plaid 
overskirt down in the cars. I do 
like to be alone, and I believe if 
had had a room alone I do 
not think I would have been 
nearly so homesick. But then I
like Helen ever so much, Emma 
wrote me this week said she 
would be at the depot at 9 a.m. 
Thursday just the time you 
will be reading this letter,
wont it pa? Susie Bush, a 
little blackeyed sixteen year old 
is in here now writing with 
me. She says, she is a rebel to 
her back-bone. She lives in
New Orleans. The other girls 
have gone. Have not heard 
from Ben yet. Thought may 
be he would be down yesterday, 
seeing it was not march 
but am very glad he did not 
come, for I was busy all day. 
I am ever so glad Addie comes 
down so often. You have never 
really known her I think before, 
although you liked her so much. 
I have never seen a young lady 
I could love as dearly as I do 
Addie. Don't say anything to 
Kate that would make [you] 
her think you do not like 
her as well as Addie, be very 
careful about it, because she 
is very sensitive and thinks
a good deal of me and I do 
of her. I was so glad to get 
your letters yesterday. Thank 
you ever so much for them 
and for the chamois too. I 
do not need to fix that hand
kerchief for I only want it to 
wear at my neck and it 
is all right for that. I am so 
sorry I did not tell you sooner 
when vacation commenced. I
forgot but that I did, Pa, what 
do you mean, that it depends 
partly on your health whether 
you come to the centennial. Are 
you not well why have you not
written me you were not in 
good health?
8 p.m.—My ink has given 
out, so I will finish with lead-
pencil. We had a very interesting 
meeting to night. Mr. Tyler told 
us about the revival in Amherst 
College. Harry Raymond 
(the President's son) arose and 
confessed his faith in Christ, the 
first time he had ever made a 
public expression. I do enjoy the 
privileges religious I mean that 
I have here and I hope I profit
by them, yet I do long to get 
home into our church and S.S. 
wicked though it may be.
her I would come on the Boston 
Express which leaves N.Y. at 3, p.m. 
unless by taking some other train 
I could take from Tremont with
out going into the city, I do not 
care to go up there any earlier 
in the day, only care to get there 
before dark. I wrote her if 
I did not take that train will write 
her again, as she wants to meet 
me at the depot. It will be so 
much nicer than to have to leave 
Lumont so early in the morning 
as I would be obliged to do. Then 
to it will be nice to see Gothic Hall 
and see where Frankie has been 
all the year. Hasn't everything 
turned out nicely for me! 
Now if I only get through my 
shopping all right. There has 
been a walking class organized
under the direction of 
the Gymnastic teacher for all 
who do not take "Gymus." It meets 
from a quarter before two until
a quarter after, directly after 
dinner. I am in it. I hope 
she will give us some direct-
ions about walking but so 
far she has only had us walk 
around the Gymnasium. 
Nellie has an elegant new black
silk, very heavy. It was one of 
her Christmas presents but just 
made very handsomely, some-
thing like mine. I am so tired 
I must stop and go to bed. 
Guess I will mail this to-
morrow, for I won't have time 
to write any to-morrow. You 
did not answer my question 
about my coming here 
next year. Excuse this miserable
and short letter please 
this time,
From your loving daughter
Addie Thompson 

(Over)
Monday, 6 1/2 a.m.
I am already for studying now, 
will have three quarters of an 
hour for it before breakfast. It is 
snowing hard, but is warm and 
I don't believe it can be snow 
much longer, as it gets warmer 
in the day. It does seem as though 
I can not wait three days before 
I start, if it was my home-
start don't know what I would 
do. I hope this pencil won't rub. 
Be sure and tell me when the car-
penters will begin on the house, 
and who they are. Give my 
love to Mr. McQuentin's family 
and all the people I care for. 
Tell Addie to have a letter for me 
when I come back. I must stop 
and study. This is a poor excuse
for a letter, and I am sorry for it 
but I was so tired yesterday.
Your loving daughter. Addie