Vassar College. Feb. 2. 1896.
My dear Mother,—
A hard week Is over aad a comparatively easy week is
before as. Our exams, were harder than usual, aad also harder to
prepare for. Our exam, in Thucydides was the worst. Miss Leach
gave us for the first question a passage to translate, which was the
very hardest passage In the book. Some of the girls had Just reviewed It,
but a good many * Including myself - had not looked at it since we had
it about two months ago. ft was so long that I had done less than half of It
by the time an hour and a half had passed. Since we can have only two hours
for our exam, I decided that X had better leave it and go on to the next
question. So X wrote on my paper "I have spent an hour and a half on
so much, so I am going to leave out the rest of this translation"- then I
went on to the next question, aad had time to do about half ot it. Hot a
person in the class had time to begin on the third question, and there were
seven questions In all. X guess Miss Leach repented giving us that first
question, for she couldn't have a chance to see what else we could do.
Two of my examinations came on Monday and one each day the
rest of the week. Some of the girls studied about four hours for each one,
but X did not have time, because X went over for two hours nearly every
day to help Prof. Moulton with some hektograph work. X did some copying
for him at Thanksgiving, and as the sine of my handwriting suited him he
wanted me to write for the hektograph work. I was glad to have a chance
Feb. 2, 1896 - 2
to learn to use the hektograph, It waa quite interesting, I never knew
before what kind of a thing it was - it is a flat pan filled with a stiff
gelatine substance, to which you transfer your writing, aad then trans-
fer it from there to other sheets.
For Astronomy, which came Friday afternoon, we studied
three or four hours. We had to cram on that, for it is a lecture course
entirely, so that there is no occasion to learn anything during the year,
though we had to read aad take notes every week. On that exam, we had
ever
a chance to tell everything we^heard of - it was so very comprehensive.
It is not very pleasant to have an exam. Friday afternoon, for
by that time nearly everybody is through, and enjoying themselves. In
fact some girls got through W ednesday-
Ray got through Thursday, and early Friday morning she went
down to Brooklyn to her cousin Mary's- where Mr. Capen and Harry
were to be also. I hope the change will do her good,- I think seeing Mr.
Cfipen will work a cure- For Ray has not been very well lately- She
nearly fainted in her first exam, and has felt rather queer all the week.
Yesterday afternoon Carrie and I went down town- I had to take my watch,
which stopped all of a sudden the other day and would not start up again-
I had not done anything to it, so I concluded it needed cleaning, and the
Jeweler said that was what was the matter. This morning Carrie and
Feb. 23, 1896 -3
I walked into town to church. It was miserable walking, you had to
look at your leet all the time to keep them out of water. But the air
was so fresh and the day so clear that we enjoyed it. We went to the
Presbyterian Church. They have a new minister, but we did not like
him very much, because he was so dramatic and emphatics.
are away from college between semesters, so we had a service of song
instead.
My program for next semester is a little more convenient than
last semester's, but our work is still rather scattered because we have
history from quarter of four till quarter of five. Miss Salmon insists
on having it then, because she can get more done during the day by
having her recitations at the end of It, but the girls all dislike it very
much. We cant get so much done during the day so so long as we have
history still hovering over us. Here is my schedule:
Tonight the Bible lecture was omitted, because so many girls
Moil
I
8.30
n	HI
9.30 10.30
Gym-
IV V VI	vn
11.30 1.45 2.45 3.45
Greek Biology
Wed. Gym,
Tues Greek
nasium
Psych- Laboratory Lab.
ology work
Greek Biology
History
History
Th. Greek Psych*
ology
Greek Gym
History
FrL
Psych- Lab.
ology
Lab. Biology
Feb. 2, 1896 - 4
Give my love to the neighbors and friends-
Love to all
Adelaide. (Claflin,