Vassar College Digital Library

Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin) | to mother, Feb. 1, 1894:

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Date
1894-02-01
Abstract
VC 1897
Transcript file(s)
Details
Identifier
vassar:24576,,Box 20,VCL_Letters_Mansfield_Adelaide_1897_016
Extent
1 item
Type
Rights
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: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897016001
Vassar College.
February 1, 1894.

My dear Mamma,—

I ought not to have waited so long before telling you that the bundle you sent came on Monday morning. I was so surprised to find the waist, but it is just what I have been wishing that I had. I have been wearing my green spring dress a good deal lately as a change from my black one, which is not very comfortable for every day wear. But this new waist is just the thing. My spring dress was plenty warm enough, for I don't need to dress nearly as warmly

 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897016002
here as at home, because it is warmer in the house here, and besides the heat is uniform. A few girls in the old building wear gingham dresses in the evening once in a while, even now. But I could not do that, I know. It is evident that Edie has exaggerated ideas of my plumpness, for my waist was considerably large. In fact I had to take in the side seams an inch and a half or more. I suppose she got that impression from my having to let out my white silk so much, but that was made very tight in the first place. I am a little larger than I was when I came, but not so much but that I am able to wear all my dresses still. When I let out my seams I looked all around to find a sewing-machine, but I could not find any in this institution that the girls are allowed to use - great and glorious institution that it is. There are women in the cottages near by who do sewing or mending for girls,

 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897016003
but I should think they might afford a sewing machine for things that are not worth hiring done. So I had to sew my seams by hand, of course very fine stitches, and sewed over and over. It looks all right.

The book of logarithms and the trigonometry that papa sent, came all right too. The girls say that the book of logarithms will do, and the trigonometry I shall use next year. The Sophomores have just finished their Trigonometry and will soon have their " Trig." ceremonies."

We are almost through with our exams.- only one more, and that is in Hygiene, tomorrow morning. Monday morning we had Latin - a very fair examination, and Miss Franklin told me that she found very little fault with my paper. Tuesday morning at quarter past eight we had our Greek. And of all fearful examinations that I ever had the pleasure of taking, that Greek

 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897016004
was by far the fearfullest. The exam, was on Lysias, and Ed will appreciate it when I tell him that one of the minor questions was to give in Greek Aristotle's opinion of Therameses; another to give a brief description of Lysias' style, using Greek words to describe it, and giving illustrations from his speeches; another to name the rhetorical figures which Lysias uses, citing examples (in Greek) from his speeches. I got about half through the exam, but I think I passed. Miss Macurdy expects every body to be able, like herself, to have at her tongue's end every thing she ever heard or read. But still she told Ray that most of theclass did very well, and that Ray handed in one of the best papers that she ever saw. We had Solid Geometry yesterday morning - a very fair exam. I did not get nearly through, but Miss Richardson is always telling us - "Quality, not quantity, young ladies." We have not been cramming at all but we shall have to do a little of it for Hygiene. At present Arlie Raymond (who lives across the hall, and has a lame foot which hurts her like everything a good deal of the time) is lying on our sofa studying hygiene and also modelling

 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897016005
a little skull with sealing wax. She is very clever at such things.

Lovingly Adelaide [Claflin]

 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897016006
There is lots of snow here now: it is snowing this minute- The skating has been spoiled and we hear talk of sleighing parties instead. I am so relieved to think that my knife has turned up- Where in the world was it?

I was rather surprised to hear of Dr. Leavitt's resignation- Ray read it to me, putting Blank instead of all the names, and then she made me guess who it was. Give my love to the Miss Wheelers and their mother and to Mrs. Handerson.