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Griffith, Caroline | from Flora Easton, July 22, 1882

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Date
22 Jul 1882
Creator
Note

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Identifier
vassar:54177,Folder 69.2; VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008
Extent
1 item
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: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_001
Nantucket, Mass.
July 22, 1882.

My darling Carrie,

I was so pleased to receive your good long letter last evening altho’ you might not credit it if I should tell you that I got it from the office at half past seven and did not read it until after eleven. But as I was coming up from the office I met Fred Dawson and he stayed quite late. Yesterday I went up to [Wa...iet?] with him. It takes three quarters of an hour to go with a fair wind but we were two hours and a half going and two

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_002
hours coming down. We got there at [twelve?] and stayed till five. It is a place where fish dinners are a specialty and we had a fine one yesterday and also a charming time on the beach. He is from Saratoga and quite a [youth?]. I did not nothing but laugh all day and he said he had not laughed so much for a month. He is [d…k...ti...?] so I hope it will do him good.

Many thanks for the [...]. I was terribly excited about it as you may imagine. There is a chance that Sylvester may not

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_003
come down this summer. If he doesn’t I shall [be?] so much [...] unless [...] [...scrin…?] writes me and I remit.

The fascinator came this noon. I am so pleased with it. Many thanks, my dear. I only hope it may render me fascinating. By the way a [youth?] took me to be [twenty?] seven the other day. I haven’t yet decided whether to regard it as a compliment or the reverse.

I am greatly pleased to come into dear little [...annie’s?] good graces and hope that a [nearer?] ac --

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_004
quaintance will not alter [this?] opinion. Before I come to [Mercer?] I shall have to commit a thousand or [so?] stories to memory with which to regale his Highness.

Supper is ready and as I am going rowing at six I must leave this until tomorrow afternoon if I am good and go to church to till morning if I prefer to be a back-slider.

Saturday 12 P.M.
I haven’t heard a word about Mrs. B’s sickness - only the bare unvarnished statement of her death.

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_005
I had never thought of your supposition, but it seems quite probable, and you remember what P. B. said to me at Phil. [...]. He was rather in advance, it seems to me.

I was perfectly amazed at what you wrote about Ella Vassar. I think Susan Colman deserves unlimited praise for keeping her knowledge to herself. I don’t wonder now that she was cynical and sarcastic, and made so

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_006
many disagreeable remarks. Her life cannot be very happy, at present at least. I presume she will marry before long. This explains her recklessness in many things and her remaining at [Lolly’s?] during the vacations. I can look back and see so many things she has said that were queer at the time that are now explained.

I am a bright lobster color; you would be really ashamed to claim

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_007
acquaintance with me. An Indian in war paint is not a circumstance to me.

Do you know the Bicycle is an unknown beast here. The first one has yet to make an appearance. Some of the ancient inhabitants will doubtless be amazed by one of them.

I did have an elegant row last evening. The sun was obscured just enough to be pleasant and the ocean was like a mill-

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_008
pond. There was a grand illumination at the Cliff during the evening and from the water it was very effective.

I heard last night that Laura Glenn is here. I had not seen her round any where and she is usually see-able when she is here. I don’t think the family can have come for she told me they were too poor even to go to Nantucket this summer

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_009
because it had cost Papa so much to marry “Co” off - I thought it sounded very much like a necessary arrangement, and I’m not sure it wasn’t.

I have had several nice letters from [F...lli…?] but the last one I did not answer for a week, as I was almost frantic with the toothache and was at the dentist’s that week. I fear that she had left Colonel [Rawkin’s?] and that it failed to reach her. Not a word have I heard from [Sallie?], and I did

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_010
really expect to as she never writes to anyone. [F...lli…?] had a strange experience with her. Did she write to you about it? Nellie has sent me one postal but I presume she and Sallie keep up a spirited correspondence. Give my love to Ella Marmion when you see her. I meant to have sent her a class day invitation, but forgot her as I did many [others?] although at the time I thought I sent all I

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_011
wanted to.

Last week I received the sweetest letter from Miss Drake. I think she is a lovely girl, and I know she is a smart one. Should not be at all surprised if she should be salutatorian of her class as you were in ‘82. Carrie, my dear, I have set my heart on that and if I am disappointed, I don’t know what I shall do. You know yourself that you can do it

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_012
just as easily as not and then think how very very much fonder of you I’d be than I am now - if that is possible. My family think you must be a [wonderful?] girl and I do all in my power to foster their opinion. Now you know very well that this is not “taffy” but sober earnest, and I hope you will profit by it.

In August my Aunt David’s grandson is coming from Chicago to

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_013
stay three weeks. He always was real jolly but now he has joined the Presbyterian Church since I saw him and it may have changed him, but I hope not.

Do you know Bessie [Wing?] won’t so much as look me. “[...mmy?] [mum?],” as she calls Mabel takes her whole attention and she scarcely cares for her Mother when Mabel is with her.

Did you see my black dress I got at [...hins’?] It is all made and I like

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_014
it very much. I have my green bunting to finish and then all my dress making is done and only under clothes remain which I shall put out of the way in short order. I do hate plain sewing and I mean henceforward to buy mine ready made and save the [...] of doing it myself.

[If?] I don’t hear from Dr. Caldwell by the first of August I am going to send to

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_015
[Sch...hom’s?] Agency in New York and see what they can do for me. I certainly will not stay here all month; if I have to scrub floors to support my self, I would rather do it than stagnate here.

Mother, Mabel, and Aunt Mary all send their love. Mother is suffering terribly with rheumatism in her back. She can scarcely walk and can’t stoop the least bit.

I hope your Father will

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_016
have a pleasant trip in the West. Please don’t tell him my name is Mary for you know how I dislike it, and I do like my [other?].
Would you believe it Fred [Sa…?] left here Saturday/yesterday/morning and wrote to me on the steamer so I got it at night. Should you call that a case of “mash?” I met him four years ago when he was here. His Aunt lives on this street and Mother is intimate with her and also knows his

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_017
Mother, so it’s not awful sudden you see. But I was surprised as I had not anticipated such a result. Honestly, Carrie, I didn’t flirt one bit with him. I never thought of such a thing.

Mother has called several times and advised me to go to bed, and I am growing sleepy, so I think I must take her advice.

Write very soon to your loving friend,
Flo.

 


: VCL_Letters_Griffith-Caroline_1882-07-22_069_002_008_018