Details
Poughkeepsie, N.Y., March 8, 1876
My dear father and Mother:
I am so happy this afternoon I
do not know as I can compose
myself enough to write an
intelligible letter. For some reason
Madame Rock will not hear us
recite this afternoon and as I did
not know it until just now
had learned my lesson, so I am
prepared for to-morrow. I learned
my Latin last night for
to-morrow, and will have over an
hour to learn my Rhetoric before
I did not receive a letter this morning
but supose it is because pa did not
mail it Sunday evening. It has
rained hard all day so we are excused
from excercise. The snow is all gone
and we are having a warn rain. I
hope it is as warm at home. Helen
came home Sunday evening and
brought crackers, sardines, jelly and
candy. Monday evening after study-
hour about six of the girls
came in and we feasted on crackers
and sardines, for vinegar we substituted
lemon juice. While she was
in N.Y. she went to see Julius
Caesar, and to hear Moody and
Sankey. There have been a number
of parties gotten up to go down
to see J. C. some six girls ask Miss
Terry if they can go. Then they
invite a teacher and pay her expenses.
It costs about $6. Carrie
wants to go but wont unless I do.
I told her I could not afford it.
in some other way unless I
had an abundance of them to dispose
of. I received a letter from Ben
Monday morning. I think, unless
you insist, that the correspondence
had better not be broken after I
wrote him what I did but that
we had better not write so often.
It is such a short time now before
June, and then there will not be
any more of it any way. I do
not want to offend him and I
would not know how to tell him I
did wish to write to him. I wish
I had gotten a letter this morning,
but then if I had I would not
have gotten any to-morrow. Ma, I
do not know how I do want my
overskirt made and trimmed.
I would like it trimmed with silk.
there is so much on the dress you
would not hare to buy much. I
think a plaiting around the bottom
of black silk, about 1/2 finger wide
the bottom) headed with a band and cord of silk.
Make it as long as my plaid in the back and
a full back, be sure and make it very long. Have
the front longer than the sides. Take a peice of black
silk the length of the front of overskirt pattern 1/4
of a yard wide (bias) at the bottom and and 1/2 a finger
wide at the top, and then put about six [dries]
up the middle of it, 1 so far apart. Then turn
the Japanese in, and making a to little ruffle
[shir] it on to this silk. Then [shir] the sides seams
in the back in the same way. Then about 1/2 yd
from the belt put a large bow of black bow (ends 1/2 fingers
wide) silk lined with the Japanese (the whole
bow lined) on the left side, I mean a little to the
left of the middle of the back of the overskirt about
where the sideseams joins the back breadth. Then
put a pocket of black silk, made in a triple or
quadruple box plait and a bow of black silk on it.
I believe that finishes the overskirt. I want it
made so very long so it can be looped to make a
bustle and so obviate the necessity of my wearing.
Could there not be some kind of stiff lining put in
to the back, only extending about half a yard from
the waist, so it would not show? I would like
the basque made just about the same as my
plaid, the same shape & length, trimmed around the bottom
the same as the overskirt. Then in the back I would
like those little tiny folds I spoke of, or if you prefer some
other trimming, put it on, maybe three narrow
bands of black silk corded on both sides, an inch a
part at the neck, then nearly meeting at the waist
and then separating again. Instead of a standing
collar would like a narrow plaitin of black silk either in clusters
or not don't care, the same width or rather height of
a collar, and so I could take it off when I chose.
But if it would trouble you put on a collar like
my silk. Then put either black silk buttons quite
small about so big or else buttons like
those on my plaid but think the silk
ones would be prettier. Then make the
sleeves of Japanese very small (basque very
short in the shoulders) but longer than my black silk
sleeves and put a little plaiting black silk like that on
the overskirt and basque on the edge of the sleeve
then a little cuff of black silk something pretty
above the plaiting and either buttons or little
bows on the cuff. Can you understand this
all. I am afraid you can not. It is the plainest
way I can think of and yet I am afraid
there is too much work on it. But it will be very
stylish and pretty made this way. Those ruffles
that are now on it will do for the plaiting. Make
the plaits very fine. Please do not put any Japanese
silk on it for trimming, and besure it is long enough
in the waist.