Vassar College Digital Library

Barus, Annie Howes | to Edith, Sep. 1869:

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Date
September 15, 1869
Abstract
VC 1874
Transcript file(s)
Details
Identifier
vassar:24195,,Box 64,VCL_Letters_Barus_Annie-Howes_1874_001
Extent
1 item
Type
Rights
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: VCLLettersBarusAnnieHowes1874001001
Write me soon.
Lizzie has had a letter.

Sept. 15th 1869.

Dear Edith

I am in Vassar College and I will write you all about it
Lizzie and I rode up in the carriage from Poughkeepsie in fear and trembling frightened at the examination. We were first taken into the parlor and from there into the examination rooms, the first examination was in Grammar they asked questions as if they had been lately reading Kents questions for review but I passed through that and then went into another room to be examined in Geography. The question name the mountain chains of the Eastern Continent was generally missed

 


: VCLLettersBarusAnnieHowes1874001002
but I fortunately remembered. We had about 20 questions in each study except arithmetic, in that we had two pretty hard examples in fractions, but I finally got through perfect, and was then taken to the presidents room to see If you were accepted or not. He looked at my report and said I see you are a Boston girl and that you do great honor to your city as you are the only one that has been perfect today. We have very pleasant rooms our sleeping is No 11 6( ?) and is quite pleasant the furniture is all oak and our pictures and things so improve the looks of our room that I do not think mother would know it the sun shines in our parlor in the morning and bedroom in the afternoon but as we have no school room we spend most of our time

 


: VCLLettersBarusAnnieHowes1874001003
in our parlor. We rise at 6 and have prayers at quater of 7 breakfast at 7 fix rooms at half past 7 silent time. 7.40 Morning study hours 9 A.M. to 12.40 P.M. Dinner 1.00 Play Hours 2 to 2.40 Afternoon Study Hours 2.45 .P.M. to 5.45 Tea 6.00 Evening Prayers 6.30
Evening Study Hour 8. to 9. Retiring 9.40 be in bed 10 So you see we are [crossed out: studying] ^busy nearly all day studying 7 hours and 40 minutes. I have been examined in Algebra French and Latin in Algebra as we have not studied the Higher Algebra we will have to review for 3 or 4 months in French I told the teacher I preferred to commence, and in Latin I go on our other lessons have not yet been given us. We have two roomates so far the others have not yet come. One of them Fannie Allen came from Milwaukee she

 


: VCLLettersBarusAnnieHowes1874001004
is fifteen but you would think she was twenty she is quite stylish and pretty but she praises up everything of her own. she is great on saying we must have this and that in our room for instance a table-cloth, a lamp shade, sofa clock while Lizzie and I quietly pinch each other and say we are willing to have them if she will provide them. Our rooms are arranged the funniest on the front of the house are halls called corridors which open on the corrider and are not so light as those that open on the back of the building but we may possibly change our rooms for one that opens on the back and where there are two very pleasant girls with whom we are acquainted The meals are very nice 12 girls and a teacher have a table and a waiter and the food is cooked nicely I will write what we had today. Breakfast Tea coffee or milk. Beefsteak, pottatoes in milk Graham and White bread and splendid butter. Dinner Roast Tomato soup Roast Beef Mashed Pottatoe Beans Radishes Sponge Drops and Ice cream Tea Peaches with ice cream instead of cream Tea or milk Bread & Cake and it all tastes as if it had been [crossed out] cooked at home not like

 


: VCLLettersBarusAnnieHowes1874001005
the Poughkeepsie House. I left my napkin ring at home and I wish you would look and see if you can find a Robinson's University Algebra and if you can send it as soon as possible with the napkin ring, if we change rooms we will have to get a curtain to put between two rooms ask mother what would be the best kind of stuff to make it of. We cannot go down in the town at all while we are here we can send down by the teacher and buy what we need. The scholars are expecting to have their eatables sent them please remember mother! I think there must be a good many defacements on the girls dresses for they are trimmed a good deal some more and some less than ours.

 


: VCLLettersBarusAnnieHowes1874001006
Ask father or mother if they remember on board the River boat a little girl with yellow hair down her back and blue sailors hat she is Sue Tain the daughter of George Francis Tain she has been admitted but has gone away for two or three weeks, she is the one that we once read about in a piece of poetry written by her father, "And Sue shall ride the wild papoose" I [crossed out: ha] am not homesick now but was some yesterday I never thought that I could miss home so much but I do not make up such horrid faces as Willie said I would. There is one girl here that looks like Alice Brown so much so that Lizzie and I did not know at first but that Alice had come her name is Bonney Wallace. We know seven

 


: VCLLettersBarusAnnieHowes1874001007
or eight girls most of them Western girls. Give my love to all the family and Willie and Don how is my bird give my love to Cornelia and see when she wants more seed They do not provide riding dresses so I shall have to have one made tell mother not to put it off till Christmas for she will have nothing to do but work Christmas day if she does. Lizzie is going to have somethings sent on and perhaps you can send mine with them. I have lots more to say but it is getting late I do not think I shall be homesick any more

This is to all
Goodbye
from your sister
Annie

(Mrs. Carl Barus)