Vassar College Digital Library

Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin) | to mother, Dec. 9, 1894:

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Date
December 9, 1894
Abstract
VC 1897
Transcript file(s)
Details
Identifier
vassar:24560,,Box 20,VCL_Letters_Mansfield_Adelaide_1897_036
Extent
1 item
Type
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: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897036001

Vassar College. Dec. 9, 1894.

My dear Mother, —

It is a chilly, dark day today - as it has been most of the week. It has been pretty cold - I got out my comforter this week-

I have had a nice time reading this afternoon. I suppose I might have written letters, but when I don't have time to write them during the week, I don't like to spend all my leisure time, on Sunday, In doing it. I have not written more than four or five letters outside the family, since I have been here. I am going to write some during the Christmas vacation. I read in the Observer this morning that Dr. Elbridge Mix of Worcester, had accepted a


 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897036002
call to Cleveland. Is it the Second Church that has called him?

So the poor old lady Wheeler is gone. When I said good-bye to her in the fall I did not think that I should see her there on her bed again. How the rest of the family must miss her, for they almost lived for her.

Have you heard lately how Mrs. Sheldon is?

Did I tell you that Ray's brother Harry is going to spend the winter in Asheville, North Carolina? He went there two or three weeks ago- Perhaps Mrs. Bingham will meet him. What is Miss Lottie going to do all the winter?

I have had a very nice time this week- I did not flunk in History, and I went down town with Ray on Friday and had lunch at Smith's - the chief restaurant- Friday was Philalethean Day - Phil, for short.

 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897036003
So the afternoon was a holiday - by which we were relieved from one recitation. A good many girls had to spend the afternoon fixing the parlors for the evening- Whenever any thing goes on in the parlors, girls do the fixing. They go around and borrow everything they need, from the girls' rooms- For instance a girl comes into our room in the afternoon and says, "What will you lend us for Phil.? We say, "Anything you see." Then the girl looks around and decides to take our couch, six pillows, our lamp, or our tea table. In the evening there was an address by Mr. John Fox, Jr. or rather a story - which he wrote and which has been published. Afterward came the Promenade Concert - you know this was one of the two times when young men are invited. So we promenaded up and down the second corridor - I had one promenade with a friend

 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897036004
of Julia Gardner's, and one with her mother, and one with Miss Gouldy, whom Katharine Dunham invited. You remember she is the lady whom Edie met at Mrs. Dunham's, and who came up this year to college with Miss Sutliffe. She Is lovely, I think.

The Promenades lasted till quarter to twelve, when the young men were politely dismissed by a Good night song from the Glee Club. I did not stay down all the evening, but came up to my room before ten. Of course there was a supper served In the dining room, on little tables, so we could not have dinner in there. A notice was put on the bulletin board, that from three to five in the afternoon the students might go to Room B, (one of the recitation rooms) and find a lunch which they could take to their rooms. A little after three Belle and I went

 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897036005
down, each armed with a plate, and Mary followed with a pitcher. When we got into Room B we saw a big wooden box on the floor, filled with pieces of brown bread, another with white bread. We went to each and took four or five pieces, then some pieces of ham from a platter, and some butterballs from another platter - all with our fingers - then the cook brought in a breadboard covered with one big flat cake - we each cut off a piece to suit ourselves - then there was another big wooden box filled with bananas, over which Mrs. Van Sickle, the stewardess, stood guard. She gave the girls a lecture about not taking more than their share, then Belle went up to her to get ours, and said Four, please - Mrs. Van Sickle looked suspicious and said, "Have you three roommates ?

We had quite a sumptuous meal after all, which we spread on our

 


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table with a newspaper for a tablecloth. We toasted the bread over our drop-light, and made some chocolate to drink-

The other night Miss Clapp, the housekeeper, met me on the stairs and showed me a plate which she had In her hand. It was a white plate ornamented with parts of postage stamps - the head of Geo. W. in the middle of the plate and all around the edge - then the little strip in the shape of a horseshoe which says on it "U.S. postage" and ends in the 2, were arranged in intricate circles. One of the maids had made it and Miss Clapp was very proud of it. Then Miss Clapp told me all about her housekeeping, and how many maids she hired, and how long they had been here and how they managed the work, and all the work that was done here in the summer, in the way of housecleaning.

The gymnasium opened the first of this week- I go on

 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897036007
Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. There will be skating before Christmas, I think.

I have just come now from the Bible Lecture. Dr. Patterson is very interesting and nice - a fatherly old gentleman. He is telling us now about Old Testament history, and the discovery of the mummies of the Pharaohs, etc- which Miss Amelia B. Edwards told us about when she lectured in Cleveland.

My health is very good, I have not had a cold since I have been here. I don't feel so tired as I did a few weeks ago, because I have not been quite so rushed.

We get along beautifully with Mary and Belle. They are awfully nice girls, especially Mary- Mary is very quiet and unassuming about her accomplishments, so you discover them slowly. But she is awfully bright, and draws and writes so well. When she is hard up for money she writes a story and has it published, getting

 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897036008
five or ten dollars for it, though of course she hasn't time to do this often, for she works very hard over what she writes. Last year she had the Vassar correspondence of the "New York World". She is an unusually sensible girl.

Give my love to the neighbors and to Sadie Adams and Dot Kendrick and Bessie Metlin.

How Is the Kendrick's house getting along?

I am glad Lou. likes college so much. I am so glad to hear all she has to tell about it. I wish she would send me a catalogue.

Lovingly
Adelaide. [Claflin]