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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: January 2, 1895
Text: Vassar College. J an. 2. 1895. My dear Mother, — That Is the first time I have written 1895. How queer It seems/ I am just going to write you a few lines this morning, to go on the nine oclock mail, if possible. I got a letter from Mary MacColl yesterday, telling me that she cannot come back to college for the rest of this year. She was not well all summer aad really was not strong enough to come in September, but she prevailed upon them to let her. She is very nervous, and has something the...
Show moreVassar College. J an. 2. 1895. My dear Mother, — That Is the first time I have written 1895. How queer It seems/ I am just going to write you a few lines this morning, to go on the nine oclock mail, if possible. I got a letter from Mary MacColl yesterday, telling me that she cannot come back to college for the rest of this year. She was not well all summer aad really was not strong enough to come in September, but she prevailed upon them to let her. She is very nervous, and has something the matter with her back* they were afraid of curvature of the spine. We are very, very sorry that she cannot come back, for she is a splendidgirl, and we will miss her very much. Poor girl, it such a disappointment to her, for she worked so hard to get to college. She has been to school only at district school, and all that we took in High School, she studied by herself, without a teacher except when her brother helped her. She has the Scotch persistency in with her Scotch blood. Mary may possibly come back next September, but I doubt it. She asked me to pack the rest of her clothes and things and send to her, and that I am going to do today. Time is flying so, I do wish we had two or three weeks more. There is so much that I should like to do. I have spent most of the vacation in being lazy- I sent those flannels home because I did not need them. They are the ones I left here last year. The smaller one I have notworn at all, because I have plenty of others of the same thickness, and I have a new one like the larger one, which I think will not need to be washed for I wear it over another one, and so I don't need any more to take its place. You know I brought a stack of flannels, as Edie said, enough to furnish an army. H you send Horace's Satires I will be very glad. Does Lou want Cicero's De Senectute before the end of January? I will be using one till then, but if she wants it before, I will send it to her, and use Mary's for the rest of the time. The trigonometry that I sent they do not use here, so I could not sell it. I sent Lou my old fountain pen Monday. I hope she will get it all right. If she cannot make it write at first tell her to screw off the piece that the pen is in, and pour water throughit. It worked very well for me. I have made a pair of bedroom slippers which I intend to give you for your birthday, but I have concluded to send them now so that you will have the benefit of them during this winter. You so often walk around the house early in the morning, or at night, that I thought you might make a good deal of use of a pair. And you can wear them to bed on very cold nights, to keep your feet warm. When you wear these out, I will make you another pair. I will send these today. We watched the Old Year out on Clarence's birthday.- four girls and myself. Then as it was too late to go over to Strong they all came up and slept here. There is going to be a candy pull tonight, for all the girls here - and I suppose it will be lots of fun. With love to all, Adelaide. £laflin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: December 26, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Dec. 26. 1894. My dear sister, * How I wished you were here yesterday afternoon when your box came. I would have hugged the breath out of you. I was sitting alone in my room when the expressman knocked at my door and handed in the box. You ought to have seen me cut the string in a dozen places, though the girls have always declared that if I ever had a box, I would sit down and untie every knot. Everything in the box was in beautiful order,and perfectly lovely. That good...
Show moreVassar College. Dec. 26. 1894. My dear sister, * How I wished you were here yesterday afternoon when your box came. I would have hugged the breath out of you. I was sitting alone in my room when the expressman knocked at my door and handed in the box. You ought to have seen me cut the string in a dozen places, though the girls have always declared that if I ever had a box, I would sit down and untie every knot. Everything in the box was in beautiful order,and perfectly lovely. That good peanut candy that I have wished for so often - all that is bought always has the skins on the peanuts- and those popcorn balls that I used to help make, and oranges to eat when I am tired of sweet things. Mamma's picture frame is pretty enough, I am sure. How she did fool me about returning the other photograph.' I thought she was making fine distinctions. I am so glad to have her picture in a suitable frame. The tea-cloth is handsome. I am very proud of it. The only trouble is that I am afraid it is too nice to use, but I shall try to take good care of it. The rest of the girls will take pride in it, too, for it will be a great addition to our parlor. I am going to put it on the tea- have table just before the girls get back- I^tried it on already and it looks scrumptious. That little cup and saucer is a beauty, it is the best one we have now. I was ao pleased that Mrs. Benbow remembered me- I was just wondering the day before, what I should do when when Jan. 1 came, and my little calendar would be "ho of no use any more. My new one is prettier than my old one, and I like the veraes on it. I think perhaps Alice Page's gift surprised me the most, for X had ao idea she could paint or print like that. I think it Is a beautiful little souvenir, and such an original idea- X thbk ever ao much of it. The ahoe bag is just what X wanted- only more spacious than I had thought of, so it will hold soiled handkerchiefs, or something like that, besides all my shoes. Denim is just the thing for that, isn't it? It will not show dirt and is easily brushed clean.I always think it is rather suggestive to get writing paper for Christmas- From the way Bess speaks about my writing to her, I should suspect that it was she who put it in. But of course it is a very nice thing to get, for there will always be use for it. in Clarence's letter and the fountain pen came^yeaterday morning's mail. It is the best kind of a fountain pen, and with good care ought to last me a long time. I am glad the pen is finer. Of course I will send Liou my old one, and am glad to have her have the use of it. It is a pretty good pen, if the cap is cracked. Bessie Metlin sent me Ruskin's "Sesame and Lilies," a very gave pretty edition. Ray, Mary and Belle-#eafr»me a bunch of violets, had them sent out from the floristi's on Christmas morning. Gertrude Smith gave me a little bit of a round bowl, just big enough to hold a few violets or something like that. Ellen Hailey gave me a real pretty bag for fancy work, blue silk outside and white inside, with pockets all around. Everybody has been so good to me. Yesterday X went to the Episcopal church with Ellen Hailey and Gertrude Smith, who are Episcopalians. They had a very long service - it lasted two hours and We spent the day very quietly - in the evening ice-cream was served in the parlors downstairs- Very few of the Faculty are left now. Mrs. Kendrick has not been here since college closed, and she is not coming back till it opens- Christmas vacationis the only time when she can take a rest. Dr. Taylor has some relatives visiting him, His son Hunt and a nephew sat with the Seniors at dinner last night- a rare privilege. I don't know what to do about New York now. We got word that all the rooms at the Margaret Louisa Home are engaged except for just the last part of vacation. So of course we cannot hear the Messiah, for that is given only this week. Ellen and X do not know whether we want to go at the very end of vacation and when we cannot hear the Messiah, more than we may want to go some other time. At least we will not be able to decide till we hear from the Margaret Louisa Home again.I am crocheting a pair of bed-slippers for May Holmes. If I get them done in time I may send them to her for New Year's, other- wise I shall wait till next Christmas. The time is going all too fast, and I am afraid vacation will be over before X know it. The letters from the whole family came this morning and were a great treat. It is seldom indeed that I get letters from all the family in so short a time. But you are all awfully good about writing to me, and we do appre- ciate letters here. Tell Lou I got her catalogue but first I had to send two cents to Cleveland for it. It seems that it takes for a catalogue. Papa's letter with the money in it came all right this noon, so Iwould have had it if I had been going to N.Y. tomorrow. It came the quickest of any letter yet that I know of. Letters written Sunday reach me Tuesday if they are mailed down town early Monday morning, -e*» but when they are mailed at the station I don't get them till Wednesday noon. It is not very cold weather now, so that there has been no ice yet, strong enough for skating. I was in hopes that there would be plenty of skating. I saw Dr. Thwing's book, "The Coliege Woman" in a girl's room the other day, and borrowed it, bat I have read only a little ot it. He seems to do a great deal of writing for books and magazines. Give my love to the neighbors, and the girls. I must write now to Mrs. Benbow and Bessie Mitlin and Alice Page. Lovingly your sister Adelaide. jClaflin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: September 27, 1896
Text: Vassar College. Sept. 27. 1896. My dear Mother,— Now while I am alone I think it would be well to begin my letter, for I very seldom am alone. Winifred has gone to spend Satur- day and Sunday with some friends of hers who live ten miles from here. Ray has gone for a little walk with Marion Schibsby. Did I tell you last week about our Freshman, DaisyNewborg? She has been a good deal of a care this week- We thought last Sunday she was about cured of her homesickness, but Monday, after being...
Show moreVassar College. Sept. 27. 1896. My dear Mother,— Now while I am alone I think it would be well to begin my letter, for I very seldom am alone. Winifred has gone to spend Satur- day and Sunday with some friends of hers who live ten miles from here. Ray has gone for a little walk with Marion Schibsby. Did I tell you last week about our Freshman, DaisyNewborg? She has been a good deal of a care this week- We thought last Sunday she was about cured of her homesickness, but Monday, after being over at the Windsor for part of the day she came back to us and said she wanted to ask Mrs. Kendrick to let her go home to New York, to stay, and if Mrs. Kendrick would not give her permission she would go anyhow. I left her with Mrs. Kendrick, but pretty soon Mrs. K. sent for us end asked If we were willing to take her in again- Of course we were, and so she has been here off andon ever since. She has slept in our room all except two nights, but lately she has been spending most of the day in recitations or else at the Windsor, then she comes to us at regular intervals to be cheered up- We have decided now, however, that she has been coddled enough, and now we are going to be more severe with her. She is extremely grateful to us, and has twice bought us candy, and also a picture of St. Cecilia like the one Ed brought home last year. But wetell her now that she ought not to be with us so much, because if she doesn't hurry up and make friends with her own class at the start, she will find herself left out. We are plunged deep in lessons now, and from this time on we will always have more on hand than we can do. I wanted to change my course, you know, and they let me, so now I haveGreek, German, English, History and Ethics. The English is going to be the hardest for me; I took that Just because people are always talking about how important English is, and because Miss Wylle is such a very good teacher - but she expects so much from us that I shall always have a great deal of work on hand. The German is going to be fun, I think, though Winifred,who had it last year, says the course is a hard oae. For Ethics we have Dr. Taylor, aad in this we are very fortunate, for the last class had to have Prof. Freach, and Prexy is much more interesting than Prof. French. That is such a large class, all of '97 are in one division. We have now finished the furnishing of our rooms (that sounds as though the process -we-had beea quite elaborate.1). The trouble is we had to leave it in aa unfinished state from one Saturday to the next, for lack of time. But Ray aad X spent theafternoon yesterday on the bedrooms, which needed to be cleared up. Ed and Mr. Wiers came Tuesday afternoon aa X expected, but unfortunately it rained quite hard part of the time that they were here. X am so glad the weather did not treat papa in the same way. I showed them around most of the buildings and about as much of the grounds as I did papa. It waa just time for me to go to Greek class when they came. but Miss Leach said I used not come to class. Ed brought me my money all right, alsoBess's letter and the handkerchief, for all of which I am much obliged. Ray and I too were glad to see the home papers, and to read about Margaret Wright's wedding. This morning we listened to a sermon by Dr. Marvin R. Vincent, of Union Seminary. You know he gave us Bible lectures in our Freshman year. You know Ed doesn't care much for him, because he thinks he looks as ifhe had a good deal of wine. But this morning Dr. Vincent did not look so to me, aad I liked him very much indeed. We are to take the Freshmen to town to church next Sunday. We have been busy seeing to it that each oae is personally invited to go to church, and to come to the first prayer meeting, and to join the Christian Association. A great deal of system is used with theFreshmen. I hope Edie is taking a rest now that the rush of sewing for the summer is over. She has beea slaving over it so all summer. For her benefit I will say that the girls think the things she made are "very superior" (as Carrie says). A girl told me tonight that my redfern is "the nicest-looking dress I ever had", and as for that red cape which Edie labored over, Ray and Winifred are green with envy for it! I do hope she will sew something for herself when she begins again. Give my love to Mrs. Hendersonand Mrs. Sheldon and the Misses Wheeler, to t&y nothing of ell my own femily. I hope you will all hare as happy a year ae I am going to hare. "Being a Senior" makes a great deal more difference than I thought It would. The teachers and everybody are so very much nicer to us, just because we are Seniors, and they invite us more to come to see them. I went with Ray last night to see Dr. Grace Kimball. Tou know she is going to help Dr. Thelberg here. She has just come over from Turkey recently, fromher industrial relief work In Van. She Is a very fine woman, no one can look at her without admiring her, and she will be a great addition to the College. Florence Dowling has already established a reputation for being very fresh, and If she keeps It up, she will not be very much liked. I have spoken with her, but she was not at home when I called on her. I often see Libbie Poppleton in the halls, for she rooms in this building. Lovingly Adelaide. ^Claflin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: September 22, 1895
Text: Vassar College. Sept. 22/95. My dear Mother,— Here it Is my first Saaday afternoon at college this year, aad of coarse my first thought Is to write to you. I am pretty well settled considering the short length of time I have been here. I thing less fewer girls came on Saturday this year for almost everybody was here when I got here. We were so surprised to find our room changed, for Mrs. Kendrick had told us there was almost aolikelihood of it, aad we had not the least expectation of it. So...
Show moreVassar College. Sept. 22/95. My dear Mother,— Here it Is my first Saaday afternoon at college this year, aad of coarse my first thought Is to write to you. I am pretty well settled considering the short length of time I have been here. I thing less fewer girls came on Saturday this year for almost everybody was here when I got here. We were so surprised to find our room changed, for Mrs. Kendrick had told us there was almost aolikelihood of it, aad we had not the least expectation of it. So we each, as we arrived, proceeded directly to the room we had chosen- Ray opened the door and yelled "Where's Ad? " and X looked around, when I walked in, and aaw strange furniture, and yelled "Who's in this room", like the Big Bear. Some Freshmen have it. We are pleased about it now that we have gotten over being surprised,- and think It will be very well lor all concerned. When three g the same girls room together for three years they are not apt to make enough new friends, and that was oae of the chiefreasons why we tried last spring to get a single and a double, so that we would not be a Kathy and Minnie set. The rooms over here ^Strong Hall, are so very much pleasanter and more homelike, and the dining room here is lovely, and the things to eat are nicer partly because they are cooked In smaller quantity. My windows — two together they are — look toward the East - the same view X have had ever since X have been here- The morning sun shines in to make the day begin grayish drab, so that pictures are not so necessaryas ia the other building where many of the walla are glaring white. We had enough curtains between us so that I can hare a pair - and Carrie has a screen which they doaH need, and I am to use it to put In front of my washstand. The rugs here are always outlandish colors which swear with everything In a room - (I think they mast bay them up cheap on that account)- and my rug unfortunately Is no exception, so that I cannot expect anything to go well with It. You know my bureau ornaments are mostly yellow...lessons for tomorrow. X have no conflicts so that ray course will not be changed at all. One thing is nice. I have no recitation the first hour, so that I will not have to rush right after breakfast, and I think I will have time enough to get up from New York Monday morning so that X can epend Sunday there some time. It is so nice to see all the girls again, even nieer than I realized beforehand. I was particularly glad to see Mary Mac Coll. She Is Just as lovely as she can be. She has such an originalway of saying things - I was Messed at her account of her visit to Prof. Ely, whom she went to consult In regard to her course- Mary started to tell her name and situation. but just as soon ss Miss Ely knew she was out part of last year she said in her short decisive way, "Well, where have you been? " "Home," Mary replied. "What have you been doing? " Miss Ely asked, and Mary said, "Well I have been waiting for curvature of the spine, but I got tired of waiting so I came back to college." Miss Ely asked hor what she was doing while she was waiting, and Mary told her she was keeping house-Mary and Belle room together in a double over in the main building. Mary Ifi^Vc real well— I saw Katharine Dunham Saturday evening. She had been to town all afternoon and came home with her arms full of bundles. She has a cosy little room, and is making it very pretty. Miss Macurdy is not coming for a week or so because her mother is very sick, not expected to live. A number of girls have dropped out of our class, so that I think it will be a small class by the time we come to graduate. Dr. Taylor looks very well-I understand he is going to Europe just as soon as he gets things started here, in a week or so. Carrie Abbot was the first girl I saw when I came- She and Louise fngeraoll and Miss Hamburger (one of Miss Mittelberger's boarders, and a very nice girl apparently) are rooming together on the first floor in the main building. They were very glad not to be over at the Windsor- It is now time for the mail, so goodbye- This letter is very rambling- 1 just wrote as each thing occurred to me. With lots of love to all - and remember me to the neighbors and other friends— Lovingly Adelaide. ^Clsflin,Junior year 1895-6 Roomed in 42 Strong Hall - single
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: September 21, 1896
Text: Vassar College. Sep. 21. 1896 My dear Mother,— I must write now as fast as I can to get this in before the nine o'clock mail. I have been so engaged with Freshmen that Z have not had time to write before, but I knew papa could tell you that Z arrived safe. The rest of the girls came on Tuesday, but there was not so much to be done that day so that it was all rightfor me not to get here till Wed. There were ten of us- Seniors Z mean, and our duty was to meet aew new comers and parents at...
Show moreVassar College. Sep. 21. 1896 My dear Mother,— I must write now as fast as I can to get this in before the nine o'clock mail. I have been so engaged with Freshmen that Z have not had time to write before, but I knew papa could tell you that Z arrived safe. The rest of the girls came on Tuesday, but there was not so much to be done that day so that it was all rightfor me not to get here till Wed. There were ten of us- Seniors Z mean, and our duty was to meet aew new comers and parents at the front door, find out what they wanted and take them wherever they ought to go- to Miss McCaleb's office, to Mr. Dean's office and to Mrs. Kendrick1 s office - all «*on dif- ferent floors, so that we were running up and down all the time. Zt has been very interesting work indeed, and Z am glad Z came to do it. All the time that Z have not been taking people somewhere Z have been stand-ing around talking to them, here and there, answering their questions etc. A chief part of the conversational efforts, has been to get hold of people who had to go to the Windsor and praise up the Windsor to them before so that they would be willing to go there and not take up a lot of Mrs. Kendrick's time in objecting to the Windsor. We have tried to save her time as much as possible for fche has had to be talking to people from morning till night since Tuesday morning.The parents are a great deal more talkative than the girls usually, and so Z have listened to a great many parents telling me their daughter's history, present and past. There were a number of girls whom I had heard about before- hand, one of them, Julia Tar box, a sister of the girl who roomed with Edith Penfield in Oberlin. She was a special proteglfor the first day or two, because she felt so badly— I had her sleep up here in Ray's bed room, and she wept on my shoulder most of the evening. But she was soon happily settled, for she has been put in a very nice room with two very pleasant sophomores for room mates. But since then we have had a worse case on hand - a girl by the nameof Miss Newborg - a wealthy German Jewess from New York City. She was so very home sick Satur- day noon that she went to Mrs. Kendrick and told her she must go home immediately and would never come back. Mrs. Kendrick tried to per- suade her to stay, but she could not seem to succeed, so she sent for me and asked me if we would be willing to keep her in our room over Sunday and tide her over the homesick period- The girl consented to come with me and we havehad her till just now- For the first hour or two in our room she would not say a word, but just nodded her head yes or no. - then finally she-said replied "Yes" to one question. The next step was when she volunteered a question, and by bed time she had progressed so far as to say that she thought she could be contented to stay if she could be in this building. Sunday morning she had X gone back a little and wept some- what, but the rest of the day shesteadily grew more cheerful and at bed- time said she was nearly cured. So this morning she has gone over to the Windsor! The class seems to me to be a very fine class- Libbie Poppleton is here as a member of it- I met her in the hall - and Florence Dowling too - One of the other Freshmen told me about her aad said her mother was here. As soon as I could findout where her room was I went there but she had just taken her mother to the train. I have not seen Florence yet. This other Freshman said that Mr. Dowling had just had a call to Toledo, and they are now moving there. We have not finished fixing our room, because Ray and Winifred did not get here till Friday night, and I had no time to spend till-yes* Saturday afternoon. I think we shsll have quite a pretty room. \ And it is very conveniently situated. Most of the girls in our class are back, but about thirty have dropped out of the Sophomore class- Ethel Chapman is here visiting Carrie Abbott - came Saturday night and will stay till this noon. X have not had time to see her much because Miss Newborg has been clinging to me- I was so glad papa could stop though he did not stay very long. I showed him most of the buildingsbut not much of the grounds- Ray says to tell him she wishes he had come while she was here- Ed says he and Wiers will stop off for two hours Tuesday afternoon. X have a Greek recitation then but Miss Leach said she would excuse me from it. I found the things I left here all right, and no moths. I have a time to find room for my clothes. X suppose Lou 1s settled at home by this time and will soon be started in college* Has GraceThum paid the three dollars yet? I lent her two books too, algebras - which I suppose she has returned by this time. We have our picture of McKinley on the outside of our door - where it looks very fine. It is time for the mail now, so farewell — Ray sends her love — and so do I - Lovingly Adelaide. jClaflin}Senior year 1896-7 Roomed in 117, Single Alley Way, Main 3rd South, with R.C. Schauffler & W. Kirkland
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: October 7, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Oct. 21. (1894, Oct. 7. 1894. My dear Mamma,— I am supposing that you are all safe in Ypsilanti now, so I will address this to you there, and write the news to the rest at home too. I am so glad you decided to go to Ypsi, for you did need a change, and there was no use denying it. And it will be so nice for Aunt Lizzie. She must be lonesome with- out "Marion", as I see they call her now, andI do think "Marion" is lots prettier. I can't think of Anne...
Show moreVassar College. Oct. 21. (1894, Oct. 7. 1894. My dear Mamma,— I am supposing that you are all safe in Ypsilanti now, so I will address this to you there, and write the news to the rest at home too. I am so glad you decided to go to Ypsi, for you did need a change, and there was no use denying it. And it will be so nice for Aunt Lizzie. She must be lonesome with- out "Marion", as I see they call her now, andI do think "Marion" is lots prettier. I can't think of Anne and Emma as making cakes, and churning butter, for I always think of them as they were when I was there---little children. I should -be-like to be with you now so much, and see all of you at Aunt Lizzie's. Julia Gardner is out here at the college now. She rooms over at Strong Hall. We called on her last week, and she has been up to our room several times. I took her to the Young Women's Christian Association reception Friday night. It is the first "event" of thesXyear, and all the girls who belong to the Y.W.C.A. take a new student to the reception, and act as an escort for her. In that way the new girls are introduced to a good many of the older ones. I was going to take Katharine Dunham, but Ida McKean, (a Cleveland girl) wanted her too, and as Ida is in her class, I thought perhaps Katharine would meet more of her own class by going with Ida, so I let Ida have her, and I invited Julia Gardner. I was very glad to take Julia, for she is a nice little girl. Julia hasa very nice room-mate, a girl whom Carrie Hardin roomed with in preparatory school. At the reception. Miss Hoagland, the president of the Y.W.C.A. received, together with Dr. and Mrs. Taylor and Mrs. Kendrick. The Glee Club sang a number of times, some old songs and some new ones. One of them was mado up by one of the girls this week, and was full of funny things that have hap- pened within the last few days. We had icecream and cake afterwards- Everybody seemed to enjoy the reception. There is a Freshman this year who is a regular doctor, an M.D. She takes everything in the course except Hygiene. There is also a Freshman named Miss Vassar, a grand-niece or a great-granddaughter of Matthew Vassar, I am not certain which. I have not yet found out how many new students there are this year. This morning we went into town to church, and took some Freshmen with us to show them the way- Ray took one, and I knew took two, to the Dutch Reformed Church, where they had communion service. Their service is a good deal different from ours at communion, but I like the minister very much. They have not got the electriccars running out to the college yet. They have them running for a little distance down town, and are the cars fixing the rails near here now, so I suppose 4hey will be all settled before the year is over. Ray is feeling very badly about her brother Harry, because he has had trouble with his throat so much that the doctor has told him now that he must not go to the Hartford Seminary this year, but he must lead an active out-door life. He is to have his tonsils taken out right away, in New York.Fritz is in New York now looking for a job. I have been having a job for two weeks, helping a girl who had to take a re-examination in Algebra. I gave her lessons at 50 cents an hour, which will put four dollars in my pocket. I shall feel quite proud to think I earned it. It was hard to find the time, because I had to spend some time getting ready for the lesson, as well as teaching it, and the girl did not know beans. I am thinking of buying a two- dollar edition of Shakspere, like ne that I have seen, with part of the money, especially as we have to use Shakspere this year in English work. We are all keeping a cash account this year, and as we have been buying a good many books and things together, we had to spend half the morning yesterday in straightening out our finanees- I wrote to the Postmaster yesterday about your picture, and if he does not find it in a day or two, I will write home for another. It is too bad to have one lost. Carrie Hardin gave me a picture of her- self that she has just had taken. I wish you could see her for she is such a nice girl- Give my love to Uncle Edgar and Aunt Lizzie and the rest of the family- I amgoing to write to May tonight. Lovingly Adelaide. (Clafiin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: October 31, 1893
Text: Vassar College. Oct. 31 (1893, My dear Mother, — I must not fail to wrtie to you on Sunday after this, for something is sue to happen on Monday so that I cant. L&st night we heard a lecture by Dr. Haweis, of London, on "Tennyson, the Poet of the Age." He is the same man who preached for us on Sunday, but I like him much better as a lecturer than as a preacher. He has so many peculiar mannerisms that are funny and interesting in a lecturer, but seem out of place during a sermon....
Show moreVassar College. Oct. 31 (1893, My dear Mother, — I must not fail to wrtie to you on Sunday after this, for something is sue to happen on Monday so that I cant. L&st night we heard a lecture by Dr. Haweis, of London, on "Tennyson, the Poet of the Age." He is the same man who preached for us on Sunday, but I like him much better as a lecturer than as a preacher. He has so many peculiar mannerisms that are funny and interesting in a lecturer, but seem out of place during a sermon. This man had had several interviews with Tennyson, and his lecture was very interesting. The teachers all gave us shorter lessons, on that account, which is a privilege that you don't get at home. We had such fun Saturday night. The Seniors gave us a party, and it was a fancy dress affair, that is, everyone was supposed to dress in costume, to represent some particular time or country. They did not invite us till Thursday evening, so of course we were not expected to get up elegant costumes. Ray and I had not the slightest idea what we would wear, until Saturday noon. In fact every one seemed to be rather dismayed at first, but the result was fine. Saturday morning Ray went over to see Carrie Hardin, and they concocted the idea of our going as a Syrian family. Carrie Hardin is the daughter of missionaries in Syria, who are well acquainted with Ray's Oct. 31, 1893 - 2 brother there. Carrie's mother is in this country now. She was up here last week and we met her, but she is going to start for Syria next week. Well, Carrie has some Syrian scarfs and jewelry, and Ray has some Syrian and Persian scarfs and sashes. So Ray was to be a man, I her bride, and Carrie my mother. Ray wore her gymnasium suit, with a short skirt, and a sash round her waist, another across the front and back, and another wound round her head for a turban. Her belt was adorned with paper knives and gilt pasteboard daggers. She blackened her eyebrows and made quite a fierce looking man. I had a loose cheesecloth dress which one of the Sophs lent me, and tied it in at the waist with a gaudy sash. I made a wreath of chry- santhemums (they were beautiful white ones which Mrs. Dwight had given us, and we still have them.) Over the wreath hung a tulle veil, but notso it would cover my face. Then my hair was streaming down my back, and I wore a whole lot of jewelry—necklaces and bracelets, among them a real Syrian necklace of Carrie's. Carrie herself did not have to take long to dress. Over her face she wore a blue figured veil, that she b rought from Syria. She could see through it plainly, but no one else could see her. Then she wrapped a sheet around her in a certain way, so as to cover everything except her face that was covered by the veil. So of course no one could tell who she was. There were ever so many good costumes there - several men. Oct. 31, 1893 - 3 long who wore coats and collars and neckties, witheskirts - There were Quakers and Puritans, ladies with old-fashioned dresses and powdered hair, babies, in white dresses and little bonnets, and curls, little Sailor boys, an old farmer and his wife, etc. etc. even policemen and mail carriers. During the evening they had pantomimes that were awfully funny. A great big white sheet was stretched across the end of the room, and a light behind it, so that when girls were just behind the curtain their shadows were cast on the sheet. One girl read "The Courtin'" and one or two other poems like that, while other girls acted them out in pantomime behind the sheet, bobbing about in the most exaggerated and ridiculous fashion. It was awfully funny. While one girl was reading, her hair caught fire in the candle beside her, and she just squeezed it in her hand, and went on reading, without saying a word. We got our gym. suits Saturday. They cost seven dollars, which I think is a good deal. They are full trousers and a blouse waist, with underclothes. The stuff is dark blue flannel, trimmed with black braid. They are pretty well made, I thin, - the buttons all sewed on tight, and buttonholes well made, and the braid is sewed on straight enough to suit Edie. I don't know when the work in the gym. will begin. It is pretty cold weather now. We had some snow on Monday, just a little bit, of course. There are such heavy frosts every morning. The leaves Oct. 31, 1893 - 4 have almost all dropped off the maple trees, but almost all the trees that I can see from my window are evergreens, so that it will not look so forlorn in winter. Today is Hallowe'en, when the Sophomores always play a joke upon the Freshmen. So we are on the lookout all day. We expect that they will do something while we are at chapel tonight. This morning when we got up, we found a small tack hammered into the out- our side of^door. We gently but firmly removed it. We found that all the Freshmen around us had small tacks in their doors, too. Mamma, X notice you always spell my name Adelaide instead of Adelaide - Your loving daughter Adelaide. (Adelaide Claflin, '97,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: October 28, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Oct. 28, 1894. My dear Mother,- Well, I have had a piece of home this week,* in seeing Ed. and now that the family have started at traveling, perhaps they will keep it up, so that I shall see something of home again before June. I was very glad you wrote to me beforehand about Ed's coming, so that I was not away somewhere when he got here, and also so that I could arrange about my studying. It did seem so good to see him, even though it wasonly for an hour and a half. I...
Show moreVassar College. Oct. 28, 1894. My dear Mother,- Well, I have had a piece of home this week,* in seeing Ed. and now that the family have started at traveling, perhaps they will keep it up, so that I shall see something of home again before June. I was very glad you wrote to me beforehand about Ed's coming, so that I was not away somewhere when he got here, and also so that I could arrange about my studying. It did seem so good to see him, even though it wasonly for an hour and a half. I took him around the immediate grounds, but I was sorry that he could not stay long enough to go up to the top of one of the hills back of the college, where he could get a good view of the grounds and buildings and the country round, all at once. But I guess he saw enough to get an idea of what I talk about. I want to know whether he caught the train down to New York, the electric car started five minutes before the time it ought to have, so that he just missed it. It was so nice for him to have a chance to go down and see New York city too - as well as to come to Schenectady.Here it is nearly four oclock, and all I have done this afternoon is to x write one letter. The time goes like lightning here, especially on Sunday. We had Dr. Stone of Hartford, preach for us this morning. Tonight after Dr. Patterson's Bible Lecture, Miss Sybil Carter, who has worked among the Indians, is going to speak to us about that work. Dr. Patterson is very interesting, at least his lecture last Sunday, his first one, was- He told us about the growth and preserva- tion of the Bible. Our History work for this last week was on the Founding and Rise of the Christian Church, and was especially interest- ing- We will have agood deal more about the History of the Church in our History work. We had a very good concert Friday night. I will put in the program. The great event socially this week wss the Opening of the Senior Parlor. The Seniors have a Parlor for their class, where they can go at any time, and make themselves at home. They can meet there for their class affairs, and they often have music, those in their class who can play or sing often do it- Every year the Senior class furnishes the Parlor to suit itself, and then has an Opening, to which the Sophomore Class is invited- The Faculty are invited later, and everybody else goes when she getsa chance. We were invited there from half past four till six yesterday afternoon. Miss McCauley, one of the girls who visited Gertrude Bronson in the summer, took me. We all marched in in a row, each Senior with her Sophomore, and looked around, coming out another door. The Senior Class Glee Club they served lemon and coffee ice, and cake- The Parlor was enlarged in the summer, to twice its former size, and is very pretty indeed, more "dainty" than it was last year, and it shows more originality in the furnishing. It is customary for our class to make a present to the Senior Class for their Parlor, so we gave them a little clock. One more thing happened yesterday, and that was a spread, which Katharine Dunham gave, to which we were invited. Her aunt is still in Lockport, so they fixed up a box and sent it to Katharine. There was some delicious angel-cake just like Edie's, and some other kinds of cake and cookies, a lot of Niagara grapes, and some candy. Lillian Bayliss and Jean Ranney and two or three other girls were there. Ray and Belle and I went, but Mary had to go to a ghost-party, soKatharine gave us a plateful of good things to bring home to her. Katharine intended to bring her cups and plates at Christmas, so she came over and borrowed ours for this occasion, and I made some chocolate for her too, because she did not know how to make It, though she intended to learn at Christmas. I am so glad to get your picture at last. I don't think it looks quite so much like you as the proof did, but still I like it pretty well. You said in your last letter that Aunt Allie had sent me her picture, but X have not seen anything of it. There is something queer about photographs reachingme, I think. How long ago did Aunt Allie send hers? Ed gave me the under clothing all right. I will send the ether home by Katharine D. at Christrnas- X am taking great comfort out of my wrappers. I especially need them this semester, for while I have this room I have my ward- robe out in the hall, and have to put on my wrapper to go out and get a dress, whenever I want to put on something different from what X took off the night before. I have worn my new challi on several occasions already. My supply of clothes is plenty large, and everything was in such good order that I have had almost no mending at all to do. Lovingly Adelaide. (Claflin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: October 22, 1893
Text: pet. 1893 , Dear mamma, — I have just written to Lou, but I will put in a few words to you. This is the warmest weather for October. We sit with our windows wide open, and walk outdoors with nothing around us. It does not seem as if I would need flannels very soon. Those two sets of white flannel that were bought just before I came, are to be worn next my skin, aren't they? And they can be put in the wash? I know the gray flannel one is not to be worn next my skin. The clothes from the...
Show morepet. 1893 , Dear mamma, — I have just written to Lou, but I will put in a few words to you. This is the warmest weather for October. We sit with our windows wide open, and walk outdoors with nothing around us. It does not seem as if I would need flannels very soon. Those two sets of white flannel that were bought just before I came, are to be worn next my skin, aren't they? And they can be put in the wash? I know the gray flannel one is not to be worn next my skin. The clothes from the wash always look clean, and are ironed very nicely. I wash out my own stockings. I made so many holes in one pair, that it took me nearly all day yesterday to darn them. Mamma, you have to write a note to Mrs. Kendrick, telling her or not whether^I can see any callers that may come to the College to see me, and if there are any persons whom you would not wish me to see, you must give their names to Mrs. Kendrick and she will not allow me to see them. Of course this last provision is for girls who woi\ld receive callers that their parents objected to. Whenever any callers come, their cards are sent first to Mrs. Kendrick so that she can see whether their names are on her list as objectionable. (Adelaide Claflin, '97,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: October 14, 1893
Text: LAKE MOHONK MOUNTAIN HOUSE, Mohonk Lake, Ulster Co., New York. A.K. Smiley, Proprietor. Saturday Oct. 14, 1893. My dear mamma, -- I began a letter to you yesterday, but have not yet had time to finish it. You see by the heading that we are not at College, but at Lake Mohonk, twenty, miles from Vassar. We are here on an excursion, that is, the Seniors and Freshmen are. Mr. Thompson, of New York City pays for the College girls to come here every year. It is a perfectly lovely place, up in the...
Show moreLAKE MOHONK MOUNTAIN HOUSE, Mohonk Lake, Ulster Co., New York. A.K. Smiley, Proprietor. Saturday Oct. 14, 1893. My dear mamma, -- I began a letter to you yesterday, but have not yet had time to finish it. You see by the heading that we are not at College, but at Lake Mohonk, twenty, miles from Vassar. We are here on an excursion, that is, the Seniors and Freshmen are. Mr. Thompson, of New York City pays for the College girls to come here every year. It is a perfectly lovely place, up in the Shangankunk (or some- thing like that) Mts. We all rode in carryalls, holding about fifteen apiece. We started from College about half past six this morning, and got here at quarter to twelve. The drive was beautiful. W e wound up the mts. by a very curved road, and when we got almost here, we could look back and see all the country around: hills rising up with their sides covered thick with trees of all colors. I never saw so many colors on trees in all my life, and they were all mixed in together like the colors of that little square patchwork in the front part of our church. It has rained most of the day, but we enjoy it all the same. I will write more particulars about this later. Your loving Adelaide. Adelaide Claflin, '97,Freshman year 1893-4 Roomed in 4C [?] Strong Hall with Rachel C. Schauffler
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: November 5, 1893
Text: Vassar College. Nov. 5, 1893. My dear Mother, — I have just used up all my writing paper, so I am forced to resort to my tablet. It is almost time for the half past nine bell, so my letter can not be long. Just as I was gcftig to write It a while ago, a girl who rooms near us, came In and stayed till now. We had just taken down our "Engaged" sign. These "engaged" signs are a great institution. Whenever you don't want to be disturbed, piece of just pin a^paper on the...
Show moreVassar College. Nov. 5, 1893. My dear Mother, — I have just used up all my writing paper, so I am forced to resort to my tablet. It is almost time for the half past nine bell, so my letter can not be long. Just as I was gcftig to write It a while ago, a girl who rooms near us, came In and stayed till now. We had just taken down our "Engaged" sign. These "engaged" signs are a great institution. Whenever you don't want to be disturbed, piece of just pin a^paper on the outside of your door, with a great big ENGAGED on it, and It is considered the height of rudeness to knock, under such circumstances, and If any one does knock, you are not supposed to answer. Some people just write "engaged" with a pencil on the back of a visiting card, and so, if it is rather dark, you don't notice it, or you think it is merely the visiting card which every one has pasted outside their door. We were calling last Saturday night, and went to see Miss Richardson, our Geometry teacher. She had this kind of a sign on her Ray door, and didn't notice it, and knocked. (It was in a dark "alley way".) Miss R. opened the door, and looked inquiringly, first at the "engaged" and then at us. We begged her pardon about ten times and retreated, and we have not eoneee tried to call on her since, though that was our third attempt. She is always engaged. Every body found out about our doing that, right away, and made lots of fun of us- The Sophomores said Nov. 5, 1893 -2 they were going to have in their "Trig, ceremonies" when they make fun of the Freshmen. They say some girls did that same thing last year. I suppose, now that Ed will vote, that Gov. McKinley will surely be elected. I am anxious to hear whether he is- I shall have to give up a letter now, since I only have a few minutes more to get undressed and put my light out, so I will write the rest of this letter tomorrow afternoon, and please excuse this- Your loving Adelaide. (Adelaide Claflin, <97,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: November 4, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Nov. 4. 1894 My dear Mamma, - I am rather behind with my letter-writing. I have just been telling Clarence about how we went to Mrs. Piatt's to dinner after church, and we did not get home till about three oclock- and then two girls came in to see us and stayed pretty long. All the Sophomores are tired today. We had an essay due yesterday at six oclock, and they have given us no extra time to write it in, and we have so much to do all the time that we don't have...
Show moreVassar College. Nov. 4. 1894 My dear Mamma, - I am rather behind with my letter-writing. I have just been telling Clarence about how we went to Mrs. Piatt's to dinner after church, and we did not get home till about three oclock- and then two girls came in to see us and stayed pretty long. All the Sophomores are tired today. We had an essay due yesterday at six oclock, and they have given us no extra time to write it in, and we have so much to do all the time that we don't have sparetime to use for essays. We were supposed to begin writing it four or five weeks ago, but a large part of the class did not begin till yesterday. Mary and Belle and I being among the out number. W e came up from breakfast and putAour engaged sign as soon as we had made our beds. We each settled ourselves in a dif- ferent room and began to grind out an essay, and every once in a while one went around to see how the other two were getting along. We had to think out our subject and make our analysis, so that by lunchtime we had not accomplished much. We all spent about an hour and a half on our first two sentences: but after lunchtime, we had gotten beyond the start, and could gon more easily. W e buckled down desperately and said not a word to each other till about five oclock, when I finished mine. Then we copied just as fast as we could, and I finished copying mine exactly at six oclock. Mary and Belle had to spend part of the evening copying theirs, they did not go down to dinner. When we handed them in, we did not know which was greater, our relief or our weariness. We have to go through this ordeal once every six weeks, just as we did last year. The subjects given us this time were not very goOd, Belle and I wrote on "The Dangers of Work"- Reflections of a Lazy Man," and we chose it, just as a good many other girls did, because weouldn't write on any of the others. I have had a good deal of communication from Aunt Allie this week. Friday the box came, with the red jacket. It is quite flaring, and I don't like very well to wear a thing so conspicuous- still it is not so conspicuous here as it would be at home, for in this clean place they wear lighter colors than they do at home, and besides it doesn't matter so much what we wear here, for there are not many people who see us when we are out walking- So I think I shall make some use of the jacket. Besides that. Aunt Allie put in two lovely handkerchiefs, one pink silk crepe, with a fancy edge, and the other black chiffon with yellowflowers worked in it. They will be very pretty to wear pinned at my neck, the way the girls do. Then there was a Windsor tie to wear with shirt-waists—white with blue figures, and a red fan, and two photographs of Aunt Allie, taken in Pueblo. The photographer did not know how to manage the light, for he had it fall on her face so as to make ber look rather ghostly, especially in one- That one is a miserable picture, and the other looks pretty well, but Aunt Allie has her neck low and her hair fixed up so that she looks like a young girl. It makes rather a pretty picture but not a good likeness. By mail yesterday she sent a picture of Uncle Henry, which is very good, looks just about the same as the one at homeexcept that he is not smiling at all in this one. A letter came from Aunt Allie Friday- telling about the things, etc. I am going to write to her right away. The girls all had to get out their felt hats to v/ear into town today- We keep on all our summer things as long as possible. Around the grounds the girls still wear their summer hats, though they are beginning to bring out their ' tarns". Shirt-waists are still common, I wear mine occasionally- and with warm underclothes they are per- fectly comfortable, here in this building, though I could not v/ear them late last year, when I had to run back and forth to Strong Hall. Yester- day five Juniors went down town and had theirpictures taken, all sitting in a row and wearing shirt-waists and sailor hats. I suppose Miss Sutliffe is at home by this time, and has told Miss Cornell you how we are fixed here. Katharine's roommate^is a girl who is very nice in herself, but who went with a girl last year whose reputation is not enviable, a rude and forward girl, in a higher class. This year Miss Cornell does not go with this girl at all, and by means of Katharine, has a chance to go with some of the nicest girls in her class, and it is doing a very good thing for her, since she is really a very nice girl. Several girls in her class told me this, and said that Katharine was really doing missionary work for Miss Cornell. Katharine seems to begetting acquainted with the nicest girls, and is very well fixed. Did I tell you that R.ay has been asked to sing in the College Glee Club? It will be some work to attend the rehearsals, but still it is considered a very nice thing to be a member of the Glee Club. They will probably be invited down to New York to sing at the Alumnae Banquet there, and they have some other social privileges. Ray sings in the choir now, too. Well, I cannot write longer tonight, for I am very sleepy and rather tired. I forgot to tell you that I have not had the headache any more since that time I wrote you about it, though I have taken cuts since then. Lovingly Adelaide. (Claflin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: November 26, 1893
Text: Vassar College. Nov. 26, 1893. Dear mamma, - The package of flannels came all right, on Thursday. I am much obliged for them, especially the mittens. They are just what I wanted. This is a very economical place for some things, especially gloves. But girls can easily find things to spend money on, if they want to. Last night I was talking with some girls, and one of them was telling about her finances. She gets an allowance of $15 a month and at present she is $ 18.50 in debt. She had...
Show moreVassar College. Nov. 26, 1893. Dear mamma, - The package of flannels came all right, on Thursday. I am much obliged for them, especially the mittens. They are just what I wanted. This is a very economical place for some things, especially gloves. But girls can easily find things to spend money on, if they want to. Last night I was talking with some girls, and one of them was telling about her finances. She gets an allowance of $15 a month and at present she is $ 18.50 in debt. She had borrowed some from Mr. Deane, the Treasurer. That is the way some girls do, when they get out of money. There are some girls here who dont know any thing at all about money; at home when- ever they wanted anything,they simply went and bought it, and charged it to their fathers, without even inquiring the price. Of course there is the opposite extreme here, too,-girls, and plenty of them, who haven't a cent to spare. We have to have some shoes for gymnasium, like tennis shoes. I am going to buy a pair from Alice Raymond, that are just new and cost 80 cents. Then I will have about $ 2 left. I dont know yet what I shall do about Christmas presents. I suppose that if I expect to make any, I shall have to have some more money then. The gymnasium opened this week. I have been just once. The girls look so funny in their suits. Mine is not full enough in the waist to be pretty. They look better on small thin girls, if I had only known about them, I could have had mine made at home, and it would have been ever so much cheaper. But when I asked the people at home about them, they said the girls had to have them made here so as to have them all made alike. Wednesday night there was a Seidl concert in town, and about ahundred and seventy five people from the college went, and they said it was very fine. Seats were from 75 cents to $1.50, so I take in only the things at the college, which are always free. Friday night Prof. Herbert E. Smyth of Bryn Mawr, lectured on Greek P^o mantle is m, but most people did not think it was very interesting, and while I was listening, I had come to the conclusion that I did not know enough to appreciate it. There was a reception for him, afterwards, to the teachers, and they said he was much more interesting there than in the lecture. Mrs. Dwight's mother is visiting her now, a very nice old lady. She was for a good while, a missionary in Turkey. She spoke of being at Marsovan, and I found that she knew Mr. Tracy very well indeed. She said he always called her "Mother Snyder". Mrs. Snyder is her name. At first, when we went to see her, she addressed all her conver- sation to Ray, and talked about Ray's grandfather, and all her missionary relations, but after I mentioned Mr. Tracy, she seemed to think thatI was quite intimately acquainted and connected with missionaries. So then she talked a long while to me. Mr. and Mrs. Tracy, she said, went back to Turkey last June or July. Tonight the Y.W.C.A. are going to have Mrs. Ballington Booth speak, on the Salvation Army. Once a month, instead of the Sunday evening prayer-meeting, they have some sort of a missionary address. I believe Mrs. Booth is considered to be a very interesting speaker. Everybody is crazy now about Thanksgiving. Ray is going to Brooklyn, after all. She had quite an "embarrassment of riches" in the way of invitations. Her cousin Mrs. Ellison, invited her first to Brooklyn. Then she had an invitation from her grandmother in Springfield, and an aunt near New York. A great many girls are going down to New York. Vacation begins Wednesday noon, and everybody has to be back by Saturday night, unless they come on the Sunday evening train from New York, as some do. Trains do not run in Connecticut on Sunday - and very few of them do aroundhere. A great many girls are going to stay here. They say we shall probably have to have our meals over in the other building though, which will not be nearly so pleasant as having them here. The dining room here is so pleasant, and it is much smaller than the old building one. I have to have my examination in American History on Dec. 9, so that I shall have to study it during the Thanksgiving vacation. Then Nan McClelland, whose home is in Poughkeepsie, has invited me to spend whatever leisure time I may have, in vacation, in helping her dress two dolls for the Y.W.C.A. The Y.W.C.A. invites the girls to dress dolls for Christmas presents for poor children, in the College Settlements, I think. A while ago they were making scrap- books for the children's Hospitals. What became of the letter from Aunt Allie that you said you were going to send me? I have been waiting to get it before I write to her. I wrote to May Holmes last week and got an answer from her right away. She said her mother was verywell, and of course, very busy. May is going to Normal School, taking two studies, and teaching half a day. She has D primary children, and thinks they are so cute. She seems to enjoy teaching them, very much. She was eighteen, two weeks ago. She said that you need not wait for them to write. Her father wrote to that Prof. Gardner and asked him to call on me. Uncle Edgar put a few lines in May's letter, and told me that Prof. Gardner was a "very nice gentleman". They did not say anything about the "Signal". 9:30 P.M. I have just come from hearing Mrs. Ballington Booth. She was perfectly splendid. She is very young looking, and wore a plain black costume. She has a very sweet face, and is what you would call fascinating, in speaking. She told of the work of the Salvation Army in all its departments, its aims and the reasons for its methods of work, and answered the objections made by people who are prejudiced against it. She told about the slum work etc. too. She is intelligent and educated and refined, herself- and awfully in earnest. The chapel was crowded, all the college and a good many from town. The bell has rung and so goodnight. Lovingly Adelaide,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: November 25, 1894
Text: assar College. Nov. 25. [1894, My dear Mamma,— I have had such a nice time this afternoon reading. It is so nice to have a chance to read once in a while though the chances are few and far between. We do appreciate our Sundays here, they are like a little breathing-spell, and they go only too fast. This morning Dr. Thos. McLeod of Brooklyn, preached for us, and we liked him very much. This evening Dr. Greer, of St. Bartholomew's church, in Brooklyn, is going to talk to us on "Work...
Show moreassar College. Nov. 25. [1894, My dear Mamma,— I have had such a nice time this afternoon reading. It is so nice to have a chance to read once in a while though the chances are few and far between. We do appreciate our Sundays here, they are like a little breathing-spell, and they go only too fast. This morning Dr. Thos. McLeod of Brooklyn, preached for us, and we liked him very much. This evening Dr. Greer, of St. Bartholomew's church, in Brooklyn, is going to talk to us on "Work for the Poor in New York City - Dr. Taylor spoke of him and his work very highly. Every Sunday evening we have Bible Lectures, by Dr. Patterson of Rochester - They areon the History of the Bible, its growth, translations, etc. and are very interesting. I take notes on them, so I will have them all in a notebook convenient for future reference. It is a dark, chilly day today, and it has been trying to snow but has not succeeded very well. The snow that came a few weeks ago entirely disappeared, but it looks as if the ground would be covered again pretty soon. Tell Lou that I have neither Millers Latin Prose Composition nor Tighe's Development of Roman Constitution. They don't use them here at all, so I could not get one from her. Dr. Taylor came home last night. Yfe walked in to Phil. Hall where they were having a hall play, and the girls clapped him like everything - lor a welcome. Did you all go to the reception atProf. Olney's, and meet him? Did he stay at Mrs. Adams's while he was in Cleveland? The hall play was pretty good, but it was very long, so I came home when it was about half over. They had some good jokes on the programmes, grinds, X mean. One of them was about Prof. Wentworth, a new Prof, of English, whom we have for Rhetoric. He went down town one day not long ago, and asked a clerk in the drygoods store for some muslin- The clerk asked him what kind he wanted* and he said he didn't know,* He didn't know whether he wanted it wide or narrow, or thick or thin, or dotted or plain, but at any rate he wanted it for sheets. One day last week Prof. Ely did not make her appearance in her class in Higher Mathematics, the first hour. Theywaited a few minutes, then some of them went to find her. They hunted everywhere, in her room, the library, reading-room, and finally found her - in the dining room, still calmly eating her breakfast- She had forgotten that she had a class- We have her for Trigonometry, and she is better than a picnic. She says such funny things, in such a funny, matter-of-fact way- Several times she has spent the whole hour in just reading the roll-call, and talking to us about taking care of our health- She talks to us about everything under the sun, but her favorite topic is colds. She says that too many girls have colds, and that most all of them could be prevented if we would never wear slippers, nor low-necked short-sleeved dresses - which areher abomination. She said "HI should put on a low-necked dress In the evening, after wearing a high- necked dress all day, I should catch my death," I am sure I don't know what preserves you. And a girl who wears thin slippers around In these corridors has not sense enough to succeed in mathematics. I wouldn't allow a girl who wore slippers to be in my Elective Mathe- matics class." We just sit and laugh and enjoy everything she says. She tells us too, not to study too hard, and not to think we have to do all the examples every day, and not to feel badly if-we-other people are \ smarter than we, for, she said, "if we wanted nobody to be smarter than we, every body would have to come down to our level, and what about those inferior to us? We would have to go down to their level, till everybody in the worldwould be reduced to the level of idiots J We ought to be glad thai somebody else can do things that we cant.*" I am so glad 1 was fortunate enough to have Prof. Ely, for half the class have a new teacher, Miss Gentry, whom they do not like, and who makes them work like everything. They have just changed the curriculum somewhat - putting Trigonometry In with the Algebra of the Freshman year. I will pot in n piece cut from a paper, telling about the changes- I wrote to Mrs. Sheldon, yesterday morning, after reading your letter. I did not know ahe was so seriously HI- I am so sorry to hear it. Abbie Vaillant is up here visiting- She came Friday and is going back tomorrow morning. She greeted me very cordially indeed, and asked me to call in andsee her before ahe went. I have been looking forward to the Thanksgiving vacation. It begins at 11:20 oa Wednesday, and lasts till Saturday night. Ray is going down to Brooklyn, and perhaps Belle Is going home, then Mary and I will be left here together. Even if we do a good deal of work, it will be a rest, aad a change from the ordinary routine. And we shall enjoy it. Mary and Belle are both going home at Christmas, and Ray will either go home, or to some ol her relatives, so I shall be alone here at Christmas. Ray has not decided yet whether she will go home, or rather, her father has not. She will go if her father thinks she can afford it. Please give my love to the neighbors, aad to the girls I know. I have not written to anybody, hardly- Lovingly- Adelaide. ^Claflin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: November 22, 1896
Text: Vassar College. Nov. ZZ. 1896. My dear Mother,—- As Ed remarked In one of his letters, I address most of my letters to you, so that you won't have to wait around all day for them to be opened. I appreciate so much reading Ed's letters home. I am very much obliged to you for sending them. Here it is Thanksgiving week already — it is simply alarming, how fast my last year is going by. It seems scarcely two days from one Sunday to the next.I had fully expected to spend Thanksgiving...
Show moreVassar College. Nov. ZZ. 1896. My dear Mother,—- As Ed remarked In one of his letters, I address most of my letters to you, so that you won't have to wait around all day for them to be opened. I appreciate so much reading Ed's letters home. I am very much obliged to you for sending them. Here it is Thanksgiving week already — it is simply alarming, how fast my last year is going by. It seems scarcely two days from one Sunday to the next.I had fully expected to spend Thanksgiving vacation here, but now I am thinking that perhaps I shall go down to New York. For Marion Lockhart came up to college yesterday, and this afternoon she invited me to spend Thanksgiving at her house- She lives in Mount Vernon - the same place where Hortense Lewis lives, you know. There are other places where I would prefer to spend a day if I had my choice, but I am thinking that it would be convenient to go down there for Thanks- giving Day and spend the night, and then go in to New York the next morn- ing and spend the day with Ed- So I shall write to Ed about it, and perhaps decide to go down.It is rather late now to do much communication on the subject. Winifred is down in Brooklyn now - where she went Thursday, partly on her own account and partly to see her mother and sister- Her sister has just had an operation, and is getting along very nicely- Of course Winifred has been very anxious to see her. If I go down to New York, I shall try to see her mother and sister. Every one who knows them speaks of them so highly that I have been anxious to meet them. This sister is younger than Winifred, but she has been a great invalid for several years - and is just like the story-book invalids - so very sweet and attractive to everybody.Ray came back from Brooklyn Monday morning— My roommates are like "ships that pass in the night" and speak each other in passing "- Ray is better - her rest in Brooklyn did her a great deal of good. There is nothing like having relatives well-off and convenient. I am glad Winifred has them too. Yesterday the New York and Brooklyn Vassar Students' Aid Society had their annual meeting here. That is I think it was the general V.S. Aid Society, but the delegates were mostly from New York and Brooklyn. I was asked to help receive them, and go to their meeting and the tea afterward— all this on account of my having had that scholarship. There were about a half a dozen girls helping - all of whom had had scholarships, (but of course there are a great many more scholar-ship girls too)- As it was raining when they came, and there were only a few minutes before luncheon, we did not show them around the buildings, but simply talked to them in the parlor till it was time for luncheon. It was very interesting to meet these Alumnae. I looked around at them till I picked out one that I thought looked nice, and then went up and spoke to her, and I found her so pleasant that I talked with her till luncheon time- She was Mrs. Rossiter, of Brooklyn. She graduated in the Class of *80, so that she was here while both Miss Fannie and Miss Mary Adams were, but she did not seem to remember who they were. She reminded me very much of Miss Mary Adams both in her looks and in her conversation, but a little more quiet. I would like to know her. Mrs. Backus, the wife of the President of Packer Institute, Y\ presided at the meeting in the afternoon. Miss Wylie introduced me to her- I have heard a great deal about her from Winifred- The most distinguished guests seemed to be Mr. and Mrs. Babbott- Mrs. Peat* Babbott is the daughter of Mr. Pratt of Pratt Institute, who isworth millions- They hope that Mr. Babbott will leave some money to the college some day. Mrs. Babbott - with whom Mrs. Rossiter came - was also of the class of '80. The Society held a business meeting In the afternoon, and after that a more general meeting, to which we went. Mrs. Backus presided very graciously. Dr. Taylor made the first speech, all about scholarships and helping stu- dents by loan and gift and so on - He thinks girls should not go in debt too heavily for their college education, and after they have borrowed up to a certain point, the college should then make gifts to them, not loans.He said that last year sixty two girls received help from the college either as loan or gift - mostly gift. About a hundred girls before enter- ing college, ask aid for their Freshman year- each year- but the college very rarely gives money till the sophomore year, when it has had time to see what a girl is like. I was very much interested in all that Dr. Taylor said, and I wish I had time to tell you the rest of it. Miss Wagar has the Cleveland scholarship this year- she is the sister of a girl who graduated here in '94. This morning Bishop Doane of Albany preached. He had such a funny way of wiggling his nose to throw his glasses off, instead of putting up his hand and taking them off. Please excuse the admixture of red ink in the first part of this letter. I have lost my fountain pen, and I am using a tin one that I used to have for red ink. Love to all. Adelaide.
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: November, 18, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Nov. 18. c1894, My dear Mamma,— W e have just come from Bible Lecture, and I am going to write to you and then go right to bed. We are all so sleepy, even though none of us woke up this morning till after the breakfast-bell. We did not get to sleep last night very early, for we went to the Sophomore party. Every year the Sophomores give a party for the Freshmen. Each Freshman and teacher is taken care of by a sophomore, but as there are more than enough to go around, a good...
Show moreVassar College. Nov. 18. c1894, My dear Mamma,— W e have just come from Bible Lecture, and I am going to write to you and then go right to bed. We are all so sleepy, even though none of us woke up this morning till after the breakfast-bell. We did not get to sleep last night very early, for we went to the Sophomore party. Every year the Sophomores give a party for the Freshmen. Each Freshman and teacher is taken care of by a sophomore, but as there are more than enough to go around, a good many of us had to take two. I took two Freshmen, Ray took Miss Macurdy and a friend who is visiting her.ary has had a girl from New York city visiting her since Friday, and so she took her and a Freshman, and Belle took a teacher and a Freshman. There were twelve dances, so it was a good deal of work to make out the programs. You see we did that beforehand, and had to arrange for our two people and ourselves. All the Sophomores went around asking each other, "Have you all your dances taken? " Won't you give me one for my Freshman? " We all had a very good time, though we got pretty tired. The dances were very short, so that we had to hurry between each one, first to give up-the our partner to her hostess, then to find each of our Freshmen and each of their next partners, and then find our own partners.I sat down during most of the dances, but when we could not find a seat, we walked around. There are a good many girls who do not dance. I had several promenades with teachers, Prof. Salmon, Prof. French—the new teacher of Psychology- a little bit of a man who is awfully bashful - the only unmarried man on the Faculty. Miss Whitman, the President of the Freshman class, who helped to receive, is a sister of Prof. Whitman of Adalbert. One of the girls took me to call on her several weeks ago. She is a remark- able girl, very bright and interesting and pleasant. It is strange that she is so animated when her brother is just the opposite. Refreshments were served about the middle of the evening. I helped to serve them and wehad to go way down into the gymnasium each time, and carry up two or three plates, with no hands left to hold up our dresses- But we got along all right. Then they had shadowX pictures, which were splendid. They were for the benefit of the Fresh- men and were illustrative of Geometry and Latin etc. There was a girl who went insane over geometry, waving parallelopipeds etc. wildly in the air - A cute poem was read at the same time. Then they illustrated the first page or two of Livy, reading the Latin at the same time. They had the women come out and wail and tear their hair, then a battle - girls rushing at each other and clashing sticks etc. Then they had the elpphants — girls walking across with their heads bent way over, and their hands turned upfor trunks. You would not think they would look much like elephants but they did-and were greatly applauded. Then they represented the trip to Mohunk, when it poured, you know. They got one of Baby Taylor's^ rocking horses, and a small girl in the class rode across the stage behind it, holding an umbrella- I gave the description of Livy for Lou's benefit. She would have enjoyed it. I wore my white silk, but did not wear gloves. A good many of the girls did not wear gloves, and it was a great saving. There are only two other occasions this year when I will wear my white silk. We had some special work to do Saturday, so that we did not have time to do any of our regular work, and I don't see exactly how we are going to get through this week,- though for that matter I have wonderedbout that every Saturday night so far. I thought I had to study hard last year, and so I did, but it wasn't a circumstance to this year. We Just work like dogs this semester. I keep thinking I will get a little ahead, and so keep comparatively comfortable, but I can't keep up with my lessons, much less get ahead. There is always a lot of extra work for us to do, too. Then we come down to dinner Saturday evening and have the Juniors tell us that they have almost all their lessons for the next week finished. I think I shall write my next essay during the Thanksgiving vacation. Ray got a box from Harry this week, with some of his sofa* pillows, and a comforter, and table-cover, and a few other little things, which added a good deal to the room. I would write more if i did not feel so much like going to bed, so goodnight. Give my love to the neighbors. Your loving daughter Adelaide. jCldflin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: November 17, 1895
Text: Vassar College. Nor. 17. 1895. My dear Mother, — I have bean blessed with a good supply of letters this week - for which I wish to thank the writers. I imagine that Ed has learned to appreciate letters by this time - I don't see how any one can be away home from^ery long without learning it. Today is Carrie's birthday - She is twenty years old, aad feels as though she were taking a big jump in getting out of her teens* Ray and I made a little celebration for her by fixing supper for...
Show moreVassar College. Nor. 17. 1895. My dear Mother, — I have bean blessed with a good supply of letters this week - for which I wish to thank the writers. I imagine that Ed has learned to appreciate letters by this time - I don't see how any one can be away home from^ery long without learning it. Today is Carrie's birthday - She is twenty years old, aad feels as though she were taking a big jump in getting out of her teens* Ray and I made a little celebration for her by fixing supper for us three in their room last night. - We had poached eggs on toast, butteredtoast besides, strawberry preserves, which Ray's cousin in Brooklyn gave her when she went down there two weeks ago, - and some little puffs filled with whipped cream, which cost tha sum of one cent apiece. Don't you think that waa an elaborate birthday spread? Carrie appreciated very much tha little trouble we took for her, for she said this is tha first time In a number of years that aha has had her birthday celebrated, or has had birth* day came last year. Ray gave her a little spoon, which is very pretty. Gertrude Smith gave her a cup aad saucer, and Winifred Kirkland gave her a little dish for odds and ends, aad I gave her a pair of bed-slippers - which Ihad great difficulty to gat done, on account of the lack of extra time. Carrie has been wanting a pair very much, so of course I was glad to make them for her - as she has bean busy making a pair for her sister. We had a very hard time to keep things secret from Carrie; she is worse than a dozen little boys about asking questions at Christmas-time. The most fun we have had this week was last night, when some girls in our class carried out an idea of their own- You see the Sopho- more Party for the Freshmen was arranged for Inst night, and so all the members of those classes were to be over in the gym, but there was nothing to which the Seniors and Juniors had to go. Now a few girls in ourclass carried out an idea of their own- You see the Sopho- more Party for the Freshmen was arranged for Inst night, and so all the members of those classes were to be over in the gym, but there was nothing to which the Seniors and Juniors had to go. Now a few girls in our class were considering on Thursday even- ing about how they would spend Saturday evening, when one of them sug- gested that they have a take-off of the Marlborough-VanderbUt wedding! This was readily agreed to, and so they looked up the accounts of it which have filled the papers lately, and tried to arrange everything as nearly like the way it really was as circumstances would allow- Of course the preparations were very hasty - n>Mbt there was no time to spend tUl Saturday- Any Juniors or Sexfers who wanted to come were invited, but the whole thing was so extempore that ever so many did not hear about it- Well, I went a little before half past eight, down to thedining-room In this building- which the girls very fortunately were allowed to use- The tables were pushed over to one side and screens placed In front of them, while the chairs were arranged as in a church, with a center aisle- Seven hand- white gloves fc buttonhole bouquet, some ushers 'with Immaculate shirtfronts" and stiff collars met the guests at the door, aad offered them their arms and conducted them to seats In swell fashion- Most of the seniors had been bright enough to dress up as swell English or New York personages - and carried off their parts wdl— the costumes of course being extremely impromptu aad laugh- Mrs, William K. Vanderbilt able. The Duchess sf Marlboeeugh was represented by the largest girlin our class, aad was accompanied by her young son, who behaved In a conscious and top-loftical manner. As guests of honor their appeared the Prince of Wales aad Queen Victoria.' Queen Victoria was decidedly successful - a senior who looks a good deal like the Queen when she pulls down the corners of her mouth, aad who has somewhat the same height and figure. She had thought of taking that character only half an hour before It was time to go- But she scraped up some clothes that would do, made a crown which was quite imposing* from the blotter on her desk, and for a train took a portiere, which trailed way behind and was held up by Lord Dunraven. A lorgnette added much to her dignity aad to the effectiveness of her stare- As the royalparty swept up the aisle, the audience rose aad said "Long live the Queen," "God save the Queen.'" Soon after this strains of Lohengrlns Wedding March floated through the air, and pretty soon we saw a lot of choir-boys march in two by two, singing some ridiculous words to the tune of Lohengrin - Ray was one of the choir-hoys - they wore white skirts around their necks for surplices - Then while the singing kept on, the bridal party entered - the bridesmaids with blue trimmings - their hats large straw ones which the f96 girls had bought for their Hallowe'en party in their Freshmen year and which they have lent for various and sundry purposes ever since- The bride was really very pretty - covered by a veil of that dotted lacy material —I don't know its name — which ordinarily serves as Helen Peters9 bed-canopy! The groom, you know, wore a blue and white checked shirt (shirt waist in this case) and a grey and white checked coat (of Grace JLandfield's.). There were eight officiating clergymen, with surplices made of black petticoats etc., and a bishop, who had the purple bands in addition. The bishop performed the cere- mony - using a service written by two of the girls * beginning "We are here assembled to Join this title and this filthy lucre in the bonds of matrimony etc. The phrases were well adapted to the circumstances - for Instance, there was a noticeable omission after the words "for richer", and Instead of "until death do us part" were inserted the words "as long as we can"-When the time for the response came the groom drawled out "I fahncy yes", while the bride replied "X don't know but I will, don't ye know." As the procession marched out the choir boys struck up a dif- ferent tune, with words, written by one of the girls, making fun of marrying for wealth and trying to appear swell, and so on. Almost as much as the ceremony itself I enjoyed watching Mr* John Fox, the Southern writer, who had lectured to the college on the previous evening- He had come with Prof. Wentworth (only two teachers were there because the rest were at the Sophomore Party) and he did not know what to make of it* He appeared very much embarrassed at first and continued to appear very much surprised. He was heardafterwards to say that he was very much astonished, because he had had the idea that Vassar girls were very aristocratic aad would not think of such a thing as ridiculing the swell aristocracy. That myth about Vassar girls being aristocratic and proud seems to be spread abroad through the country, for I have heard ever so many girls say that their friends had that idea. I am sure nothing is further from the truth. Yesterday afternoon we had a treat in the way of a violin and piano recital, given by Mr. Marsick aad Mr. Brockway — both very celebrated, they say — Mr. Marsick certainly looks celebrated: he has almost as much hair as Fadarewski- Mr. Brockway looks like aa American and appears to be very young- He played twoof his owa com- positions on the piano- Monday afternoon Mr. Joseph Jefferson, the great actor, spoke, at the invitation of the Philalethean Society- He is an old man - more than eighty, they say- His voice sounded as though he had no teeth- like Mr. James Huntington's, but as a matter of fact he has a good- looking set of false teeth- He was a very interesting speaker - most of what he said being in the line of reminiscence. He played Rip Van Winkle in Poughkeepsie in the evening, and of course a great many of the girls went - as it is not more than once or twice a year that they get a good actor in this town. We felt quite deserted during the evening - it was so quiet here. Did I tell you about Mrs. Chant, of London, who spoke tous last Sunday evening about philanthropic work in London? She was one of the most charming English speakers I have heard- This morning Dr. Gordon of the Old South Church in Boston preached for us. He was very fine- He preached again this afternoon, at five o'clock, at his own request, X suppose, for I never knew of any one doing it here before- I think we have better preaching this year than we did last year. Our work In Biology Laboratory has been so interesting this week- Can you guess what we have been doing? Dissecting angle-worms! A few of the girls hesitated a little about It, but most of us took them right up In our fingers the first thing- They had been preserved in alcohol. We could see, when we had cut the worm open, the pharynx, aesophagus, crop, gizzard and everything so nicely- I never dreamed there was all that inside of a worm. Miss O'Grady told me my dissection was a ' beautiful" one!Lots of love to all the family- Adelaide. jClaflinj I know how Edie enjoyed hearing Miss Strong lecture, for she lectured, or rather, spoke informally, to our Hellenic society last year, and I was very much pleased with her-
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: November 15, 1896
Text: Vassar College. Poughkeepsie. N.Y. Nov. 15. 1896. My dear Mother,— I am so sorry you are not going to Uncle Charles' for Thanksgiving - it would be such a beautiful plan, and especially for papa, who has not been thereifor so long. I am very much obliged for the little organdie corners - they are unusually pretty ones- This week I have been spending all my odd minutes from Monday to Saturday in disposing of dolls. You know every year the Y.W.C.A. buys about three hundred dolls,- that is...
Show moreVassar College. Poughkeepsie. N.Y. Nov. 15. 1896. My dear Mother,— I am so sorry you are not going to Uncle Charles' for Thanksgiving - it would be such a beautiful plan, and especially for papa, who has not been thereifor so long. I am very much obliged for the little organdie corners - they are unusually pretty ones- This week I have been spending all my odd minutes from Monday to Saturday in disposing of dolls. You know every year the Y.W.C.A. buys about three hundred dolls,- that is the chairman of the General Work committee does, which happens to be myself this year— and we distribute them to the girls who are willing to dress them, and then we have to collect them all again, and send them to College Settle- ments and Hospitals and home missionary schools. Before we send them off we exhibit them all - and it is a pretty sight. I have had several letters from Miss Goodrich, in connection with the box of old clothes that I sent her. We were very much disappointed that the arrangement for her to speak here could not be carried out. These last two or three days there has been a State Convention of the Y.W.C.A. in Poughkeepsie—the same thing that I went to in Syracuse last fall, you know. I was very glad to meet again some of the people whom I saw and heard in Syracuse. The delegates came out to the college yesterday afternoon, when about a dozen of us received them in the parlors and showed them the buildings and our rooms etc* Today we expect to have an honored guest in our room— Dr. William Dorpfeld, the greatest living Greek archaeologist. He is in this country for only a few weeks and Dr. Taylor considers himself very fortunate to have gotten Dr. Dorpfeld here to lecture to us- While he is here Miss Leach wants to show him some of the students* rooms, and so she is going to bring him to ours. He lectured last night in the German language - he has been learning English only for the last six weeks, so that he does not yet feel enough at home in it to lecture in our language, though he speaks it very well in conversation. His German is remarkably simple, and he speaks remarkably slowly and distinctly, so that I understood much more of hislecture than I expected - with only six weeks study of German. He seems like a very interesting man- younger than I had expected, too, for one so famous. Dr. Taylor had a reception to the Faculty in Dr. Dorpf eld's honor - over in his new house; the first time that he has entertained in his new house. Ray is still In Brooklyn - she went down there to her cousin's about two weeks ago, because she had been working too hard, over the campaign and everything, and had to have a rest. I don't know whether she will be back this week or wait till after Thanksgiving. Her father was to be in Brooklyn Friday, but I havenot heard from her since then. Winifred came out of the Infirmary last Sunday night, but she has been in bed with a cold for the last two days. This room seems to be rather ill-fated. I am sorry for the Richardson girls - those two young girls left to take care of themselves- Poor Mrs. Richardson was sick so long. I shall write Anna Leigh and Bertha a note, I think. P.M. I have Just come from such a delightful walk over the field s- from the top of the hills we watched the sun set. We did not meet Dr. Dorpfeld after all, for Prexy took care of him all the time, and Miss Leach did not have a
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: May 19, 1895
Text: Vassar College, f/ay 19. My dear Mother,— 1895. I hope you are having as beautiful weather as we, it has been cool, just cool enough to be pleasant, all the week- very good weather for studying, and I hope we will continue to have it cool for two or three weeks, for that reason, because we have a good deal of studying before us- The last two weeks are always filled with "extra work" such as reading up about things, and doing all sorts of things out of the ordinary - which is harder...
Show moreVassar College, f/ay 19. My dear Mother,— 1895. I hope you are having as beautiful weather as we, it has been cool, just cool enough to be pleasant, all the week- very good weather for studying, and I hope we will continue to have it cool for two or three weeks, for that reason, because we have a good deal of studying before us- The last two weeks are always filled with "extra work" such as reading up about things, and doing all sorts of things out of the ordinary - which is harder than the usual routine. Tomorrow we finish up our lab- oratory work in chemistry, and have review and written lessons the rest of the time. We are having writtenlessons In almost everything. Miss Macurdy told us to learn the names and subjects of Plato's thirty-six dialogues, for next lesson,- a sample of the craay things she has us do. This morning Dr. Huns tone of Brooklyn preached. We have only one more church service in the chapel here, beside the Baccalaureate sermon. I suppose you will have Children's Day the Sunday before I get home. By the way, we have had some more discussion this week about how we shall get home. The Nickel Plate and the B and O are both anxious to have us travel on their lines - The Nickel Plate offer a ticket for about nine dollars, with a stop-over at Niagara Falls- A number of the Western girls are going that way and going to stop at the Falls. X could not find out the particulars about thisticket yesterday because the girl who knows about it was not at home when I went to ask her. To take the B and O we would go to New York first, and from there we would take the B and O and the fare from New York to Cleveland would be about nine dollars. This goes by way of Washington, and allows a stop-over at Washington, for the day, leaving there in the evening. This, you see, gives a chance to see the "capitol of the Nation", though it is round-about. But it would cost less, or at any rate not more, than the regular fare on the New York Central, counting in the cost of being at Washington during the day. The girl who is advertizing for this way, will get the circulars and time tables in a few days, so that we will know more about it. I don't knowwhether or not you could find out about these ways at home, but I should think you could. Fares must be getting cheaper, for the Nickel Plate gives fare from New York to Chicago for thirteen dollars. Maude Warner went home yesterday- She lias been sick a great deal this year, and so thought she might as well go now. She will have to make up all her examinations the first part of next year. You know she is the girl who lives in Cincinnati. Yesterday we did an extravagant thing. We went to see "Buffalo Bill", who is in town. We were talking about him at the table at lunch yesterday and some of the girls were describing the glories of his exhibi- tion to Miss Macurdy. She listened with a great deal of contempt at first. She has nevereven been to a circus in her life, her taste running chiefly to Latin and Greek plays and Boston lectures. But she really became interested in Buffalo Bill's career, and said she really believed she would like to go. I think she was most induced by the fact that Buffalo Bill is the brother of Mrs. Irvine, the President of Wellesley College. Still she was not sure whether it was proper to go. But she agreed with us that she would go and take us if Mrs. Kendrick thought it was proper. So we went. We all enjoyed it very much. I have always heard that Buffalo Bill was worth seeing, and so it was, but, like the circus, I think I should not care to see It more than once. I think Buffalo Bill's was better than the circus. Ray told Miss Macurdy that all the best peoplein Chicago went to see Buffalo Bill, but this did not do much to raise it in Miss Macurdy's estima- tion, for her knowledge of Chicago people was limited, she said, to what she had learned from a Boston friend of hers. This lady told her about meeting a wealthy Chicago man, and the only sentence of his conversation which she reported was this: ' Then up I gits and jumps on my horse." But that was enough for Miss Macurdy. Since then she has looked on Chicago people with abhorrence. Miss Macurdy amuses us so much some- times- I used to read jokes about Boston people in the newspapers, and thought them all very much exaggerated, of course. But Miss Macurdy certainly goes far ahead of anything I ever read about Boston intellectuality. The great event of this week wasour Tree celebration. The Sophomore class chose a tree and put on it their class crest in bronze, with appropriate ceremonies, and then when they are Seniors, they bury their class records beneath this tree. We dressed up last night as darkies, and such a sight as we were! We wore the gayest striped underskirts we had, and the oldest and brightest waists. Belle wore my dressing sack - that tight flannel one, but as she is much thinner than I, there was room for two sofa pillows - We also wore red and orange sashes. £ made use of that big hat of Aunt Allie's, trimmed with red and blue ribbons and yellow and purple flowers of Ray's. We blacked our faces and hands in great style and ran out through the corridors, spied only by our next-door neighbors - The Freshmen cameout to bother us - and also some Juniors - because we are supposed to have our fun with no other classmen around. The Freshmen were waiting outside the gymnasium, where we were assembled, ready to march to our tree. They grew quite impatient waiting for us, for every once in a while they clapped and told us to hurry up. At last we silently departed out of the back door, leaving the Freshmen in front. But they soon came after us, and in the midst of our program joined hands and ran around us in a circle. But after this they subsided - especially since Ray yelled to them to make their circle into an eclipse. At the tree we all gathered close around and the President of our class "called the meetin' to order", and said that the "minutes ofde last ten meetin's would be omitted." This raised a shout, because in our last class-meeting some one remarked that all our minutes had to be read and approved before our Senior year - and they have almost always been omitted, in fact I have only had to read them once since I have been Secretary. So some one moved that we spend a few minutes reading back minutes, and I read all the minutes for the last ten meetings or so. Then Ray made the Tree Oration, which I need not describe, as it is printed on the programme, though when she gave it, she added several more jokes- Jessie Thain made a short "Chain Oration" putting the chain which held the bronze crest, around the tree. These orations were interspersed with singing - Nancy McClellandalways makes up some songs for us to sing on every occasion - Then we went two by two, singing, to the gymnasium, where we were entertained by a "minstrel show" - The colored orchestra - Ray and fifteen or twenty other girls dressed as colored men - sat up on the platform, and enlivened the proceedings with occasional jokes and conundrums. Then there were "living pictures" - The Heavenly Twins - were the largest and the smallest girls in the class. "Two little girls in blue" were two of the tallest girls in the class, dressed in hideous shades of blue which would not harmonize. A "prima donna" also made her appearance, rigged out in stunning finery - and sang Home, Sweet Home, with all the affectation and languishing that could be put into it, and the tune only near enough to be recog-
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: March 8, 1896
Text: Vassar College. March 8* 1896. My dear Mother,— I have put off writing today, till nearly bedtime, for 1 have been reading aloud this afternoon and evening to Winifred and Gertrude. You know Winifred has been In Brooklyn for a week, resting, and Just got back here Friday night. When she works too hard, she gets pains in her head and has to stop studying. Ray went down to Brooklyn yesterday; her brother Charlie was there and telegraphed for her to come dowa. She will come back tomorrow morning...
Show moreVassar College. March 8* 1896. My dear Mother,— I have put off writing today, till nearly bedtime, for 1 have been reading aloud this afternoon and evening to Winifred and Gertrude. You know Winifred has been In Brooklyn for a week, resting, and Just got back here Friday night. When she works too hard, she gets pains in her head and has to stop studying. Ray went down to Brooklyn yesterday; her brother Charlie was there and telegraphed for her to come dowa. She will come back tomorrow morning-She has been down to Brooklyn quite often this year. Mr.Capen came here Friday night aad stayed till Saturday noon. Tomorrow is Ray's birthday, and Mr. Capen's mother has sent her a box of things to eat. It is now reposing down in Ray's bedroom, for she made us promise not to open it, till she got back. We are afraid there Is something In it that will spoil, but we have to wait in patience till tomorrow. It will be a welcome relief to have a little of something different to eat, for the food has been rather limited and monotonous lately. I don't blame the girls who are well-off for going to Smith's to dinner frequently. Ray will be only twenty tomorrow.It seems as If she ought to be two or three years older. Gertrude, Winifred, Cariie and I chipped in together and bought her a pair of silver embroidery scissors for a dollar and a half. We went to all the jewelry stores in town; the stock at some consisted of one pair, at others of two, and finally at the place where we made our purchase, we found three pairs, and the pair that we bought waa the only one in town that we liked. Kate Dunham and I have written to the Margaret Louisa to reserve ^ rooms for April 3. That is Good Friday. Kate wants to stay till the following Tuesday evening. I have not decided whether to stay so long, but of course I can simply take the train and comehome whenever I feel like it. We have to engage the rooms so far ahead, for last week they wrote that they had no vacancies tUl after March 21, but we do not have to tell till we get there how long we are going to stay. The time that we spend there will be the last part of vacation, which lasts from March 27 to April 8. You see we will be in New York on Easter Sunday. Ed. does not yet know when his vacation Is going to be, but I could not wait any longer for him to find out. Ray is going to spend her Easter vacation partly with her grand- mother, in Springfield, and partly with the Capens in Jamaica Plain. Carrie did intend to go down to New York with me, but her mother has written her that themoney is getting reduced, and that she must be aa economical as possible, so she will stay here all the vacation. Friday evening we were to have had a lecture by Prof. Wheeler of Cornell, on "Athenian Sepulchral Monuments and Epitaphs", but at dinner time came word that Prof. Wheeler had the measles, and there- fore could not come. Miss Leach had arranged a reception for him, to which she had invited all the faculty, and for which she had provided ice-cream. She had her party all the same, so as not to waste the ice- cream. I have been working so hard on special topics. They always take just about three times as much time as the teacher allows. We have to have one in Biology ready for today. We each havea certain subject to look up, and then when we come to class, Miss 0*Grady calls on certain girls to deliver theirs. And each girl has to go up on the platform and give it just as if she were the teacher, without looking at her notes, and doing experiments or drawing pictures on the blackboard to ilUistrate. No one knows beforehand who is to be called on. My sub- ject is seeds of plants: how they are protected and preserved, and how they are scattered and carried through the air, and how different seeds are adapted to different surroundings- It is an extremely interesting subject. We have been having a number of special topics in history. We are working on one this week too. I have to look through twelve volumes, and take down allthe things which either prove or disprove that the wars between England and France during the Eighteenth Centaury were due to the expansion of England in America and India. I feel like Samuel Weller, when he said, "But whether it*s worth while go in* through so much to learn so little, is a matter o•taste". We are all impatient to have next week come, for a week from tonight the Honors will be announced. We cant guess so well about this class - who will get them - as we could about the class last year. Prudence Sherwin is coming here to visit Kate Dunham and Irene Easter Lawrence, just beforeAvacation.- in about two weeks. Kate says her Aunt Belle has not decided whether to come home in time to see Kate graduate, or to stay over all summer. But she will probably stay over, as Kat&'a Uncle Cal sailed the other day. Lovingly Adelaide. jClaflin j
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: March 4, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Oct. 21. (1894, March 4, 1894. My dear Mamma,-- Grover has been In just a year, and we have to have him for three years more. It seems such a long time since he was elected. So many of the Eastern and almost all of the Southern girls are Democrats, that I can't talk as freely as I could at home. At our table the only Democrats are the teacher. Miss Epler, and one other girl. We can't discuss politics with Miss Epler, so that there is not much talk on that subject at...
Show moreVassar College. Oct. 21. (1894, March 4, 1894. My dear Mamma,-- Grover has been In just a year, and we have to have him for three years more. It seems such a long time since he was elected. So many of the Eastern and almost all of the Southern girls are Democrats, that I can't talk as freely as I could at home. At our table the only Democrats are the teacher. Miss Epler, and one other girl. We can't discuss politics with Miss Epler, so that there is not much talk on that subject at our table.very- body was seized with the desire to write to me, at the same time this week, for I got three letters on Monday, and I have not had one since. You are so good to write, and the rest of the family are pretty good too, especially considering how seldom I write to them indi- vidually. It is rather expensive to write many letters. I find that postage stamps count up. It is dreadful the way we keep having to get books here, one after another, it just empties your pocketbook in no time. I rent and buy second hand all I can, but even then it is been very expensive, and there are a good many books that have notAused here before, so that we <e«uhave to get them new, clubbing together when we can. The latest one that we have to get is a fifty cent one for elocution, and three or four of us are going to club together and have one between us. The Elocution teacher is from Boston and she attacked me on my r's last week. I find it extremely hard to drop them, but I suppose I shall haveto in elocution class, though I shall not do it anywhere else. We had a fine concert Friday night, by the Beethoven String Quartette of New York City. The Beethoven String Quartette of Boston happened to be in Poughkeepsie the same night. I suppose they do not happen to have so much talent in the town at once very often. Friday afternoon I went to town, and of all one- horse pos toff ices J The largest bill they had was a ten-dollar one, and they only had one of them, so that I had to get all the rest of my money in fives. I got a birthday present for Pvay, too, a small pitcher,- which it will be convenient for us to have. It cost 35 cents. Her birthday is next Friday- While I was down town I made my party call on on the Gardners, which I should have done before Christmas- That was the first time I have been down town except on Sunday, since Christmas. Today is Arlie Raymond's birthday, so she invited us over there last night to make fudges. That is to have herroom mate make them, for she never does it, on account of her being lame. Her roommate, Gertrude Smith, is such a good old-fashioned sensible girl, I like her ever so much. She is very homely, and has a homely shade of red hair. She was telling us about her family last night. She is one of eight children. Ray and I went in to town to church this morning, and it was dreadful walking, but we walked both ways because we couldn't afford to ride. I grudge so to pay ten cents to ride in that bobtail, when we can walk Just about as fast as it goes. I never saw such dreadful walking as it has been on the road to town most of this winter. But we had a very pleasant time this morning, and we could take our choice between deep snow, deep water, and deep mud, and we could walk on the car track too, if we wanted to, and in front of the college grounds we could walk the stone fence. But it was good walking in town on the stone sidewalks, and we did not get a bit wet. We went to the Dutch ReformedChurch, where we went last time - as we like the minister there better than any other we have heard. They had the communion service, not very different from ours. This afternoon a flock of crows were flying past our window, over toward the Catskills. There were hundreds of them, in a steady stream, so that it took ten or fifteen minutes for them to pass. I never saw anything like it. They kept cawing all the time too. They fly in such a queer way, that, seen against a clear sky, they looked like a crowd of magnified mosquitoes. There are ever so many birds around here. They say Dutchess County (this county) is noted for its variety of birds. Yesterday morning I darned two pairs of stockings, and washed four pairs. I hung them over the foot board of my bed to dry, so that Ray said it looked like "the night before Christmas." I enjoy Saturday, when I can do things like that. It is pleasant for a change. Some girls send their stockings home to be darned, every week.1 Friday evening before the concertRay and I went up to the Fifth Floor Tower to call on Miss McCaleb. It was the sixth time that we have gone way up there to see her, but we never before found her at home. We were so glad to succeed at last. She is very nice indeed, and has so much interest in the girls* good. She has been here since 1873. She was telling us about how it was here when she first came. They had no elevator then, and did not have one till 1876. Ray is going to take music lessons after this, and will have to practice an hour a day. I don't see how she can spare the time, but she will do it someway. She has missed her music a good deal. The sun is so bright every day now, and it seems like spring outdoors. They say the spring is perfectly beautiful here. I hope papa's arm is getting better. You don't say whether he is able to go to the shop, or not. With ever so much love to all. Your daughter Adelaide Claflin.
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: March 31, 1895
Text: Vassar College. March 24. 1895. My dear Mother,— Vacation is here, and so nice it is. It is so quiet and restful. Ray went Thursday morning and was to get to Turnpike, Saturday morning. That is three miles from Asheville- They were to spend Friday night at Asheville. Belle went Friday afternoon- She was working on her special topic in Greek up to the last minute so that we packed her satchel and sewed on her shoebuttons for her and she had just time to catch the train. Her mother has been...
Show moreVassar College. March 24. 1895. My dear Mother,— Vacation is here, and so nice it is. It is so quiet and restful. Ray went Thursday morning and was to get to Turnpike, Saturday morning. That is three miles from Asheville- They were to spend Friday night at Asheville. Belle went Friday afternoon- She was working on her special topic in Greek up to the last minute so that we packed her satchel and sewed on her shoebuttons for her and she had just time to catch the train. Her mother has been sick since before Thanksgiving, a good deal of the time in bed. Carrie has stayed here as she thought she would, and I am veryglad to have her company. Ellen Hailey is staying in Belle's room, which is pleas ante r than living over at one of the cottages where she is the only college girl. Carrie is going to have her sister in Rye Seminary, up here to spend two or three days at Easter - since she is not going to see her during our vacation. Carrie's aunt in Boston invited her to come there alone, and also her aunt in Brooklyn, but she thought she would rather stay here, so she declined their invitations. It has been perfect weather the last few days- the sun so bright and warm. But there are still patches of snow in the shadow- it is so slow to disappear here. If the weather keeps beautiful, it will add a good deal to our pleasure. Yesterday afternoon we went over to the gym. to play battle-ball. I forget whether I have told you about ourathletics. There are two new games, battle-ball, and basketball, which have been introduced here just lately, which the girls are much interested in, and talk about a good deal - The games are played by teams of eleven, and three or four teams of each game have been formed in each class. I am on a team in each. If we just played by ourselves, that would not be so exciting, but the fun comes in in having match games between the different teams, and usually in dif- ferent classes- On such occasions a number of the members of each class get together to watch and cheer each good move made by their class team, and it is lots of fun to watch match games. Basket ball is rougher than battle-ball, and tires you more. Some girls like one game better, some the other, but I think -me- battle ballis a little more popular. When spring comes and the ground can be fixed, we are going to play golf- You know that is an English game. I have joined the golf club that has been formed, but it will be some little time before we can play it. As many can play in that as want to. Last week all the athletic teams and clubs were formed into an Athletic Association, which will oversee all the games and attend to the grounds - and keep them in order. The girls have been so anxious for spring to come that they thought they could hasten it by wearing shirtwaists, and a few have appeared here and there for some time. So Dr. Thelberg talked to us the other night after chapel, altogether, and informed us that the hour- season for shirtwaists has not yet arrived, nor the season for low shoes either.Also that we should wear rubbers until the middle of May. She gave us some more advice too, and told us that she wanted to see us all go away from college with pure healthy souls In pure healthy bodies. A good many girls are making themselves shirtwaists this vacation. A number have asked me to join them in it, but I declined. I prefer to make my clothes at home with my slater and a sewing machine—both great helps I Three girls here are each making themselves a wool spring dress. They have established themselves in one room, and rented a sewing machine and sewing table and flatiron- They ripped up old waists to get a pattern, and are getting along in fine style. They work pretty test. One of them, Dora Roberts, makes most all of her clothes. There are lots of girls here who make all or nearly all, oftheir clothes. They make me feel like an ignoramus. I must learn a lot more about sewing this summer. I am glad drapery is not coming into style after all. The new skirts are all made perfectly plain, though flaring and four or five yards wide. Carrie has just had her spring dress made- They put crinoline or ever haircloth in the skirts part way up the front and all the way up the beck. Sleeves will certainly have to be smaller next year, for it is impossible for them to be bigger than they are now- and they stand out with crinoline too. I do hope you can get a new sewing-machine - I should be so glad to say goodbye to that other poor rickety thing. Edie has sewed on it enough to wear it out three or four times. I believe my challi is wearing out at last, for ittears so easily- I have made three or four tears in it lately. When Is Lou's vacation, and how much does she have? Gertrude Bronson did not go home after all, for I saw her tonight. Katharine is here, too, and we have sat at the same table several times. The Strong Hall girls have to come over here for their meals in vacation. I was going to ask you to send back some books by her, some books that we have to use for English. I think I had better ask you to send them by express if you will, for it would be cheaper than buying them. I can not find any girls who have them to rent, for they have not had to use them before this year. They are the works of Milton, Dryden, and Pope, and the Essays of Addison, Swift, and Samuel Johnson. I am not sure how many of those youhave, but I shall have to buy the ones you haven't, unless you want to borrow them. Perhaps you will need them at home, but if you don't, and if you can spare them, I would like to have you send them, and I will bring them back in June. If you do send them you might send a corset cover along with them. Is Etta well again, and has she had her party? I have not heard at all how Clarence gets along with his kindergarten. Does he like it, and does he like to play- with the other children? Have the Wheelers any one to board with them yet? I should think they would have a good deal more leisure time than they used to. Give my love to them and the rest of the neighbors— With love to all the family — As ever Adelaide (Claflin)
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: March 27, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Oct. 21. (1894, May 27, 1894. My dear Mamma,— Your letter came this week by the Saturday night mail, as it has two or three times lately, though I never used to get anything by that mail. I am so sorry to hear that Mr. Adams is still very sick. It is too bad that one family should have so much sickness. It is strange, too, that Dr. Mears1 family are sick so much. I wonder what the reason is. You say that Miss Bushnell, I mean Mrs. Abbott, as I learn from your last letter that...
Show moreVassar College. Oct. 21. (1894, May 27, 1894. My dear Mamma,— Your letter came this week by the Saturday night mail, as it has two or three times lately, though I never used to get anything by that mail. I am so sorry to hear that Mr. Adams is still very sick. It is too bad that one family should have so much sickness. It is strange, too, that Dr. Mears1 family are sick so much. I wonder what the reason is. You say that Miss Bushnell, I mean Mrs. Abbott, as I learn from your last letter that that is her name, is going to live in Hendersonville. Where in the world is that? How soon she is going there? The weather is perfect today. We appreciate it so much becauseit poured day and night for a week. It just cleared off yester- day afternoon and today the sky is entirely blue, and the sun shining brightly. It is much warmer too so that we can leave off the winter dresses we have been wearing for a week. There are more flowers in the garden now, and in some places the grass is thick with butter- cups. The daisies have just come, but they say that pretty soon they will be as plenty as grass. It seems so queer to have such an abun- dance of flowers. I keep wishing you could have some of them at home, especially for Edie's sake. Today's was the last college church service I shall go to for some time* Next Sunday is the first Sunday in the month, so that we shall go to town to church. Dr. Holmes, a Presbyterian minister of Buffalo preached today. Gertrude Smith and I finished reading "Paradise Lost" today. I am very glad I have read it. We began after Spring Vacation and haveread a Book or two of it every week since. I have not done very much reading this year outside of what we have had to do for English, though I have spent all the time I could spare, in the Reading Room, reading the magazines- It is a great thing to have them all within your reach at any time. By the way if Ed has the other college maga- zines within his reach, tell him to read an article in the Nassau Literary Monthly (the Princeton paper) by J. Mcready Sykes on the "Reasons for the Further and Complete Subjugation of Women". It has been the laughing-stock here lately. The flaws in some of his arguments are really ridiculous. We had lemon ice for dessert today- It was remarkable for wehave been having peanuts and maple sugar for dessert on Sunday for some time. But as every vacation draws near, they give us extra good things to eat, I suppose so that the girls will not complain about the food when they go home. The day before Commencement they are going to have a regular banquet for everybody that is here, and the alumnae too. At that time they are going to have strawberries and cream, as a great luxury, for they never have them except then. This week Tuesday is the beginning of the Senior vacation, which lasts until Baccalaureate Sunday. Yesterday afternoon the Senior Class had its picture taken on the steps of this building, just where we had ours. It is right under our window so we had the full benefit. Last night the Sophomore class chose its Class Tree, beneath which they will bury their records when they graduate. They had a great celebration over it. All dressed as country people, inthe oldest clothes they could get, and some of them with their gingham chemistry aprons, and all of them with big green hats just alike. They went around the yard giving their yell, and had a sort of country sociable in the gymnasium afterwards with old fashioned country dances- They said they had the most fun of any time since they have been here. Bedtime now. With lots of love Adelaide. gClaflin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: March 25, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Oct. 21. (1894, Easter. March 25. ,1894, My dear Mamma,-— This has not been a beautiful Easter day, so far as the weather goes, for it has been raining steadily since noon. We walked into town to church, as there are no services here during vacation. I enjoyed the service very much, a simple, practical sermon, and beautiful music. It seems so much more like civiliza- tion to go into town to church, than to have it over in the chapel, with nothing but girls. It seems strange,...
Show moreVassar College. Oct. 21. (1894, Easter. March 25. ,1894, My dear Mamma,-— This has not been a beautiful Easter day, so far as the weather goes, for it has been raining steadily since noon. We walked into town to church, as there are no services here during vacation. I enjoyed the service very much, a simple, practical sermon, and beautiful music. It seems so much more like civiliza- tion to go into town to church, than to have it over in the chapel, with nothing but girls. It seems strange, now, towear a hat and gloves in church. After church was out, since the service was longer than usual, we thought it was too late for a car to come out to the college. So Hope Traver and I walked out, but the rest waited, and in the course of half an hour or so got a car, but we reached the college before they did, and we were no wetter either. Now that the winter snow has melted and the ground has once dried, there is no more such dreadful walking, and when it rains there is only an ordinary amount of mud, so that we shall not be obliged to squander ten cents on the railroad company any more. Yesterday afternoon we went up in the gymnasium building where there is a tennis court, and played tennis. That is, we tried to, for two knew how to play a little, and the other three of us did not know how at all. It was lots of fun, but it mademy right arm sore a little. I conclude that it has not had enough exercise. I shall have to have some practice with it at sweeping, when I get home. Did I tell you that I had my second physical examination in the gymnasium? My back and legs are quite a little stronger, and every thing else has improved except my right hand, which has decreased. The director told me I came when^that my back was my weakest part. Strength tests are no indica- tion of health, for the second strongest girl in our class is sick a good deal, and does not look strong. We have to go over to the college for our meals now. Some of the girls think it is nice to see the rest of the people then. This morn- ing for the first time this year I slept until the breakfast bell. I woke up as usual about six, but as I had a little headache I dropped to sleep again, and when the breakfast bell woke me ateight (the hour for breakfast Sunday) I Jumped up and dressed in five minutes. Tonight after tea Miss McCaleb asked some of us to come to the Senior Parlor and sing hymns and we had quite a homelike time there. About a dozen of the Faculty are staying here during the vacation. They give us nicer things to eat during vacation, and cream quite often. The mall is not distributed now, so we have to stand in a line and wait for it twice a day. Each girl generally gets the mail for eight or ten others too. I am much obliged for the letters you sent, and will send them on to Uncle Charles. There is a girl here who lives in Waverley, and knows Uncle Edward Tracy very well. She is a great friend of the Fishes who live next door to him. The girl is a Freshman and I know her pretty well. I am not lonesome, not so much so as I am sometimes when everybody is here, and I find I can get lots of things done. My love to all, Your Loving daughter Adelaide. (Claflin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: March 24, 1895
Text: Vassar College. March 24. 1895. Dear Mother, - I feel as if I had heard a good deal from home this week- it seemed so nice to get so many letters. Nobody else but my immediate family ever writes to me any more, so I don't get as many letters as I did last year. Still I hardly ever write to any one but my family, so I suppose I ought not to expect to hear from people. I can write but a short letter tonight, but I dare not omit that, for fear you will think something is the matter. Anna...
Show moreVassar College. March 24. 1895. Dear Mother, - I feel as if I had heard a good deal from home this week- it seemed so nice to get so many letters. Nobody else but my immediate family ever writes to me any more, so I don't get as many letters as I did last year. Still I hardly ever write to any one but my family, so I suppose I ought not to expect to hear from people. I can write but a short letter tonight, but I dare not omit that, for fear you will think something is the matter. Anna Burchard's mother is here visiting and they came up to our room this eveningand stayed during the time that I had intended to devote to writing. Anna's mother is real nice- I should think Anna would have had her here sometime not so near to a vacation, for they will see each other again Friday, after parting tomorrow. Tonight Prof. Benjamin Wheeler, of Cornell University spoke to us, in the interests of Y.M.C.A. work in colleges- He lectured to us last been year on Philology. He has^appointed head of the American School at Athens and is going there in June. Thursday evening we were addressed by Mr. Sherwood Eddy, one of the Secretaries of the Student Volunteer Band. He was a very interesting and earnest speaker. Friday afternoon there was a match game in "battle-ball": That is a new game which is beingintroduced into this country. We have been taught how to play it in the gymnasium, and teams have been formed in all the classes- three or four in a class. There are eleven on a team- This contest was between a class team in '97 and one in '96: the latter won. Dr. Taylor and Mrs. Taylor were over in the gym. to see it. We girls are on another team, and I am on a team in "basket-ball" too- that is another game- When it is warm weather we are going to play these games outdoors- where courts will be fixed. They are just orga- nizing all the different athletic teams and clubs into an Athletic Associa- tion, which shall include all students interested in athletics & who play any of the games- The Association then will attend to the courts, etc. and arrange for a Field Day.Yesterday I spent all day working on my special topic in Greek, which I handed in as an Essay in English, and so had to have it done by six oclock yesterday. The English Department very kindly allows us to substitute other literary work which we may have to do, as Essays- I finally succeeded in finding Miss Leach at home Friday evening- I have tried a number of times to call on her, but she has always been engaged or out. She inquired about Miss Adams, and said that she was going to write to her- The ten oclock bell has struck, so I must stop and Jump into bed. Lovingly, Adelaide. (Claflin) Is Etta well yet? Give her my love.
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: March 21, 1897
Text: Vassar College. Poughkeepsie. (Marc. 21. 1897, My dear Mother,— I have just finished writing to Ed, I had not written to him for some time, so 1 wrote to him before you, in order to be sure that it would be done. Because I am sure to write home anyway. I have written very few letters this year, except home. I owe one to almost everyb ody I know. And nowjust as I am about through with the Vassar ion work and was expecting to have a little time to write letters and mend my clothes (which need...
Show moreVassar College. Poughkeepsie. (Marc. 21. 1897, My dear Mother,— I have just finished writing to Ed, I had not written to him for some time, so 1 wrote to him before you, in order to be sure that it would be done. Because I am sure to write home anyway. I have written very few letters this year, except home. I owe one to almost everyb ody I know. And nowjust as I am about through with the Vassar ion work and was expecting to have a little time to write letters and mend my clothes (which need it sadly) and a few other things like that,- then here comes this old Commencement Essay, to be on my mind, even when it is not taking up my time. I am so disgusted about it. I only wish I were one of those lucky people who simply got an honor, without having the added bother of a Commencement speech re tacked on,- especially when everybodyhear- keeps saying that they are extremely tiresome, and that they don't expect to listen.1 We all think they are stupid, and I have never paid much attention to them myself- But they are a great deal of work, because so much more is made of them here than when I had It to do at High School. Here the professors and the English teachers and everybody have to be consulted so much, and so much elocution drill has to be gone through with. As for this last, however, X think it will be quite an advantage to get so muchtraining in elocution gratis. I have n't any Idea yet what I shall take for my subject. Ray has about decided to take one in the line of Economics. Everybody pities Winifred, for having to room with two people who will be tearing their hair from now till June. I think I will give you the list of Honor girls, in case someone might inquire about them. They are: Frances Beckwith Flora Bemkopf Elizabeth Bishop * A. Claflin Martha Clark Eloise Ellery * Grace Landfield.* Nancy McClelland. Anne Rlchey Alice Sawyer. * Rachel Schauffler. Beatrice Shaw * Marion Schibsby. Jessie Thain. Maidee Traver. * Alice Whiton. » means Commencement speaker. As I said before, everybody is very much surprised that Gertrude Smith did not get one. Winifred is awfully bright, but she did not get one because she entered Sophomore, and because she has been sick ever since shehas been in college. I had hoped that Miss Adams would come here to Commencement, as her class is going to have a reunion - its twentieth anniversary - but now I am not axudbus to have her, except that I would like very much to show her around and take her to Class Day. I do wish Edie would come for that reason,*- so that I could show her around the place where I have spent four years; I am sure she would enjoy it, and she will never have another chance probably. I am gladthat you are making arrangements for it, so that I shall have my mother here at any rate. Nina Roberts thinks she can come here to visit us during their Easter vacation, after ours is over. Ours begins this Friday and closes April 6. Nina may have to go to New York, and if so she will stop here, but she thinks she can come here anyway - on a pass. I shall be so glad to have her, for she was so anxious to come here to college, aad has always been crazy to visit here. Edith and I have not yet made definite arrangements about goingto Carrie's. But we shall go down Friday or the Saturday of this-week after this, and stay over Sunday- I expect to spend the day with Ed on my way home, but I have not made final plans yet. this week I may send home by RayAthe waist of my white dress to have the sleeves altered, for the new style is so different. Of course I would not bother about it if I were not going to speak at Com. but the dress will be rather conspicuous then, so that it might be just as well to have the sleeves in style. But don't fix it If you are too busy at home then. Lots of love to all the family, from your loving daughter Adelaide. (Claflin, March 21, 1897.
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: March 2, 1897
Text: Vassar College. Poughkeepsie. N.Y. My- dear Mother,*** I am glad papa is better and can go back to work. He must have had grippe. Everybody has been having it here. — I mean, a few people have. Before I forget it, I must tell for Bess*s benefit that our room is number 117. Room 68 is in the double alley way on the second south, whereas our room is the single alleyway on the third south — the Senior corridor. This week we had considerable excitement** The Washington's Birthday Celebration...
Show moreVassar College. Poughkeepsie. N.Y. My- dear Mother,*** I am glad papa is better and can go back to work. He must have had grippe. Everybody has been having it here. — I mean, a few people have. Before I forget it, I must tell for Bess*s benefit that our room is number 117. Room 68 is in the double alley way on the second south, whereas our room is the single alleyway on the third south — the Senior corridor. This week we had considerable excitement** The Washington's Birthday Celebration on Monday* We celebrated the day a good deal more thanif we had had a holiday. U it had been a holiday we should have spent all the time in studying and doing extra work, but since it wasn't we cele- brated all day long. Before breakfast we got up and marched around the corridors and past Proxy's house, singing patriotic songs. The girls had decorated the dining room with red white and blue bunting, and put a little flag at each place at the tables. The noticeable thing was that the Faculty table was not decorated at all * because they took the holiday away from us, you know. During the day the girls sang America in each class, before the lesson was begun. In addition to this a committee has put up posters in various classrooms,which were intended to voice the feelings of the students. They were made out in the form of lessons, like this, for example: Algebra for February 22. Problem: if a Faculty should take from some students a national Holi- day, how much Patriotism would be left? Let F (known quantity) — Faculty. Let P (unknown quantity) - Patriotism. " s (aggravated " ) - Students. Take Patriotism from Faculty. (impossible since P > F. Add Patriotism to Students. (impossible since S contains P). Answer: Since S contains P and P is greater than F it is unreasonable for a Faculty to take a national Holiday from some Students.The English one was printed, for distribution, and I will enclose it. Friday night our class had a delightful time in celebrating the birthday of our president, Mary Chambers. All the Senior tables were put together into one long table and they were decorated in pink, with smilax. The girls all wore light evening dresses, and we had icecream aad cake for dessert. We sang all together a class song, the words of which Mary Chambers had written at the first of the year, and then we sang at?©-song to her composed for the occasion. Besides these we sang some of our Trig Ceremonies songs and Alma Mater. The rest of the people in the dining room clapped us after each one and we marched out two by two singing - and we felt like a bridal procession. The bell has rung for the first recitation so love to all, from your lo v jing , Adelaide. ^Claflin, March 2. 1897.Distributed in English Class - Feb. 22, 1897 A Revised Edition of Shakespeare’s Tragedy. GEORGE WASHINGTON. Edited for the delectation of the Faculty of Vassar College by its devoted admirers-- THE STUDENTS. To show the genera! tenor of the alterations we give the following extractsr ACT I. SCENE 1——Vassar, a Corridor. Enter Faculty and a rabble of students. Fae. Hence, hence you idle creatures, get you to the library. Is this a Holiday ‘Q What! know you not Being Academical you ought not to walk Upon a laboring day without the sign Of your profession Z —- Speak. what course art thou? And wherefore art not in thy den to-day ? VVhy dost thou lead these girls about the halls? 1st Stu. Indeed, sir, we make holiday to commemorate George Wash- - ington and to rejoice in our country. Fae. Wherefore rejoice '6 We care not for the cause, Its spirit long ago is dead and gone ! Stu. You blocks, you stones, you. worse than senseless things ! Oh you hard hearts, you cruel men of books, Knew you not Georgie? Fae. Indeed we knew him ; but so long ago His memory cannot draw us from our books. And do you now cull out a holiday? And do you now put on your best attire? And would you now cast books and work away For Georgie ? Stu. We surely have and surely will do so i Until your books have crumbled into dust. Our Country’s Father best deserves our love, We’lI give it him in spite of all you do.
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: March 10, 1895
Text: Vassar College. March 10. 1895. My dear Mamma, — Here I am sitting on my bed in my pink flannel nightgown and bed-slippers- just as I study every evening. It is just time for the total eclipse of the moon to begin, so I suppose I shall be leaving this letter often to go and look at it. It is so clear that it can be seen beauti- fully. We are glad that the moon is on our side of the house, or rather, that we live on the side of the house where themoon is. This morning Dr. Twitchell of Hartford...
Show moreVassar College. March 10. 1895. My dear Mamma, — Here I am sitting on my bed in my pink flannel nightgown and bed-slippers- just as I study every evening. It is just time for the total eclipse of the moon to begin, so I suppose I shall be leaving this letter often to go and look at it. It is so clear that it can be seen beauti- fully. We are glad that the moon is on our side of the house, or rather, that we live on the side of the house where themoon is. This morning Dr. Twitchell of Hartford preached - a Congre- gationalism I believe. I think I have read articles of his in the religious newspapers. Dr. Taylor has had the grippe, was kept in his rooms for several days. On this account they could not have the Faculty meeting to name the honor girls. This will be done tomorrow. A number of the teachers have had the grippe- Miss Gentry was almost dangerously ill with it, and is still in the Infirrnary- We had quite a time in our room yesterday - which was Ray's birthday- Only nineteen, not so old as Lou,Carrie and Belle and I tried to think up something new for a celebration, and we decided on having a supper in our room, of things made entirely by ourselves, instead of going down to dinner. A good many girls heard of it and seemed to think it was a very strange and daring thing to do, but it was quite easily done. Of course everything had to be done in the evening, for the gas is not turned on in the day time. So we got Ellen Hailey, who lives at one of the cottages, to invite her over to spend the night Friday- Friday evening we cooked some of the things, and the rest we did at supper time yesterday- and hadquite a sumptuous repast. First course- poached eggs on toast, creamed fried potatoes, (which means milked ones) bread and butter and chocolate. Second course, potato salad with mayonnaise dressing. Third course, Floating Island. Carrie does not know anything about cooking, but Belle is a splendid cook. She knows everything about housekeeping and sewing and so on. You ought to have seen us Friday evening, Carrie sewing on her gingham chemistry apron, Belle beating eggs with a fork, and me paring potatoes- Rather a domestic scene for a Vassar College room, you might say. It was lots of fun- We had a good deal of difficulty in keeping Ray fromseeing things, for It was all a surprise for her. We had to store the things in other girls' rooms- Such a supper is not very expensive, as we can have all the bread and butter and milk free, that we want, and potatoes are cheap. The man in the store looked somewhat surprised when I asked him for a quart of potatoes. Ray's friends were very good about remembering her birthday- Her bundle from home did not come yesterday, but she got word that it was on its way- Her brother Fritz and her cousin Rob in New York sent her a box of Huyler's candy- all done up in numerous layers of paper etc. Belle says it costs a dollar a pound. Ithink it is dreadful to eat up candy at a dollar a pound. The moon is almost entirely eclipsed now, which means that it is ten o'clock, and time to go to bed. The weeks are going by very fast now, less than three weeks to spring vacation - which begins March 29, and lasts ten days. I think I is told you that Ray's cousin Mrs. Ellison was-going to take her to North Carolina for spring vacation, where Harry is, in Turnpike, near Asheville. Carrie's sister in Rye Seminary has her spring vacation commence on the day that ours closes* so that they cannot go to Boston together. So probably Carrie will stay here with me, and we will enjoy it. Love to all - Adelaide. (Claflin)
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: January 30, 1897
Text: Vassar College. Poughkeepsie, N.Y. January 30f 1897. My dear Mother,— Exams, are over, and a new semester is about to begin. I am so glad to begin all over again, and not have back work and special topics piled up over me. I am going to try to keep my work right up to date the rest of the year. I had to cram more than usual for my exams, this time; the kind of subject makes so much difference with the exam, and all my things needed reviewing. We had our Ethics exam, the first thing Monday...
Show moreVassar College. Poughkeepsie, N.Y. January 30f 1897. My dear Mother,— Exams, are over, and a new semester is about to begin. I am so glad to begin all over again, and not have back work and special topics piled up over me. I am going to try to keep my work right up to date the rest of the year. I had to cram more than usual for my exams, this time; the kind of subject makes so much difference with the exam, and all my things needed reviewing. We had our Ethics exam, the first thing Monday morning, and we were all glad to have that off our minds early, for there is so much memorizing in it, that it took up a great deal of room in our brains. After the ethics exam, is over, every year, it is customary for the class to give some yells to Prex - as a sort of fare- well to him as a teacher. So when we leftthe gym - where we had our exam, and came out into the hall we lined up in two rows, by the lockers, leaving room enough for Prexy to walk out between the rows. But when he appeared, he looked rather embarrassed, and instead of running the gauntlet be bowed and remained standing where he was- W e gave first "Rah, rah, rah.' Rah, rah, rah.1 the customary yell of^V-A-S-S-A-R,- Prexy!" Then we recited in concert four favorite maxims of philosophers we have studied - maxims which we have had again and again in class and had joked about with Prexy. The first was Jeremy Bentham's - "The quantity of pleasure being equal, push-bin is as good as poetry." Then Aristotle's "We become good by doing good" and John Stuart Mill's "Better be Socrates dissatisfied than a fool satisfied"- We ended with the one which we thought most appro- priate to the examination season and our state of mind - the famous saying of the sceptics: "We affirm nothing,- no, not even that we affirm nothing." Prex had laughed at us in class because we remembered these epigrams always, even when we could not remember another thing about the philosophy to which they belonged.When we paused from our yelling, Prex said he hoped that our papers - which he had under his arm - would be as eloquent: then we yelled our other old yell, "Goodbye, Prex, Goodbye Prex, Vassar, Vassar, Vassar's Rex"— which we used when he started for Europe last year. We are quite sorry to be through with Ethics; we had quite Jovial times with Prexy sometimes- He told us such a good Joke in class the last week - He had heard it given by Thomas Wentworth Hlgginson at a Vassar Alumnae Reunion in Boston recently. Mr. Hlgginson said that Emerson used to describe the typical college student as "a meek young man, who lived in a library". Mr. Higginson said that a good many people thought this description no longer applied, but, for his part, he thought it still held true, for when he watched the Harvard men strut across the campus, he was sure they looked as though they had already inherited the earth.1 Perhaps you will wonder what connection this has with Ethics; it comes under the head of Practical Morality- Prex was giving us a lecture about our attitude and duties, as college graduates, toward the rest of the world. He told us, on the one hand, notto be so stupid that people would say they "never would have guessed that we had seen the inside of a college" and on the other hand not to answer to the description of the Harvard men above-referred-to; but whatever we did, if it was only washing dishes, we ought to do it the better for having been through college. On Monday, in addition to ethics, I had an exam, in English,- which was not so hard as Z had expected. Tuesday I had no exam, so I spent the day on my special topic in History- Wednesday we had Greek, which was easy for a Greek one, though I did less than two questions out of the five. Our history, on the contrary, was harder than we had expected- Most people were through with their exams, by Thursday, but I still had German - for Friday morxdag. Ray and Winifred and Gertrude Smith and Carrie all went down to Brooklyn or New York, Friday morning right after breakfast. Gertrude is back now, but the rest will not be here till tomorrow night. So I have had the rooms all to myself - in quiet. It seemed very queer not to have studying to do on Friday afternoon and Saturday, but I found plenty to do, with Vassar ion work and mending- The sleevewas half torn out of my nightgown, so I spent some time patching that, and also in hemming up the binding and facing of my red fern dress. Edie asked about ideas for a Eton waist. Most of the new ones here have some kind of a littleAjacket effect, either all the way around or else just in front, like this and the back perfectly plain, and broad belts or girdles. I have also had the pleasure of reading a large part of "Senti- mental Tommy"—a thing which I have been anxious to do for some time. There was no church here this morning, and I did not go to town either, but stayed at home and read- Prof. Burton finished his course of Bible lectures last Sunday, and the man who was to have given us a course we of four or five now, cannot come, so^will have none for a few Sundays. It has been very cold here for about two weeks - as it seems to have been all over the country - We are glad to get around the regis- ters all the time. I keep thinking of you without a furnace. Give my love to the neighbors and friends, and lots to the family- JLovingly your daughter Adelaide. (Claflin, Some dresses have rows of braid around instead of the girdle- If that would be easier, I would like it just as well.
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: January 21, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Jan. 21, 1894. My dear Mamma, — Several unusual and pleasant things have happened this week. First of all, as we were at dinner Friday night a card was brought in to Ray and she jumped up and rushed from the room like a streak of lightning. We found that her father had come. I let her talk with him while we finished dinner then I went and found them in the little reception room. I was £o gladto see him. It was almost like seeing one of my own family. We talked together until...
Show moreVassar College. Jan. 21, 1894. My dear Mamma, — Several unusual and pleasant things have happened this week. First of all, as we were at dinner Friday night a card was brought in to Ray and she jumped up and rushed from the room like a streak of lightning. We found that her father had come. I let her talk with him while we finished dinner then I went and found them in the little reception room. I was £o gladto see him. It was almost like seeing one of my own family. We talked together until Chapel, then went over to chapel and sat in the gallery. We had to come out before it was over so that Dr. Schauffler could catch the car for his train. So you see he was here a half an hour only. That was very little, but it was a great deal better than nothing. He was on an eastern trip and stopped unexpectedly. There was a fine concert here Friday night, a piano recital by Josef Slivinski, a Pole. Some people think he plays almost as well as Padarewski. It was a fine classical programme, Beethoven, Chopin, Liszt etc. and they say it was the finest concert that they have had here for years. I took Miss Macurdy, our Greek teacher.ou see, there being no gentlemen here, the girls have to act in that capacity, both with other girls and with teachers. This concert was the "swellest" public entertainment they have had this year, so the girls were more dressed up than usual, and Ray Is afraid that her father will have rather a strange idea of how the girls dress here, for he would not realise that they dress very plainly all the rest of the week except Friday night, and that they were more dressed on that night than usual for Friday night even. Monday afternoon. I left this letter to go and read to Maud Warner who has been sick for a week. She was no nice to us when we first came and took such good care of Raywhen she had the poison ivy, that we have been glad to do all we could for her, although that was not much beside attend- ing to her meals and reading to her. There has been very good skating for the last week. I went out Thursday, for the first time this winter, because before that I never had time when it was good, or else it was never good when I had time. I went out again Saturday afternoon, and learned a little more, and now I intend to go whenever there is a chance, so that I can learn to do it well. Blanche Campbell went with me Saturday. She has just begun to learn, too, so we each took a long piece of lath and went out on the lath pond, because the rink was being flooded. Holding the -s4*k-horizontally in our hands helps to steady us. While we were going around that way President Taylor came skatingalong and asked me what I was doing. (which was extremely evident) "Oh, 1 said, "I was Just learning how."A "Learning how to do what? " he said. And I said "Learning how to hold a stick straight." Then he stood and watched me sit down suddenly. He skates a great deal, and Mrs. Taylor is out quite often too. Several members of the Faculty skate, and Miss Richardson, our Mathematics teacher, is the best and most graceful skater here. Miss Richardson has been so nice since Christmas vacation that it repents me of what I said about her before that. I guess she needed the rest. We have examinations every day next week in the morning- They are only two hours long- Thursday evening was the time for the monthly missionary meeting, and they had for the subject "The Life of Dr. Schauffler - Ray's grandfather. It was very interesting- and was told by some Seniors- Yesterday afternoon Raytalked at the meeting of the Volunteer Band. The appointed leader was sick, so they asked Ray to read some of her sister's letters- from Persia- I had told them before that she would some time. So she read three or four that she happened to have (for she sends most of them on to relatives) and told what was in the rest. I think the girls were very much interested. There were fewer girls there than usual - only about twenty. We were told in English Friday to analyze yesterday's sermon for tomorrow's lesson. That is to go to church Sunday and listen care- fully to the sermon and think of its analysis, and then write it out today. They have done that here for several years but it struck us as a rather questionable proceeding, something like studying on Sun- day. What do you think of it? We are going to ask Miss Nettleton about it tonight. I just found out yesterday from a sophomore that we have toave a book of logarithms for algebra next semester. I know we have one at home that I believe no one is using, so that I wish you would send it some time when It is convenient - we have not yet been told to get it. Papa's letter containing some money came this morning, and please tell him I am very much obliged. I am going to enclose a profile which one of the girls cut out while she sat and looked at me. See if you can recognize it. I have not gotten many letters since Christmas. I owe nearly everybody one. Ray heard last week that her brother W ill in Syria is engaged to be married to a young lady who has been living there - an American. You know his wife died two years ago, when he had been married only a year, leaving a little boy- Ray's sister saw a good deal of the young Jan. 21* 1894 - 5 lady when she was in Syria and thought her very lovely-Give my love to the neighbors and friends, and keep lots for your- self, mother dear- Your loving daughter Adelaide. ^Cleflinj
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: January 20, 1896
Text: Vassar College. Jan. 20. 1896. My dear Mother,-— I sit down at the close of this day to write to you, and wish of rest is very welcome. Closing up the term's work is no easy task - especially when we have two or three special topics to do. I have spent more than twelve hours during the past week working on my special topic in Greek, and I am not near through. I think Miss Leach expectedus to spend five or six hours on it, but we always find that on special topics we have to spend about...
Show moreVassar College. Jan. 20. 1896. My dear Mother,-— I sit down at the close of this day to write to you, and wish of rest is very welcome. Closing up the term's work is no easy task - especially when we have two or three special topics to do. I have spent more than twelve hours during the past week working on my special topic in Greek, and I am not near through. I think Miss Leach expectedus to spend five or six hours on it, but we always find that on special topics we have to spend about three times as much labor as the teacher expects. I also have a special topic in Latin to do, which I have not yet touched - that and my Greek topic must both be finished by the end of this week, in addition to getting the usual lessons of the week- You know our exam- inations are the week after this - beginning a week from tomorrow. I have six to take and they extend through four days. This time my subjects are the kind that need "cramming"-, especially History, Art History, Astron- omy and Biology - so you may be sure I will be thankful when a week from Thursday evening comes- Today we have had the privilege of three fine services- This manning Dr. Samuel Elliott of Brooklyn, preached. He is a Unitarian, but he didn't seem to have very Unitarian views. He spoke about Christ and quoted his life and teachings in apparently the same spirit that an orthodox minister would. I thought his sermon was very good, and I liked him personally very much because he was so earnest and enthusiastic and so anxious to help people. This after Dr. Thomson, a New York physician, son of the Dr. Thomson who was amissionary to Syria and wrote "Land and the Book"- spoke to us about the Armenian question, to show how such cruelties could be perpetrated in this enlightened age. His talk was not very much about recent affairs, but chiefly historical, - a sketch of the Mohammedans from their earliest history and their subsequent history, showing how all through they have been characterised by blood- thirstiness, how it has been born and bred and drilled into them, all through their history, to think that it is the greatest virtue to kill Christians. It was taught repeatedly by Mohammad himself in the Koran as well as in his own life,and it has been zealously lived up to by all his followers. Dr. Thomson said that one day in Arabia he was going along a street with an Englishman, when some Mohammedan boys followed them shouting something. The Englishman thought the boys were saluting them and felt very much flattered, till Dr. Thomson, who understands Arabic very well, Informed him that they were saying this: "How sweet, how sweet it is to cut the throats of Christians, how sweet." That was many years ago. Dr. Thomson was educated as a physician in order to be a missionary physician In Syria, but Just as he was on the point of going, someterrible massacres broke out In Syria, and his father wrote to him that they might have to flee at any hour, and that he had better stay in New York- He was very much disappointed, as he had been born and brought up In Syria and did not know a soul in New York. Dr. Thomson said that England, disappointed In her hopes of the cooperation of European powers In behalf of the Armenians, was just about to go ahead and do something with only the United States to back her, when "like a bombshell came the President's message about the Vene- zuelan Commission," which diverted the attention of England to a war scare and withdrew the backing and sympathy of the United States for England. Our next T. and M. debate Is on the question 1'Should England interfere In behalf of the Armenians? " This comes next Saturday. Prof. Ix>uis Dyer, formerly of Oxford, England, but now of Cornell, has been lecturing to us this week on Greek subjects. Friday night his talk was on the "Religion of Athena". This was not so Interest- ing as his lectures on Saturday. Saturday morning he read a metrical translation of his own of Euripides' Medea, -ft-Just girls who take Greek could go to this, so of course it was In a smaller room. Prof. Dyer's voice is much better suited to a small room- it is low andbeautifully modulated - one of the most beautiful readers he is, that I ever heard. We had Greek texts of the Medea to follow, so that we could see how well he translated it, especially in bringing the figures of speech over into the English- We all enjoyed it so much. Miss Franklin, one of the Latin teachers, who sat next to me, remarked that she had not been so happy for years.1 Saturday afternoon Prof. Dyer gave personal reminiscences of Dr. Jowett, Master of Baliol College, Oxford- but I could not spare the time from my special topic to go to this. Every one said it was very interesting. After the lecture Friday night, Prof. Leach gave the Greek girls a reception in the Seniorparlor, to meet Prof. Dyer. I think he is what you would call a "charming conversationalist." He talked so easily and pleasantly, and told interesting stories, for instance about the children Harvard of Prof. James - who teaches Psychology at Oxford One of Prof. James1 little boys, when he came home from the circus, was asked by his grand- mother what he saw there. He replied, "I saw a lion, and a giraffe, and a rhinoceros, but no conscious personality." Saturday night our table had a 'Waffle supper"- the first one we girls have been to since we have been in college. Immediately after chapel we went over to Mrs. Eidel*s - wholives in one of the cottages near here, and there we had a supper of waffles, chocolate, chocolate cake, and buttered toast. After we had all the waffles we wanted, we played "It"- whlch 1s the most fun of any game I know- Dr. Blair and Miss Epler were the ones who did not know the joke- Then we had short toasts, Miss Epler acting as toast-mistress, and all of us responding to a toast, in about two sentences. We walked to the cottage and back through "the pines a dark and lonesome path- safe enough on account of our numbers, but rather spooky. I have not time now to tell in detail about our "dissection". Monday afternoon we had a"clinic", with Dr. Blair as the instructor, and a little mouse, which Carrie had caught in her mousetrap the night before, as the victim. It was in my room, where Ray and Carrie and two or three other girls had gathered, and here we watched Dr. Blair dissect the poor mouse, just for the sake of seeing how the organs of the mouse were put together. It was purely voluntary. Carrie asked Dr. Blair to do it for us. None of the girls showed any signs of the proverbial "faint- ness" except Ray, who began to feel queer and left the room very abruptly. After she came back she tried to be very brave and insisted on pinning down the rat's skin and holding its tail out of the way, or anything else necessary.W e teased her about it very much. I got the handkerchiefs all right the other day. I find I have one of Edith's, which I will send back next week after it is washed. I just received Lou's postal about the Horace notes. I forgot all about them, and was sorry she did not remind me sooner. I hope it will not be too late cow. I will send them by the next mail. And I think I will put in with them, the napkins which I brought in September - now that I have the new ones. You wrote about the death of Mrs. Prentiss. Papa wrote me in November about the death of Mrs. Prentiss on Russell Ave. Do you mean this time Mrs. Perry Prentiss? You have all been so good about writing since Christmas. I have just revelled in letters. Love to all, Adelaide. jClaflin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: January 20, 1895
Text: Vassar College. Jan. 20. My dear Mother ,- Your welcome letter came yesterday. Now that the Christmas rush is over, not so many letters come to our room. But I always know I shall hear from home regularly, for you are all so good about writing. What a terrible storm you had- to judge from the newspaper account. Some of the snow came here. It is beautiful and sunshiny out today, though it is pretty cold. Tonight we are to have afamous speaker at the Y.W.C.A. prayer meeting, I mean missionary...
Show moreVassar College. Jan. 20. My dear Mother ,- Your welcome letter came yesterday. Now that the Christmas rush is over, not so many letters come to our room. But I always know I shall hear from home regularly, for you are all so good about writing. What a terrible storm you had- to judge from the newspaper account. Some of the snow came here. It is beautiful and sunshiny out today, though it is pretty cold. Tonight we are to have afamous speaker at the Y.W.C.A. prayer meeting, I mean missionary meeting- Lady Henry Somerset. I believe she has just come over from England, but I am not sure. Friday night we had a very interesting lecture by Mr. Chas. Walcott, the head of the U.S. Geological and Coast Survey. He spoke on the "Work and Methods of the U.S. Survey - told us how they made the surveys, in detail, and why they made them and so on. It was all illustrated by stereopticon maps and views. Mr. Walcott is an old friend of Prof. Dwight, Prof, of Geology. Miss Salmon made use of the stereopticon apparatus in the afternoon, to talk tous about Charlemagne- I mean to our history class. She has promised all the semester to talk to us some recitation- She is fine and everybody likes to hear her. We will have her for history next September, if we elect it, so I want to elect it then. For next semester I elected 4 hrs. 2 hrs. 2 hrs. Chemistry. Greek and History of Art- Besides that we have two hrs, each of Latin and Greek, and three of English required. I think our Latin will not be so interesting next semester as this, but our Greek and English will be more so. We will have Prof. Leach for the elective Greek.We miss Mary very much and wish she could be here, but we are very fortunate in having Carrie in her place, instead of having a strange Freshman put in. Mary does not tell much about herself In her letters. I packed her things in her old trunk Friday, and sent them to her by express. She had us keep all the things that were useful or ornamental in the parlor. Carrie was quite tickled to room us, for she was not very happy with her Freshman, whom she did not know before- Examinations begin a week from tomorrow, and oh dear! They make them hard and long- Then the year will be half over. Time goes quickly. Lovingly Adelaide. Claflin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: January 14, 1894
Text: Vassar College. January 14t 1894. My dear mamma,- I am so glad it is Sunday and I have time to rest; a good deal has been going on this week, that is in our work. W e have happened to have long lessons in everything all the week, and an essay to write at the end. Ray and I stayed up Friday night to begin our essays, and spent all of Saturday morning on them too. For our essays we were given six general subjects from which to choose: Madame De Sevigne's Letters, The Connotative Power of...
Show moreVassar College. January 14t 1894. My dear mamma,- I am so glad it is Sunday and I have time to rest; a good deal has been going on this week, that is in our work. W e have happened to have long lessons in everything all the week, and an essay to write at the end. Ray and I stayed up Friday night to begin our essays, and spent all of Saturday morning on them too. For our essays we were given six general subjects from which to choose: Madame De Sevigne's Letters, The Connotative Power of Words, The Salvation Army,Jane Eyre, An Old Testament Story, and a Fairy Story. Ray's is about the "Fearlessness of Jane Eyre", and mine is about Nebuchadnezzar. Our essays are corrected and talked about so much more than we were used to at home. They are all carefully corrected in red ink, and then each girl has a private interview with the teacher about hers. I don't mind an interview with Miss Nettleton at all. I am not as much afraid of her then as I am in class. I like her pretty well, anyway, better than I did at first. She was in Cleveland during the Christmas vacation, visiting Miss Perry. The day Ray went out to the College for lunch she sat at the same table with her. There was a lecture on Friday night by Prof. Sedgwick of the Mass. Institute of Technology, on "Bacteriology". Ray and I stayed home from it on account of our essays, but the girls said it was very interestingindeed. Someway it always happens that the ones Ray and I do not go to are always the most interesting- Last night the Sophomores gave the Freshmen a party. It is customary for them to give it early in the year; but for one reason or another it has been postponed until now. There was a short address of welcome by the Freshman President, and songs by the Sophomore and Freshman Glee Clubs. Each Sophomore escorted a Freshman — and some of them had to take two- That is the way they always do at such things, in the absence of gentlemen- There were ten dances and the programs of the Freshmen were made out before- hand by the Sophomores- Of course those who did not wish to dance could walk, or sit on the couches and cushions around the edge of the room. I got acquainted with several girls that I did not know before, and I had a very good time. It is the most formal occasion that there is without visitors from outside. I wore my white silk. This morning Bishop Foss of Philadelphia, preached. He is Methodist, you know- He preached as if he took it for granted that we were all infidels, but still he was pretty good. For some reason or other, we don't get any practical sermons here. The ministers that come, all seem to think that because it is a special occasion for them, it is a special occasion for us, and that they must preach a different kind of a sermon to us from what they would to their own congregations - There are two Jewesses here who room on the floor above us- They will never eat ham, and we have it quite often, and they never study on Saturday, but always on Sunday. They are lovely girls, though- nicer than any Jews I ever saw before. Today I heard a good story about a Freshman. You know the Volunteer Mission Band holds a meeting every Sunday afternoon. The first part of the year, oneof the year, one of the upper classmen invited this Freshman to go to the Volunteer Band with her. The Freshman hesitated and then refused to go, saying that she "didn't believe in going to hear bands play on Sunday." Tonight there is an address on "Woman's Work in Hindoo Homes", by Mrs- Water bury- a missionary to India. I forgot to tell you that I wrote to Mrs. Sheldon the first part of Christmas vacation, before I got the letter of hers. Our room looks much prettier than it did before, and every body admires our new things. I am only afraid that you robbed yourselves, and cannot well spare some of the things. We are having very good weather, now, not very cold, and very little snow. I hope you are having a mild winter too, It is so much more convenient- Lovingly your Adelaide. (Claflin
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: February 4, 1894
Text: Vassar College, Feb. 16, 1894. My dear mamma, - I have just waked from a long nap, into which I fell unintentionally. It was rather hot in our room and so it was easy to fall asleep. Our room is pretty well heated - the rooms on the west side of the house have a good deal of trouble to keep warm, sometimes, and the rooms on the corners are worst of all- Our room is just in the middle of the building. The weather has been colder for the past week or two, it has snowedvery often, and is snowing...
Show moreVassar College, Feb. 16, 1894. My dear mamma, - I have just waked from a long nap, into which I fell unintentionally. It was rather hot in our room and so it was easy to fall asleep. Our room is pretty well heated - the rooms on the west side of the house have a good deal of trouble to keep warm, sometimes, and the rooms on the corners are worst of all- Our room is just in the middle of the building. The weather has been colder for the past week or two, it has snowedvery often, and is snowing now, though not hard. Friday night Ray and I were invited to go on a sleighing party, and we went, the first time, I think, that I ever went. There were about twenty girls, with Fraulein Neef as a chape rone. We started a little while after chapel, and, like good children, came home early, at quarter past nine. It was not very cold, so that we had not much trouble in keeping warm. We drove through Poughkeepsie, and we certainly needed a chaperone then, for several crowds of boys snowballed us, and some of them caught on sleigh- which had two long rows of seats facing each other, as in a streetcar, and a step at the rear. Along the country roads we sang college songs. A number of girls went home yesterday noon to stay during the time between semesters. The girls who live near can get home pretty often. A good many of the Faculty went down to New York yesterday, too.ur examination in English Thursday was rather on Carlyle easy - we just had to criticise four pages of an essay,^and then analyze the whole essay. Our exam, in Hygiene was not very hard either, and it was short so that we got through long before the two hours were up. The "flunk-notes" are all sent out, except for Hygiene, and Ray and I have not yet received any. There were four other girls in our room yesterday when the noon mail came, and when they found that no flunk-notes came in it for us, they had a sort of a wild Indian war dance. Our classes are arranged all over again. They change them around so that different girls will get acquainted. Ray and I are now in all the same classes except Latin. ^ It is rather unusual to have so many classes together. Even our gymnasium hours are the same. I like the arrangement of my hours better than those I had last semester, except that I have four recitations on Thursday and two on Friday, instead of three everyTday. Miss McCaleb does all the arrang- ing into classes. I am making a little progress in skating. I went to the rink to try it, Friday and Saturday. It is very convenient to have some of your friends learning at the same time. I learn the slowest of any one I have seen yet. A. girl who went with me the other day was trying it fcr the first time in her life, and she could do it better that time than I could, though I had been a half a dosen times or more in my life. But I will learn yet. There was no church in the chapel today, it being the first Sunday in the month. So we went to town, to the first Dutch Reformed church, whose minister is considered to be the best in town. We think he is the best one we have heard in town, so that I think we shall | go there regularly after this. The pastor is Dr. Van Guysen, a rather old man. On account of the snow we rode in the horse car between town and Arlington, and walked between Arlington and the college. Between the first two points the fare is five cents, but if youride all the way to the college, the fare is ten cents. Saturday night we had some more fun, over in Arlie Raymond's room. Hope and Maidee Traver and one or two other girls were there too, and we played games and told each others' fortunes. One game that we played is lots of fun; it is called "It." It is played much like "twenty questions," only the second or third time that somebody has to go out of the room, they send some one who does not know how to play "It," and the object that they decide on is each person's left-hand neighbor; and, of course, as this is different every time the answers are very contradictory, and the one trying to guess it gets discouraged. Several of the girls here are having their sisters visit them, between semesters. They have to sleep at the cottages near by, but they can come to their meals here if they pay 50 cents apiece for their breakfast and lunch, and 75 cents for dinner. Well, tomorrow I shall have to begin to "grind". On account of the Algebra, I shall have to work harder than I did last year. The Sophomores tell us awful stories of it. They saythat while you have Higher Algebra, you don't count your cuts. Don't be afraid that I shall injure my health, I never was better in my life, and I take in some fun and laziness too, for all that I have to study harder and more steadily than I did last year. Your loving daughter Adelaide Claflin.
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: February 3, 1895
Text: Vassar College. Feb. 3, 1895. My dear Mother,— This is a happy day for us all, for examinations are over, and we did not have any flunk-notes yesterday, and no study- ing to do either. The new semester begins tomorrow, so of course we have no lessons to get for the first day. I will put in a schedule of my recitations for next semester. I have most of my recitations crowded into the first part of the day - you see I have no recitations after the sixth hour. It is rather hard to have three or...
Show moreVassar College. Feb. 3, 1895. My dear Mother,— This is a happy day for us all, for examinations are over, and we did not have any flunk-notes yesterday, and no study- ing to do either. The new semester begins tomorrow, so of course we have no lessons to get for the first day. I will put in a schedule of my recitations for next semester. I have most of my recitations crowded into the first part of the day - you see I have no recitations after the sixth hour. It is rather hard to have three or four recitations on a stretch, still itis nice to have them over earlier in the day, and it is very nice to be through for the week by Friday noon. I am going to have Miss Leach for Greek twice a week, so I shall call on her very soon. We have two hours of Greek required, for which we have Miss Macurdy. Ray and Carrie and I all have Chemistry- Belle elected Mathematics instead- Analytical geometry. Carrie has been making her Chemistry apron this last week- I cut out the yoke for her- She is going to have full sleeves too, so she will be entirely covered. Ray bought one second-hand, from Gertrude Smith. We have bought our books for next semester, that is those that have not been used beforeand so could not be gotten second hand. The rest we rented, for twenty five cents apiece. We sold some of our books to the Freshmen, those that we had bought second hand we sold for the same price we paid for them. Our examinations were finally over, though they stretched out through the week - one every day. They were all in the morning- lasting only two hours, so that we had all the afternoon and evening, in which to prepare for the next one, and rest, and have fun. The skating was splendid, so a great many spent most of their afternoons in skating- Twice they had a bonfire on the lake in the evening- We are not ordinarily allowed on the lake in the evening, because so many tough boys from town comeout then, so every once in a while Mrs. Kendrick has a bonfire arranged for- Our Greek exam, came first - on Monday morning. Two of the questions were quite fair and pleasant made out by Miss Macurdy- the other two Prof. Leach put in, and they were very hard. Miss Leach is noted for giving very hard exams. Mr. Wentworth conducted our English exam. and printed his directions on the blackboard in very large letters, instead of saying them to us- like this: PLEASE OCCUPY ALTERNATE SEATS. THE END OF THE HOUR WILL BE ANNOUNCED, just as if it were not easier to announce it. During the semester we dreaded our History exam, the most,but towards the end we had so many written lessons, for which we had to review our work, that there was very little left to do for exam- and this exam, like the one in English was not very hard, but was very long- Our first question in history was to give a brief account of our course in history, and tell the part that we liked most, and why we liked it most. Our exam, in Trigonometry was the hardest, and I think that more girls flunked in that subject than in any other. Our Latin we never mind, for we know pretty much what we will be asked, had and beside we have^Latin longer than anything else. The examinations are always very long- the only one that I finished was Rhetoric - which was the easiest- The rest of them I got about half through.In Trigonometry I only finished two, and did parts of two others - there were six questions in all. I am so slow. Ray usually gets almost through- she can write so very fast, and can think just as fast as she writes. There were only three girls (out of one hundred and twenty) who finished the Trig. exam. But I don't care if I am not smart. I just try to do things as well as time and my brains will permit, and let the rest go. Prof. Ely told us, one day in class, to be glad that there were so many people smarter than ourselves. We should have had a blissful day yesterday if we had not kept thinking we ought to be writing our essays, which are due next Saturday. But for all that we did not write them, but sewed and fooled and talked, all day- and in the evening were invited down to Maude Warner's. Thursday - to celebrate the end of the semester - we went down to Smith's to dinner - (the restaurant). Some girls go every week, but I had never been before for dinner. So it was quite a lark. We stood at the lodge waiting for a car to go down town, but none came for five or ten minutes, and just then a coachman from a livery stable in town came out from the college In a big two-seated sleigh, and asked us if we did not want to ride to town in his sleigh. So we jumped in, as there were four of us, and rode down in fine style. He was the coachman who always takes girls in with him when he goes back to town. Mrs. Kendrick would not have allowed us to do it, as we had no chaperone, but it was lots of fun. There were Belle and Carrie and Mary Tarbox on the back seat,and they left me to sit on the front seat with the driver. We had beefsteak and creamed potatoes and icecream for dinner- This morning Carrie and Ray and Marion Lockhart and I went into town to the Presbyterian Church. They announced a meeting Wednesday evening at which Mr. Angelini is going to speak. Elisabeth Guyer sat next to me in the car. You know she Is the girl who lives in Waverley- She told about seeing Uncle Edward at Christmas and Teddy- She seems to think a great deal of Teddy- says he is a very nice boy. They are going to be in the same camping-out party next summer. They would have been last summer if Teddy had not come down with his fever Just before the time. I was quite surprised to read of Stanley Tucker's marriage. I have often heard the name of the girl but do not know who she is. Did you see Connie Julier? It is a long time since she has been to Cleveland before. Lovingly Adelaide. (Claflin)
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: February 2, 1896
Text: Vassar College. Feb. 2. 1896. My dear Mother,— A hard week Is over aad a comparatively easy week is before as. Our exams, were harder than usual, aad also harder to prepare for. Our exam, in Thucydides was the worst. Miss Leach gave us for the first question a passage to translate, which was the very hardest passage In the book. Some of the girls had Just reviewed It, but a good many * Including myself - had not looked at it since we had it about two months ago. ft was so long that I had done...
Show moreVassar College. Feb. 2. 1896. My dear Mother,— A hard week Is over aad a comparatively easy week is before as. Our exams, were harder than usual, aad also harder to prepare for. Our exam, in Thucydides was the worst. Miss Leach gave us for the first question a passage to translate, which was the very hardest passage In the book. Some of the girls had Just reviewed It, but a good many * Including myself - had not looked at it since we had it about two months ago. ft was so long that I had done less thanhalf of It by the time an hour and a half had passed. Since we can have only two hours for our exam, I decided that X had better leave it and go on to the next question. So X wrote on my paper "I have spent an hour and a half on so much, so I am going to leave out the rest of this translation"- then I went on to the next question, aad had time to do about half ot it. Hot a person in the class had time to begin on the third question, and there were seven questions In all. X guess Miss Leach repented giving us that first question, for she couldn't have a chance to see what else we could do. Two of my examinations came on Monday and one each daythe rest of the week. Some of the girls studied about four hours for each one, but X did not have time, because X went over for two hours nearly every day to help Prof. Moulton with some hektograph work. X did some copying for him at Thanksgiving, and as the sine of my handwriting suited him he wanted me to write for the hektograph work. I was glad to have a chance to learn to use the hektograph, It waa quite interesting, I never knew before what kind of a thing it was - it is a flat pan filled with a stiff gelatine substance, to which you transfer your writing, aad then trans- fer it from there to other sheets. For Astronomy, which came Friday afternoon, we studiedthree or four hours. We had to cram on that, for it is a lecture course entirely, so that there is no occasion to learn anything during the year, though we had to read aad take notes every week. On that exam, we had ever a chance to tell everything we^heard of - it was so very comprehensive. It is not very pleasant to have an exam. Friday afternoon, for by that time nearly everybody is through, and enjoying themselves. In fact some girls got through W ednesday- Ray got through Thursday, and early Friday morning she went down to Brooklyn to her cousin Mary's- where Mr. Capen and Harry were to be also. I hope the changewill do her good,- I think seeing Mr. Cfipen will work a cure- For Ray has not been very well lately- She nearly fainted in her first exam, and has felt rather queer all the week. Yesterday afternoon Carrie and I went down town- I had to take my watch, which stopped all of a sudden the other day and would not start up again- I had not done anything to it, so I concluded it needed cleaning, and the Jeweler said that was what was the matter. This morning Carrie and I walked into town to church. It was miserable walking, you had to look at your leet all the time to keep them out of water. But the air was so fresh and the day so clear that we enjoyed it. Wewent to the Presbyterian Church. They have a new minister, but we did not like him very much, because he was so dramatic and emphatics. are away from college between semesters, so we had a service of song instead. My program for next semester is a little more convenient than last semester's, but our work is still rather scattered because we have history from quarter of four till quarter of five. Miss Salmon insists on having it then, because she can get more done during the day by having her recitations at the end of It, but the girls all dislike it very much. We cant get so much done during the day soso long as we have history still hovering over us. Here is my schedule: Tonight the Bible lecture was omitted, because so many girls Moil I 8.30 n HI 9.30 10.30 Gym- IV V VI vn 11.30 1.45 2.45 3.45 Greek Biology Wed. Gym, Tues Greek nasium Psych- Laboratory Lab. ology work Greek Biology History History Th. Greek Psych* ology Greek Gym History FrL Psych- Lab. ology Lab. Biology Feb. 2, 1896 - 4 Give my love to the neighbors and friends- Love to all Adelaide. (Claflin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: February 18, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Oct. 21. (1894, Feb. 18, 1894. My dear Mamma,- I will try to write my letter now just after tea, and before Bible Lecture. The hour of the Bible Lecture is changed from nine in the morning to seven in the evening, because the majority of the students thought that they would prefer it then - So Dr. Taylor said he was perfectly willing to try it, and then if it does not work as well, we have to change back. The way it is now there is no chapel service on Sunday, but the Bible...
Show moreVassar College. Oct. 21. (1894, Feb. 18, 1894. My dear Mamma,- I will try to write my letter now just after tea, and before Bible Lecture. The hour of the Bible Lecture is changed from nine in the morning to seven in the evening, because the majority of the students thought that they would prefer it then - So Dr. Taylor said he was perfectly willing to try it, and then if it does not work as well, we have to change back. The way it is now there is no chapel service on Sunday, but the Bible Lecture instead, and the regular Sunday eveningprayer meeting immediately after. I am afraid I shall be sleepy, but perhaps I won't be. It leaves us more time in the morning- Dr. Parker of Chicago, preached this morning- Friday evening there was a lecture by Prof. Stoddart of the University of the City of New York, on "Some Aspects of Shakspere's Maturity as Shown in the Tempest". He is quite an entertaining speaker, and his lecture was very interesting, though most of it did not bear very directly on the subject. He teas somewhat humorous. He illustrated his definition of humor: "Humor is a harmless divergence from the normal." We had an essay due yesterday for Miss Nettleton. We had had ten days' notice of it, but I had not had time to think of it. So I had to think up my subject yesterday morning (we were to choose our own subjects) and spend a good part of the day in writing it, I took a little rest at noon and darned a pair of stockings; thenI finished it and got it copied about half past five- I had begun about ten- I do wish I did not write essays so slowly- I heard a girl say she wrote hers in an hour in the morning- Another girl had her uncle come to visit her, before she had written hers, so she went into her room and wrote her essay off as fast as she could, right on her Essay paper. Ray wrote one yesterday morning and did not like it, so after lunch she wrote another, and did not like that, so at half past three she thought of another subject still, and wrote on that. The last one she concluded to keep and finished copying it in time to come down to dinner late. Last night the "Trig ceremonies" came off. It is given by the Sophomore class, you know, to celebrate the end of the Mathematics that is required. They usually have lots of jokes, especially on the Faculty. There were very few personal jokes last night, and no mean ones.They represented the class as sailing in the ship "Hall and Knight" (our textbook in Algebra) to the land of Trig, which surrenders. It was done in imitation of Columbus' voyage, and was carried out quite cleverly. It is usually customary for the Freshman class to go with some distinguishing mark, without letting the Sophs find it out beforehand. We all wore a green pasteboard interrogation pt. pinned on our backs, which meant "Where is the point to the Halloween joke you tried to play on us? " We all marched in together, and the Sophomores did not find out about it beforehand. Thursday is a whole holiday, though I suppose we shall spend some of it in studying- In the evening the Washington's Birthday Party will come. The weather this week has been very changeable, very cold until yesterday when it rained hard. Thursday morning it was 12° below zero. I had accidentally left my window open pretty wide, and some water that I had left in my washbowl was frozen in a solid dry cake, andthe water in my pitcher was almost entirely frozen, so was Ray's- And not only did our stylographic ink freeze but our common ink - too. Still the bottles did not crack, so we just let it thaw, and I guess it did not hurt it. I woke up about five times in the night, and when I felt of my nose, it felt like a piece of ice. I suppose we should not have had any trouble if our windows had not been open so much. But all this was only a "harmless divergence from the normal. Lovingly Adelaide. cClaflin}
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: February 17, 1895
Text: Vassar College. Feb. 17, 1895 My dear Mother, - We heard from home, in a way, this morning, for Dr.Upham, of the First Baptist Church, preached for us- We liked him very much. I think I had heard him just once at home. Katharine Dunham had him over to Strong for lunch yesterday. It was very nice for her. Irene Lawrence, too, goes to his church, you know. We have had an interesting week this week, with the climax last night when the "Trig. Ceremonies" came off. Every body said it was...
Show moreVassar College. Feb. 17, 1895 My dear Mother, - We heard from home, in a way, this morning, for Dr.Upham, of the First Baptist Church, preached for us- We liked him very much. I think I had heard him just once at home. Katharine Dunham had him over to Strong for lunch yesterday. It was very nice for her. Irene Lawrence, too, goes to his church, you know. We have had an interesting week this week, with the climax last night when the "Trig. Ceremonies" came off. Every body said it was the best thing they had seen since they have been in college. Our committee, who wrote it, was very bright and put ever so many cute jokes in it- Ray was one of the committee. The grinds on the Faculty were very good, and not mean, and the Faculty took them beautifully- I never saw them laugh so much. Dr. Taylor chuckled right straight through, and nearly bent double with laughter. They always have the "Ceremonies" printed, so that you can read it and have the Jokes explained in the summer time. Trigonometry was represented by a witch, Goody Trig, who was condemned to be burnt at thetake. When paper they had Goody Trig, tied to the stake they brought out for fuel^lamp- shades which the Board of Trustees have just forbidden us to use any more on account of the danger from fire, and Mrs. Kendrick had just put a notice on the bulletin board to the effect that we must all dispose of our lampshades immediately. I represented Mrs. Kendrick, and I had to sit and knit, and chaperone A.B. - a Puritan maiden with whom '98 was in love, '98, you see, was trying to win A.B. The audience was very enthusiastic and the classes were more hilarious than I ever saw them. Each class cheered for itself, and then they all cheered for Dr. Taylor, andMrs. Kendrick, and some of the Professors.—between the acts. I thought Dr. Upham would think we were a pretty noisy set, but he did not know that this is the only occasion - the great occasion, in the year, when we carry on so. I had a good deal of work in writing the invitations beforehand, on account of my being Secretary- I had to write separate invitations to all the Professors and teachers, and housekeepers and so on. But still I will not have nearly as much work as Secretary of our class, as Carrie has as Secretary of the Y.W.C.A. This week I was appointed a member of the Devotional Committee of the Y.W.C.A. Ray is chairman of the missionary committee.Last night Jo Sleight came and spent the night with us - She was here last year, but does not come this year. She lives only three miles from here, so she comes to see us quite often, and as an ex-student is entitled to spend one day in the college free. She slept In Carrie's bed. since Carrie was invited over to spend the night with Ellen Hailey at one of the cottages. Ellen, you know, is the girl with whom I spent most of my time during the Christmas vacation - We came back from New York together. She is going to become a doctor and is going to a too medical hospital first and be a nurse, for she is quite^ young to enter a medical college. She is going to a hospital next year for she can not afford to go to collegeany longer- (She is an orphan)- So she is a special this semester and takes only what she needs for entering medical college. There are so many who want to come into the college now that all the Specials are banished to live in the cottages- So poor Ellen had to leave us and go over to Mr. Wheeler's to live. Wo have not hoard from Mary for more than two weeks. The last we heard she was talking about spending the winter in Boston, where some friends invited her. But we do not know whether she la there or not. Her brother in Princeton Theological Seminary was very sick, so that her mother had to go there and leave her to keep house. Friday afternoon I heard a very interesting lecture by Prof. John Howard White of Harvard-It was, rather, a talk, for it was at the meeting of the Hellenic Society- composed of girls who take Greek- His subject was a Greek one. In the evening he lectured before the whole college on the "Old Greek Comedy". He was a very fluent and polished speaker. He is a famous authority on Greek subjects - a "big bug." He spent eight months of last year in Athens. Miss Leach had a reception for him afterwards, to which she invited her Junior and Senior Greek classes, and they had ices and coffee for refreshments. I suppose Lou is happy now that her exami- nations are done- Poor girl, 1 am glad she is through with Hall and Knight. I am glad to hear that Clarence is over the mumps- How funny for him to have them at his age. Love to all, and especially to you, dear mother, from your loving daughter Adelaide. [Claflin]
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: February 14, 1897
Text: Vassar College, Pougb keeps ie, N.Y. jFeb. 14, IB97, / My dear Mother,-— Ed's letter that you forwarded came on the evening mail yesterday. I think that is the first time this year that I have gotten anything by that mail. There were some flowers in it, but I do not know what they are. The paper that came yesterday had a good deal of news in it. I am so sorry Dr. Upham has resigned; I liked him so much. There was a decided differencein the resignation letters of Dr. Upham and Dr. Ladd,...
Show moreVassar College, Pougb keeps ie, N.Y. jFeb. 14, IB97, / My dear Mother,-— Ed's letter that you forwarded came on the evening mail yesterday. I think that is the first time this year that I have gotten anything by that mail. There were some flowers in it, but I do not know what they are. The paper that came yesterday had a good deal of news in it. I am so sorry Dr. Upham has resigned; I liked him so much. There was a decided differencein the resignation letters of Dr. Upham and Dr. Ladd, was'n't there? That was very sad about that boy dropping dead at High School. Ray always reads the home papers that I get; they very seldom send her any. We had a young Episcopalian minister this morning, from a little town three miles from Poughkeepsle: he preached the most halt- ing sermon I have ever heard. I suppose he was embarrassed. He preached without notes, and in almost every sentence he would repeat part of it, or change the form of it, or begin with a verb in the active voice andthen stop and begin over with it in the passive. Once he tried to quote one of the beatitudes and he got it all tangled up with other verses and finally had to give it up, by saying "Oh, you know what beatitude I mean." It was very painful; everybody was nervous for fear he would break down altogether. Yesterday we celebrated Valentine's Day: all the senior tables were decorated with red paper hearts suspended above them, and red candles on them. Then Prof. Moore's little girl, about five years old carried around to the various Senior tables a basket full of valentines, and left at each table the bundle that belonged there. Irene Lawrence, who was chairman of the committee guided her around. Irene is an awfully nice girl: the more I see of her the better I like her. I got six valentines - some of them were very good. I wrote only two this year, I wanted to write more but I had too much else on hand. We had to write a German Sssay for tomorrow, and that took a good deal more time than an ordi- nary lesson. Beside that, I have to take charge of Civitas Club tomorrow night, and for that I have to read up about the Fabian Society. We have a queer thing to do for History tomorrow: that is, to find out all the rigmarole which«we-would have to be gone through with in order to get ourselves appointed postmistress of the town in whichwe live. I can not find out much about it from any books that I have consulted yet. It takes so long to look for things when you don*t know what to look for. That history course, though, is far the most interesting history course that I have had- I am so glad I elected it. We are studying the Constitution now- Pretty soon we shall be having the history of political parties in the U.S. Then I shall learn why I am a Republican, or else perhaps I shall turn Democrat.* Miss Salmon is such a fine woman: She gave us the most interesting talk last Monday onthe "Relation of the teacher to the Community"- X mean by "us" a pedagogical club which one of the girls in our class has just started up: its members consist of the girls who expect to teach next year, and the various professors are going to talk to us, about once a week, on subjects interesting and valuable to teachers. The substance of Miss Salmon's remarks was that the teacher should be intimately associated with the life of the community; that the community needed the teacher and the teacher needed the community. She believes that the very best place for a fresh college graduate to teach in is a very small town. She says that college graduateshave usually had the best advantages all their lives, and have always been absorbing, like a sponge, all that is good- but that when they graduate it is time they began to give out, and, like a sponge, they will give out most when there is the most pressure. Therefore she thinks that a very small town, where will bring out all there is in a teacher, and make her establish independence of ideas and methods, because there will be the most need for decision and ingenuity, and most will be demanded of a teacher, in all directions in which she can help a community. Miss Salmon said that a teacher should be the most unselfish person on earth. She can well say it, for she practices what she preaches.So I suppose I had better be looking around for my small town! I must go to bed now, for it is time for the hell. So farewell Love to all, Adelaide. jClafLinj February 14. 1897.
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: Feb. 11, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Feb. 11, 1894. My dear Mamma,— It begins to seem like March now, the wind blew so last night. But there is bright sunshine. It was so cold last week that the water froze in our pitchers for several nights - I heard Fraulein Neef say one morning that it was 4° below zero. Monday morning I studied in my room for an hour or so after break- fast, and then, just as I was going to a recitation I noticed that ink was leaking from my bottle of stylographic ink that I had just bought....
Show moreVassar College. Feb. 11, 1894. My dear Mamma,— It begins to seem like March now, the wind blew so last night. But there is bright sunshine. It was so cold last week that the water froze in our pitchers for several nights - I heard Fraulein Neef say one morning that it was 4° below zero. Monday morning I studied in my room for an hour or so after break- fast, and then, just as I was going to a recitation I noticed that ink was leaking from my bottle of stylographic ink that I had just bought. When I picked up the bottle I noticed that it was all broken, and the bottom stayed behind. The ink had frozen into a solid cake, and was just thawing. We let it melt in my washbowl and then dipped it into Ray's empty bottle. I tried common ink in my fountain pen, and after I had used it a week or two, it got sticky and would not write. So I use stylographic ink now. I don't see how Ed gets along if he uses common ink in his fountain pen. This morning an Episcopalian minister from Buffalo preached. A girl who is acquainted with the prayer book invited me to sit with her, so that it was pleasanter for me than it has been before when the Episcopalian service has been used. But still I much prefer the Presbyterian style. There was a meeting of the Students' Association Friday night. to discusschanging the time of Bible Lecture. The majority voted in favor of asking the Faculty to have it at quarter of seven in the evening, instead of nine in the morning- It would then take the place of chapel service. I should not like it so well myself, for I am usually sleepy when I listen to a^ci*lecture in the evening. The Faculty will decide about it at their meeting on Monday. There was also a communication from Bryn Mawr read, at the meeting of the Students'. You know Vassar invited Smith to debate us with them# but Smith's Faculty would not allow It, because they said it would take too much of the students' time and attention, and besides, the President of Smith does not believe in having women appear in public. The Faculty there decided the question without even speeking to the students about it, so that they knew nothing of it. Then Vassar sent the challenge to Bryn Mawr, which accepted, and preparations have been going onfor a month or more. And now Bryn Mawr has just sent a letter saying that they wish to withdraw, because they did not know it was going to be public and formal, they say- They thought it was since just between student and student, and thatAthey understand it is between college and college, they do not want to do it, because they are not used to debating. So I suppose Vassar has to give up the idea, for I think they will not ask Wellesley, there is too much rivalry between the two- I think it is too bed that they are not more friendly. I must write a letter now to Maude Warner- She has been in Brooklyn for two weeks now, because the doctor said she had to have a rest. H she does not get better she cant come back to college. I know another girl whose home is near here, who has been home two or three times to rest a week or two- Two or three girls have had to go home for good, on account of their health. One of the girls at our table got a box yesterday, and invited all of our table in to help her eat the contents - a cake, oranges, and a little honey- Some girls get a box every two orthree weeks - with cookies, crackers, canned fruit, etc. One girl got two barrels of apples in the fall, and several other girls got one barrel. When I first came I thought the table fare here was very good, but I am getting rather tired of its sameness myself. Since I was at Hort Lewis's where they had porterhouse steak and things to match, every day. I can understand how girls can think the fare is not good, which a good many of them do think- But do not imagine I am getting stuck up. 1 manage to enjoy my food, and live and grow fat on it. But things have to be so much better, away from home, to taste as good as very simple pldin things do at home. I am looking forward to our own home- cooked food next summer. Lovingly Adelaide C. (laflin,[sketch of room] Here Is a view of the prettiest part of our room - looking from my desk in the corner opp. the bookcase. The hanging on the door opening into the corridor is Ray's black velvet and gold. Our silk scarf is on the table, and on the lower part of the table are our plates and work- baskets and a pile of papers. On the right hand side of the table is a wooden book rest containing 8 or 10 books. The lower shelf of the bookcase is our dishes. The biggest book on our bookcase is our Latin dictionary, the next two arethe Greek diction- ary and Shakspere. The photographs stuck in a little bamboo hanging at the left, are Ray's. That is our couch beneath. The door at the right opens into my bedroom, and you can see my bed, my closet door and my bed slippers and piece of carpet.
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: December 9, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Dec. 9, 1894. My dear Mother, — It ls 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...
Show moreVassar College. Dec. 9, 1894. My dear Mother, — It ls 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 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 Philaiethean Day - Phil, for short.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 girls1 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 friendof Julia Gardner's, and one with her mother, and one with Miss Gouldy, whom Katharine Dunham invited. Tou 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 wentdown, each armed with a plate, and Mary followed with a pitcher. When we got into Room B we saw a big wooden bo* 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 ourtable 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 onMondays, 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 pub- lished, gettingfive 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 Kendrickvs 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,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: December 5, 1893
Text: Vassar College, Dec. 5, 1893 My dear mamma, I have a special reason to write this time, Hortense Lewis, or Hort, as everybody calls her, has invited me to go home with her at Christmas. She lives in Mount Vernon, a suburb of New York city, where several other girls with whom I am well acquainted, live too. She says she is very anxious to have me, and wants me to-rewrite and ask you right off. You see she was at home Thanksgiving, and arranged it then. She is a rather queer girl in some ways,...
Show moreVassar College, Dec. 5, 1893 My dear mamma, I have a special reason to write this time, Hortense Lewis, or Hort, as everybody calls her, has invited me to go home with her at Christmas. She lives in Mount Vernon, a suburb of New York city, where several other girls with whom I am well acquainted, live too. She says she is very anxious to have me, and wants me to-rewrite and ask you right off. You see she was at home Thanksgiving, and arranged it then. She is a rather queer girl in some ways, sort of helter-skelter, but she is really very nice, and I like her. From the other girls I found out about her family, and they say her family is lovely, her father,her stepmother, who is as nice as she can be, and two little sisters. The fare to New York, one way, is-about $ 1.50, but the girls generally go down on what they call family tickets, for $ 1.00. That is, some girl buys fifty, and sells them to the other girls, because in that way you can get them for a dollar. The other girls say I would have a lovely time at Hort's. I think I would enjoy myself If I stayed here, too, judging from the Thanksgiving vacation. During this vacation I found time to do a good many little things that have needed to be done for some time, in the way of darning and mending and washing my hair, and then I spent three mornings in studying American history, and besides that I went to town, visited around among the girls, went to the President's recep- tion, and ate the Thanksgiving dinner. There wouldn't be nearly as many girls here at Christmas though. They say there are only from twenty to forty girls who stay at college for Christmas. Every letter I get has in it something like this: "How nice it will be when you come home Christmas? Of course you are coming home then, aren't you? " It is rather funny. Ray's father said in his last letter, that it was certain that she could come home for Christmas. Of course she will come over to see you. She got back from Brooklyn yesterday noon, and said she had had a beautiful time. Her brother was there, and several cousins. One of her cousins brought her the prettiest calendar for next year. It will be quite an addition to our room. The comforter and shawl came yesterday afternoon. Thank you for them ever so much. I needed the comforter last night. It is quite cold here. The ground has been covered with a few inches of snow for several days, and it is snowing quite hard now. The lake is all frozen over too, so that it seems quite like winter. I am afraid you will need the shawl at home. I know they were always wanted. But it will be by no means wasted here. In fact I have been wishing for a long time that I had one. They can be used so much here. You see shawls of every kind, color and description on everyoccasion. They are so convenient to wear over to class when you are in a hurry. I wouldn't be without my red cap for any thing. I only need to wear my blue hat to town. I wore my red velvet once to church on a bright Sunday. Perhaps I shall need it if I go to New York. Every one now is talking about Phil, now "(as they call the recep- tion of the Philalethean Society). It comes on Friday night. There is something in the way of exercises in the chapel at half past seven, after that eight promenades, ten minutes long. They won't allow round dancing with men at all, here, and square dances are not popular, so they just have promenades, and we will walk up & down in the Hall of Casts. They are going to have refreshments, but they charge fifty cents for them to all who are not members of the society, and so I didn't put my name down, because I don't want to spend fifty cents just for something to eat. I will wear my white silk. We have just heard that Miss Richardson is anxious to have usfinish geometry before Christmas, so that we shall have more studying than usual to do, I would like so much to get a little time to make Christmas presents, but I am very much afraid I won't. Wed. morning. I have been writing this letter at intervals ever since yesterday, but have been interrupted about half a dozen times, sol must send it off now, even though it is not finished. Edie's letter came yesterday. I do not need to use the medicine now, I am glad to say. I have not yet had the least sign of a cold. The snow is now six or eight inches deep* It snowed off and on for a few days, and steadily and hard all day long yesterday. Your loving daughter Adelaide. Claflin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: December 30, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Dec. 30, 1894. My dear Father,— Well, I have been to New York aad back. By Wednesday, when the Margaret Louisa Home sent word that they could not accomodate us, I gave up going, but about nine odoek Thursday night we got word that we could stay at a boarding house oa West 44th St. which one ol the girls knew about. So we rushed around and got ready, aad started off oa the 8:46 train Friday morning - six of us. We wanted to go to the'Messiah" Saturday evening, so of...
Show moreVassar College. Dec. 30, 1894. My dear Father,— Well, I have been to New York aad back. By Wednesday, when the Margaret Louisa Home sent word that they could not accomodate us, I gave up going, but about nine odoek Thursday night we got word that we could stay at a boarding house oa West 44th St. which one ol the girls knew about. So we rushed around and got ready, aad started off oa the 8:46 train Friday morning - six of us. We wanted to go to the'Messiah" Saturday evening, so of course we would have to stay till Monday. But we couldnot get tickets for that time; every one was sold. Just by the skin of our teeth we got tickets for Friday afternoon- the only other time it was to be given. It was fortunate that we went to buy the tickets as soon as we got to New York- Ellen Hailey did not want to stay till Monday, so as we did not f have to stay oa account of the "Messiah", she aad I came back on the six oclock train Saturday evening. Some of the money that we would have spent for two days more board, we used to buy some things that we have been wanting, as we had such a good chance to get things in New York. After I got back I found mamma's letter telling me to be sure to stay over Sunday- I am well satisfied myself with doing the way I did, but if I had known you were so anxious to have me stay over Sunday I would have stayed. Your letter with the money in itcame Wednesday noon, and though I thought then that I would not need it, I was very glad the next day to have it. It was so nice of you to allow me to go, and I had a fine time. We enjoyed everything so much, even the poor food at the boarding house, and the man with the blue necktie who tried four or five cups of coffee every meal before he got one that suited him. The boarding house keeper was a nice little woman who did all she could for us. And so did "Robinson" the elevator man, a colored man, who ran errands for us. We felt quite "swell" to have colored waiters waiting on us in the dining room too. We slept three in a room, which made our board cheaper, though not so cheap as at the Margaret Louisa. We went to our board- ing house just before lunchFriday, so Saturday Ellen and I took our lunch at Macy's, (where we happened to be) for 19 cents and so we had to pay for board for only a day. At first she thought we were at her house for lunch and so was going to charge us for a day and a half. We took our baggage and went to the Metropolitan Museum for the afternoon. Of course I remembered very well-seeing; the things I a year ago saw there last Christmas vacation^and they seemed like old friends. There is a fine model there now of the Notre Dame Cathedral, which a year ago they were just putting in las* Christmas when I was there. The Messiah was certainly worth the $1.50 we paid to hear it, though we were provoked when we paid it. All the tickets at the box office were sold, but some individual had bought a lot and was stand- ing on the steps selling them for more than they cost. We didnot like to patronize him when he was doing such a mean trick, but we did want to hear the Messiah. Our seats were in the balcony, quite good ones. The tiers are so steep that we were ever so far above the floor. It was in Carnegie Hall, a very fine building - well arranged and beautiful. Walter Damrosch, you know, is the Director of the Oratorio Society, and Lillian Nordica was the soprano soloist. Then there was the Symphony Orchestra. Oh it was all so fine, and will be unforgettable. The audience all stood up while they sang the Hallelujah Chorus. I wanted to go to Mr. Smith's church, and so did one of the other girls who heard him here at college two years ago, and has wanted to hear him again ever since. We thought we would go to the prayer meeting Friday night, but we found that they have prayer-meeting on Wednesday night. But Willie is not coming home till tomorrow night, so she was to go to his church this morning- I just got acquainted with Willie lately, and she is a very nice girl, from Memphis, where Ellen Hailey came from too. Willie is a Senior. I felt quite independent going around New York with Ellen (for we went alone a good deal). Ellen Is a little bit of a thing and seems like a child, and doesn't know a great deal about New York. But it is a very easy place to find your way in. and you never lose your bearings, on account of the streets having numbers. I suppose. We took different streetcars, as much as we could, so as to try all kinds and see different streets. When we went to the Metropolitan we rode all the way in the Fifth Avenue stage, and saw all the fine residences. Vanderbilt's for instance, and the fine hotels and clubhouses. The hotels and club housesare the finest buildings in New York, aren't they? Ellen and I came home alone on the six oclock train. The depot was not far from our boarding house. We got to Po'keepsie about half- past eight - the train was a half hour late— We were gone long enough to have quite a little change, and new experiences, and feel as if we had had quite a trip. Everybody here had a sleigh ride Friday afternoon- there was a great deal of snow, freshly fallen. The last few days have been very cold indeed, though it was partly on account of the wind. Poor Ellen thought she would freeae while we were on the streets in New York. Having lived in Memphis she is not quite so used to such weather as I am. It is a little warmer now though. Are you still having spring weather? Your loving daughter Adelaide. £laflin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: December 23, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Dec. 23. 1894. My dear Mother, — Vacation is really here, and I am enjoying it ever so much. It is so quiet and restful. Almost all of the girls who went, did so by Friday noon. The girls take their vacations from the very minute^ Recitations ended at 11:20 on Friday, and inside of five minutes one or two hundred girls were off for the 11:52 train. Most of the girls who went north or west managed to get off on the 11:16 train. Some girls went as far as Louisville, others to...
Show moreVassar College. Dec. 23. 1894. My dear Mother, — Vacation is really here, and I am enjoying it ever so much. It is so quiet and restful. Almost all of the girls who went, did so by Friday noon. The girls take their vacations from the very minute^ Recitations ended at 11:20 on Friday, and inside of five minutes one or two hundred girls were off for the 11:52 train. Most of the girls who went north or west managed to get off on the 11:16 train. Some girls went as far as Louisville, others to Kansas, aad one girl even went to Colorado Springs. This is a day of fast traveling- I suppose you have seenlorado Springs. This is a day of fast traveling- I suppose you have seen Katharine already- I sent by her some photo- graphs of the college buildings, which I thought you might like to see. It was all I had time to get, and I am sorry I could not make something for each of you. But I hope you will have a good Christmas anyway. Of course I would like awfully to be with you-but I will see you all in June. I sent your picture as you asked me to, so that you can send me another one. Ray said she would probably be over to see you Wednesday- she can ride on the crosstown railway, can't she? That will make it very con- venient to go from our house to hers. Tell Katharine Dunham that I remembered her leaving her palm in her room, so I got one of the girls over at Strong to take it to her own roomand take care of it. I have four plants to take care of for girls - two of them geraniums. out I am enthusiastic now about going to New York. When I foundA how little it would cost I thought it would be all right, but I did not want to spend fifteen dollars. Ellen and I have talked about going and staying three days and two nights, at the same time that the other girls go, who are going to stay a week. What makes me want to go the most is that if we do, we will go to hear "the Messiah". We will pro- bably have trip tickets to New York, which will cost a dollar each way, then I understand that it costs only forty cents for us "hi to stay over night in the Margaret Louisa Home, two in a room. There is a restaurant in connection with it, breakfasts and suppers or luncheons dinners 30^. Then counting in carfare and extras would not make the whole very large after all. Tickets to the "Messiah" are a dollar. If I should find I was spending too much I could come back sooner. The other girls applied at the Home for next Thursday, so Ellen and I wrote for appli- cation blanks for that time, as of course we need not use them if we decide, before the time, not to go. So now, unless I hear to the contrary from you before Thursday, I think I shall go then. If I don't get any money before Thursday I can use the five dollars that papa sent me, though I did lay that aside for the expenses at the beginning of next semester- But after all if money is very scarce I want you to telegraph me not to go- in time so that I can send word to N.Y. Wednesday.This has been a perfectly beautiful day - cold and still. We walked into town to church.- just the weather for walking- This afternoon, too, I rode in to the vesper service at half past four. I go down town oftener since the electric cars are running- It takes just about the same time now that it does to go down town at home. It is too bad that the cars go down Main Street, for we see the worst of the city. Or rather it is too bad that Main Street is such a bad street, for though it has all the stores where we have to do our shopping, it has ail the saloons, and this afternoon I saw a drunken man fall across the street from me, and taken away by two policemen. We have to go over to Strong Hall for all our meals, as they are putting a new floor in the dining-room here. All the chairs and tables arepiled in a row along the corridor. It is rather nice to go over there, even if it is more trouble, because the dining room is much prettier, and some things are cooked better over there. The coffee is so much better that I am afraid I shall take it too often. There is a poor little FKeshman here this vacation, who has gotten homesick and melancholy this year, more than any girl I ever saw. Her name is Edith Jones, and she sits at our table. Friday afternoon she went down town and back three times, just to keep herself occupied* She doesn't know at all how to make herself happy or contented with any circumstances, poor little thing! She ■ * has been a great friend all her life with "Little Lord Fauntleroy"— Vivian Burnett, Mrs. Frances Hodgson Burnett's son. U they were not aged eighteen and nineteen respectively, andoung for their ages, people would say they were engaged. Vivian spent Thanksgiving vacation here, and is going to be here for the last week of Christmas vacation. He is a Freshman at Harvard. During the Thanks giving vacation he sat at the guest table and of course all the college had a good look at him. He is rather good looking, and they say not at all conceited. Edith has been working all day today on a Vassar pillow for a Christmas present for him. She studies every Sunday. Gertrude Smith and Marion Schibsby (don't be afraid of that name) Marion is a Dane by birth) are going to have a Christmas tree in Marion's room, and invite Ellen and two other girls and me to come to it tomorrow evening. I will write about it afterwards. They are going to trim it up.I must say that "pride goeth before destruction" for the very day after I wrote to you that I had not had a cold, I caught one, sleeping in a girl's room (to keep her company because her room mate was gone) and she had too much ventilation for me, because I woke up In the morning to find myself freezing and with a cold started. I have used up some of my cough-pills for that, so when Ray comes back she had better bring some more. Merry Christmas to All. Family Neighbors and Friends, and God bless you every one. Lovingly Adelaide. (Claflin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: December 22, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Dec. 22. 1894. My dear Mamma, - Your letter came day before yesterday, and I have been thinking about it since. It was very nice of you to plan a little trip for me, but I am afraid you ought not to spare the money. I thought at first that I would not go at all, because I would much rather have you spend the money for something you want. But perhaps I ought to take tie opportunity of seeing a little of New York while I have a chance. The girls here often stay at the Margaret...
Show moreVassar College. Dec. 22. 1894. My dear Mamma, - Your letter came day before yesterday, and I have been thinking about it since. It was very nice of you to plan a little trip for me, but I am afraid you ought not to spare the money. I thought at first that I would not go at all, because I would much rather have you spend the money for something you want. But perhaps I ought to take tie opportunity of seeing a little of New York while I have a chance. The girls here often stay at the Margaret Louisa Home, and four or five of them are going down there this vacation to stay a week, girls whom I know.Then Ellen Hailey, whom I like the best of any of the girls left, was asked to go along with them, but she did not want to stay so long, so she Is willing to go with me at the same time the other girls go, but for us to come back after two or three days. So you see 1 can manage it all right about going* But I should be very happy here and have a very good time, and not be lonesome. So If you cant spare the money easily, please don't send it, and If you can be prevailed upon to spend it for yourself, please do it. The girls are all gone who are going, and there are about fifty of us left, X guess, some of whom will be away for a few days at one time or another. Doc. 22. 1894-2 I would write mure but I want this to go on the nine oclock mail* Is Mrs. Collins in New York, and what is her address? lovingly Adelaide jClaflin, \
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: December 2, 1894
Text: assar College. J an. 2. 886. My dear Mother, — Vacation has come and gone so quickly that It hardly seems as if we had had any, except that I feel rested and less hurried- 1 wrote part of a letter to you the other day, but I was interrupted, and did not have a chance to finish it. Bay went down to Brooklyn, as she expected, aad had a fine time. Her brother Frits was there too. He is in Scrlbner's book- store in New York. Her brother Harry is in Asheville, N.C. where he has to stay till...
Show moreassar College. J an. 2. 886. My dear Mother, — Vacation has come and gone so quickly that It hardly seems as if we had had any, except that I feel rested and less hurried- 1 wrote part of a letter to you the other day, but I was interrupted, and did not have a chance to finish it. Bay went down to Brooklyn, as she expected, aad had a fine time. Her brother Frits was there too. He is in Scrlbner's book- store in New York. Her brother Harry is in Asheville, N.C. where he has to stay till spring- O X forgot that I hadn't told you- Ray has a new little sister. She was born early last Sunday morning. Ray Is soglad it is a girl, for most of her family aad relatives are boys. Ray went to the great football game in New York on Saturday- with some of her cousins. They always take her around in New York. A good many of the girls went down to the game Saturday, who did not go away for Thanksgiving- About half the girls were here Thanks- giving Day. We did have a grand dinner. It was at three oclock, and we assembled in the corridor a few minutes before three, and marched into the dining room two by two, singing "America". Dr. Taylor and his family ate in the dining room with us- Mrs. Kendrlck and some of the Faculty were in their usual places at the Faculty table, at the next table was Dr. Taylor and his family and some more of the Faculty- at the next were some more of the Faculty and Missood- the librarian- with five or six of the Faculty babies- Miss Wood is very fond of babies, and takes care of the Faculty babies a good deal of the time, especially of Dr. Taylor *s- I should say children for they are three years old or so. They call Dr. Taylor's baby, Dick, and the girls say that it is short for "the Dictator." The children are all very fond of Miss Wood, and no wonder, for she is lovely- For the Thanksgiving dinner we arranged our own tables, and decorated them. We were at a small table, only seven of us, and I was at the head. We were at the table about two hours and a half. I would send you my menu, if it were not too large to go in any envelope I have. We had all the regulation Thanksgiving things, of course, and besides, lobster salad, creamed oysters. Roast young pig, (which I never ate anywhere else, but which is good), rice croquettes, pine-apple sherbet, chicken salad, strawberry tartlets, Nesselrode pudding (which is like icecream with all kinds of fruit and citron and raisins chopped up in it.) Charlotte russe, and fruit and nuts and so on. I tried to manage the thing "systematically and scientifically" so that I was not uncomfortable. I barely tasted of the common things, and so was able to enjoy the desserts, I took some of everything but potato and celery. Belle went home lor the vacation, so Mary and X were left in possession of our "suite", and we enjoyed it ever so much. We did not get much done, for we were fated to be interrupted* Girls came in and stayed for hours, I suppose because they thought that was all right in vacation. But we would rather have spent those hours outdoors. We did have fun on Saturday especially. We looked all through the Catacombs (i.e. the cellar)for another bookcase. We had collected too many books for our old accomodations- We found a better looking one than either of those we had, so we brought it up, and changed the books- Then we changed the books in the other two and rearranged them. W e changed around all the furniture in Mary's bedroom too, and that took a long time for the bedrooms being small and square, the bed takes up a large part of the room, and it is almost Impossible to make it fit more than one way- Then we washed the dishes that were dirty or dusty, (we really do not dust every day) and washed and ironed the doilies and teatable cover. The teatable cover is an old one of Mary's and while I was ironing it Z tore the hemstitching half way along one side.We ought to have spent all this time in studying, but we so enjoyed the change of occupa- tion that we did one thing after another. Down in the catacombs we found a little table with a drawer in it, and we looked upon that as a gold mine, and brought it up to pat in my bedroom. It is one of the kind they used to use here, and is about the only one left, I guess. It Is about like the one Clarence keeps up in his room. I have put a blotter on the top, and use it for writing when there is company out here in the parlor. We are going to change bedrooms in February, thea Ray will take mine and I will have hers- There will be one nice thing about hers, if it is a corridor room, it has a wardrobe in the room. Now I have my wardrobe out in the corridor, and the most inconvenient part of it is that I have no place for my shoes, for I want them in my room. Jf anybody wants to make me a Christmas present, tell them to make a shoebag, then I can hang it on the back of my door, and next semester have it inside the door of my wardrobe. You ought not to give me any Christmas presents, though, for I have so many nice things, and so many privileges. I wish I could give you each a real nice Christmas gift, but I am beginning to fear that I shall not be able to make any at all. Please tell I*ou to send me a catalogue of the Woman's College or else a list of the books she needs to use next semester,so that I can send them home at Christmas by Katharine Dunham, if I have any of them. We are going to read Horace's Satires and Epistles next semester, and I think she is too, isn't she? Lots ol the girls who stayed here got boxes from home, so that Mary and I happened to be invited to three two spreads and a candy pull in one evening, Wednesday. We went to them all, too. One of them was Katharine Dunham's- Her aunt in Lockport sent her another box- She makes the nicest boxes of things that I ever have seen- the loveliest angel cake Just exactly like Edie's, and fruit cake and cookies and canned things- Dr. Taylor was not feeling well all day Thanksgiving, and is still out of sorts- He could not be at the reception which he always in the evening givesAand Mrs. Taylor received alone. After the icecream and cake were served they all played "Going to Jerusalem". Prof. Van Ihgen and his three sons 4e- played too, and Prof. Van Ingen beat. He is the Professor of Art - a funny Dutchman, who has been here the longest- I believe, of the professors. I am glad you met Dr. Taylor and liked him-as I do. Lovingly, Adelaide. jClafUn,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: December 10, 1893
Text: Vassar College, Dec. 10, 1893 My dear Mamma,—- I have just written a long letter to Edie to Zanesville - I haven't the slightest idea whether or not she is still there, and I have only a few minutes left before bed time, so I can write only a short letter- I do find bed time so inconvenient sometimes, if only I could stay up after ten, la* more than three times a month- but, of course, you will say, it is better for my health. Still when we do take cuts, we generally take good long ones,...
Show moreVassar College, Dec. 10, 1893 My dear Mamma,—- I have just written a long letter to Edie to Zanesville - I haven't the slightest idea whether or not she is still there, and I have only a few minutes left before bed time, so I can write only a short letter- I do find bed time so inconvenient sometimes, if only I could stay up after ten, la* more than three times a month- but, of course, you will say, it is better for my health. Still when we do take cuts, we generally take good long ones, to get the full benefit. Friday night after Phil, we did notget to bed till about one. Every year before this Phil has lasted until eleven, but this year they extended the time to twelve. Every body had to go home promptly at that time, but a lot of girls came into our room and talked for a while. I had a pretty good time Phil. Ray's brother Harry came up, and I had a promenade with him, of course. They had it in the main building after all; instead of in the Hall of Casts. They had a small orchestra there, and each prom, was about fifteen minutes long. We walked up and down in the long corridors, which are very well suited to the purpose. Then the college parlors were furnished by the girls, with pretty things, and lots of sofa cushions (by the way I believe there are at least two thousand sofa cushions in this institution; they arc considered more necessary than chairs, and there certainly a good many more of them inmost rooms). Dr. Taylor's parlors were thrown open, too, so that we could step aside and sit down whenever we felt like it. I had promised three other girls to take proms, with their men, but all three of them couldn't come after all. A good many of the men stayed over and spent Saturday here. Lillian Bay lis s had her brother here, who used to be in my Greek class, but of course he wouldn't know me now, aad I am not sorry. I am sure Fred White, who lives next to the Thayer's on Euclid, was here, too, though\at first I did not recog- nise his face because he has changed so much. I wore my commence- ment dress, and I have grown so fat since it was made that I could scarcely get into it, in fact, at first I didn't believe I could wear it. All my dresses are tighter for me than they were, but I can still wear them all easily except that one. I am gdhg to eat less, and exercise more, after this, because I cant afford to be spendingtime or money in letting out my dresses. I took my examination in American History yesterday morning. I reviewed it during Thanksgiving vacation, and on Friday afternoon. I am not sure whether I passed or not, and I do not know how soon I will know. If I did not pass, I will have to take another exam, in it. It was not very easy, and I know several things that I got wrong on it. I am just beginning to think sbout Christmas presents- The cheapest things to buy in this town are books. I saw some very prettily bound ones yesterday very cheap, for instance the "Bird's Christmas Carol" and "Editha's Burglar", the "Bird's Xmas Carol", just like mine for 50 cts. and very pretty editions of other books for from twenty five cts. up. It the family are going to make me any present, a fountain pen would be appreciated most. We will have to take so many notes in ink in the library - but if funds are low, never mind making Xmas presents. Quarter to ten, so goodnight. Your loving daughter Adelaide.Claflin, I was so sorry to hear of Mr. Bingham's death. How can the church get along without him? He has done so much for it for so long. I have been so good this week as to write to Aunt Allic and Mrs. Holway.
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: April 27, 1895
Text: April 27, 1895, My own dear Mother,— I am going to write to you tonight, so that the letter will reach you on your birthday. I will delegate Bess to give you my birth- day kiss, along with her fifty nine which I suppose she will give you. How nice it would be if I could hire a flying-machine on each of your birthdays.' — and some other days too. I send by this same mail a dishcloth which I knit for you in my spare moments, thinking it would be a useful if not an ormamental gift. At any...
Show moreApril 27, 1895, My own dear Mother,— I am going to write to you tonight, so that the letter will reach you on your birthday. I will delegate Bess to give you my birth- day kiss, along with her fifty nine which I suppose she will give you. How nice it would be if I could hire a flying-machine on each of your birthdays.' — and some other days too. I send by this same mail a dishcloth which I knit for you in my spare moments, thinking it would be a useful if not an ormamental gift. At any rate, if you don't wish to use it, let it ornament the kitchen. Today is Founder's Day, and therefore a holiday, though really it is not so much of a holiday for me, because I have only two recitations on that day anyway- Still I appreciate the difference, decidedly. This has been a much nicer celebration then that of last year. The aim this year was to have the day of interest to the students as much as possible, and as much as possible to really take us back to the days of the Founder. For several years we have had some famous (more or less) lecturer to address us in the evening, on some more or less interesting subject which had no connec- tion at all with our college or any college. But this year we had exercises at four oclock in the afternoon, so that outside guests need not come to it if they did not want to, though a good many did come. Theprogramme opened with an organ voluntary by Prof. Bowman, who is the head of the musical department, then a college song in which we all joined. Then Katharine Reiley - the president of the Students Association, made an address on Student Life at Vassar. She made a very fine appearance and delivered her address very well - without notes- She is a very clever girl - I might say woman, for she is very dignified. Alter this we sang a song which was written for the occasion - by competition - by Miss Doughty, one of Gertrude Bronson's room mates. (By the way Adel- bert Bronson is here, I saw him several times today.) Katharine Reiley read a telegram from a member of the first class that graduated - in 1868.The chief thing of the evening was the address of Prof. Whitney, on "The Founders of Vassar". Miss Whitney is the Astronomy prof lessor. She graduated here in the first class, and has been here ever since, since, as Maria Mitchell's assistant so long as Miss Mitchell lived, and alter that she has beea Professor of Astronomy herself. She is a fine woman, very simple and cultured. Saturday morning- Bedtime came before I could finish my description, so I will resume It now. Miss Whitney's address was fine, interesting reminiscences, and a history of the beginning of the college. She told especially about Dr. Raymond, the first President, Miss Lyman, the first Lady Principal, and Miss Maria Mitchell. I think her address was the nicest thingthey could have had for the occasion. The chapel looks very pretty on such occasions. All the girls who have guests sit downstairs in the chapel, and the rest of us in the gallery (where we can watch the people very easily). The afternoon exercises were over at half past five. There was no dinner served at dinner time in the dining room, as it was filled with little tables for the evening refreshments. But we were provided for, for at lunch they brought on platters and plates full of things from which we helped ourselves, meat, bananas, bread and cake. So we took them upstairs and at suppertime set our little table and had a meal such as we children used to have sometimes around the sewing table.In the evening there was the usual promenade up and down the corridors, in full dress. I did not dress for that because I have had a slight cold this week and I thought it was safer not to take off warm clothes. While the rest were dressing for that, Bella and I went down to the Lecture Room and examined the things in the Loan Exhibition, while the room was not crowded. The Exhibition was very interesting. A great many things that belonged to Matthew Vassar, were there, furniture, personal belongings, and a good many pictures of him- Some old daguerrotypes included, and a good many letters of his to various people connected with the college. There ware also mementoes and pictures of Maria Mitchell. Beside these things about particular persons there ware photographs, letters,autograph albums, class pins, programmes and all such things, of some of the earliest classes, and old catalogues. Two of the historic bootjacks which ware placed in each room when the college was opened, by the kindness and fore- thought of Matthew Vassar, were interesting objects. I think this collection was especially interesting to the alumnae who were here. A great many of the guests are staying over for today. This morning at eleven o'clock the Glee Club sang informally in the Chapel for an hour or so, and everybody always likes to hear them. Well, I guess you have heard enough about Founder's. O I almost forgot, in my interest about Founder's, to tell you some- thing else which is of some interest, and that is that I am goingto room with Ray and Carrie in a parlor next year. We drew for rooms on Tuesday, and I tried to get a single, to room alone, but I drew a blank, which means that I could not get one, so I drew next for a parlor with Carrie and Ray. We were all unfortunate in our drawing, so that we finally got the very last choice for parlors in our class. For this reason we consoled ourselves with the thought that at least we would not have to spend time in selecting our room, for we simply had to take the only one that was left. But it is not a bad room, in fact it is a very good one, and our next door neighbors are going to be some of our best friends. The best thing about the room is that it is a south one, where we will have the sun all day. The roomis on the first floor, so that it will be convenient in many respects. I wanted very much to have a single room, for some reasons. I would like to try one because I have never roomed in a room alone, and there is not much privacy in rooming with several others. Still it is lots of fun, and I enjoy it ever so much, in a firewall, and in some ways it is very convenient to have some roommates. So I am going in that way next year, and look forward to having a single room in my Senior year. Of course Ray and Carrie and I will be very happy together, and we are very congenial. On general principle I think it is better for the same girls not to room together for threeconsecutive years, but Ray and I could not help it this time. Before I forget it I will tell you that- I used a dose of my cold pills this week, and gave another dose to a girl who was coming down with a cold, so that I have no more. I like to have something on hand ready for use In case I need it, so if you have any cold powders in the house you might put one in your next letter. I used some of my cough-pills too, but I still have a few of them left. Bessie's and Lou's old letter did come this week. When I first saw the date March 24, I thought it was simply a slip of the pen, as the letter was mailed April 24. But when I read the news about things that I knew happened about a month ago I changed my mind.I thought perhaps it was a sort of April Fool arrived late till I noticed the outside at the envelope, which bore marks of having been in a man's pocket for about a month, being creased and dirty. So I accepted that as the solution. I wish we had as warm weather here as you write about. There have been only two or three days when I could stay outdoors long without a wrap, I still have on my warm clothes, though shirtwaists are pretty generally worn now. Spring is slower than usual even here, where it is always slower than at home, I hope I can put an shirtwaists pretty soon- I think I prefer the changeable weather of home to the long steady winters of this climate, where you say goodbye to the grass and anything like warm weather, in November, and don't expect a suggestionof them again till April. Give my love to the neighbors and friends- and I send lots especially to you for your birthday- Your loving daughter Adelaide, (Claflin) Vassar College. April 27. 1895.Perhaps this will be my week letter, so that you will not be looking for one Tuesday.
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: April 26, 1896
Text: Vassar College. April 26. 1896. My dear Mother,— Today I write your birthday letter, to wish you a very happy sixtieth birthday, and a happy year to follow. How I should like to be at home to celebrate it- This is the last birthday before I get home. We are having such beautiful weather now—we want to be out- of-doors all the time - but there is so much that keeps us indoors. Ray and I have taken a membership in a Wheel Club - which means that we each rent a wheel for an hour three timesa...
Show moreVassar College. April 26. 1896. My dear Mother,— Today I write your birthday letter, to wish you a very happy sixtieth birthday, and a happy year to follow. How I should like to be at home to celebrate it- This is the last birthday before I get home. We are having such beautiful weather now—we want to be out- of-doors all the time - but there is so much that keeps us indoors. Ray and I have taken a membership in a Wheel Club - which means that we each rent a wheel for an hour three timesa week, at the rate of seventy- five cents a month. I think I can learn to ride, and get seventy-five cents' worth of fun out of it. The wheel has not come yet. We were very much excited yesterday, because our class suf- fered two important defeats,—the first in the afternoon when we lost a match game in basketball with '96, and in the evening, when we lost the debate between T. and M. and Qui Vive. We had no expectation before- hand of winning the debate, because we have practiced debating only this year, while Qui Vive had had practice a year longer— But the game in basketball we had expected to winbecause we have never been beaten but twice in basketball. '96, however, was desperately determined to win. and played the fiercest game I ever saw them play—so that the game was very close indeed, but they finally made a point just before time was called. W e were actually ready to weep, we were so disappointed- As I said before, we did not expect to win in the evening - especially as we had changed leaders three times, and Ray was the only one of the originally appointed debaters left. So of course the girls who finally took our side did not have so much time for prepara- tion as the opposite side had. Ray was the leader on our side, andand the third member on our side was one of the girls who had played basket ball in the afternoon. She was so tired she could hardly deliver her speech- We were rather disappointed in her, for when she is not tired, she is awfully bright and funny. (She, by the way, is the daughter of an actress, but she is an awfully nice girl - Every one likes her so much, and she has so much common sense- Her name is Marie Reimer). Ray's first speech was fifteen minutes long, and was not so good as her final summing up speech, because she was rather scared at first, and she had to try to remember V^what she had written, while her second speech was extemporaneous, consisting mostlyof refutations, and In that she was just as bright and sweet as she could be. She spoke the nicest I have ever heard her speak in public- And some of the things she said were so cute they brought down the house. I dont mean to say her first speech was not good, for it was very good, and very clear and logical. The second girl on our side made a very good speech too, and was especially good at refutation. On the other side the leader was splen- did, the second speaker moderately good, but the third spoke entirely off the point. I think the other side showed more self-possession and ease in speaking, bnt I dont think their arguing was any better than ours, and Ithink our side was far superior to them in refutation. However they were enough better than us to have the judges decide in their favor. The judges were Prof. Mills, and two lawyers from town. Oh I forgot to state the subject of the debate, "Resolved that the foreign policy of the present Administration merits the disapproval of the country"- Our side had the affirmative. They would have been smarter to state the question aff "merits the approval" and then take the negative, for then they would have had the last word- Some of the Faculty thought it should have been decided la favor of '97, but of course we have to rest content that the decision of the judges was the best oae. The only times wehad hopes of winning was after the speakers had finished, and ours had done better than we expected and the opposition had not done so well as we expected. '96 fairly stood on their heads with joy at winning, for it is so seldom that they get ahead of us in anything. Well, I ought to have written first about Proxy's arrival but that has been so crowded out by later events that I was thinking it occurred a week ago. Of course there is a great deal of uncertainty in preparing for the arrival of an ocean steamer, but the committee had things so systemat- ized that they were telegraphed when the steamer was sighted, when the passengers landed, and when Prexy left the Grand Central for Pough- keepsie. The entrance and second corridor were decoratedwith rose and gray cheesecloth, and palms. Down in the entrance there was a big square pyramid of palms—to which Dick Taylor had added a handful of dandelions as his contribution to the floral decorations. Dr. Taylor was to arrive at the college about quarter past five, so at five everybody in college went out and we arranged ourselves in single line up and down each side of the road leading from the lodge to the front entrance, and we extended from the lodge nearly to the door. Then the Faculty and officers were all standing around the door. We waited till we began to fear Prexy was not coming then after all, but about half past five the carriage appeared, and the girls began to yell with oneaccord, "Welcome Prex, Welcome Prex, Vassar, Vassar, Vassar *s Prex!" All the while that the carriage was passing up between the two rows of girls, we kept yelling this, or else, "Rah.1 Rah! Rah! V-A-S-S-A-R. Prexy!" ——(prolonged) Then we all fell in behind the carriage and followed it up to the door, where we stood and listened while Prexy spoke a few words, telling how glad he was to get back, and how much he appreciated our hearty welcome. Then in the evening we had a reception arranged for the poor man, who must have been tired out- At this reception we all gathered first in the second corridor, around a platform which had been erected, and we sang a song which had been written for the occasion.Then the President of the Students9 Association made a short speech of welcome, followed by Prexy, in another speech, not very long, in which he said he was glad to be stand- ing-en* even on that platform, for he had been reeling for the past seven days- It seems they had quite a stormy passage, and he was seasick all the time. He looks a great deal better - aad is very brown. He met a great many friends who were living abroad, who showed him around, and he had a most delightful trip. Noae of the Faculty wrote him a single word about college matters while he was goae, so that his mind would have a complete rest from worrying about things. He says he enjoyed most the trip up the Nile, \in which he spent three weeks- I suppose he will tell us some time in chapel abouthis trip. After his speech Thursday night we all weat and shook hands with him,—after singing another song composed for the occasion. Saturday evening the Feculty gave a reception to Dr. Taylor, so that he had not much chance to rest - the Seniors having given him one on Satur- day afternoon in the Senior parlor. Well, we are all very glad to have him back again. Friday is Founder's Day, and we have a holiday- which means that I will be working all day on special topics— It keeps me busy to do all these things while I am tutoring four times a week. My tutoring will only last two weeks longer, though. I hope the whooping cough next door is vanishing - I thought you would want Ed to come home as soon as he could so I advised him to go.Can't you leave the house-cleaning till I am at home to help? With Edie as poorly as she has been, I do hate to think ol her attacking housecleaning, and you know I like housework. I have such a large part of the year without it that I don't get my share. My love to all the neighbors and friends- Tour own daughter Adelaide. ^Claflinj
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: April 21, 1895
Text: My dear Mother, - One more week has flown by- They are busy ones now, and so they go more quickly- especially the Saturdays and Sundays, to which we look forward. We always expect to do so much on Saturday, and then, somehow, when the day is gone, it seems as If we had done so little. Aad Sunday too, when it is gone, seems so short. Today we went to town to church, because the minister who was to have preached did not come. It was such a pleasant day that we walked in - I walked in to town...
Show moreMy dear Mother, - One more week has flown by- They are busy ones now, and so they go more quickly- especially the Saturdays and Sundays, to which we look forward. We always expect to do so much on Saturday, and then, somehow, when the day is gone, it seems as If we had done so little. Aad Sunday too, when it is gone, seems so short. Today we went to town to church, because the minister who was to have preached did not come. It was such a pleasant day that we walked in - I walked in to town yesterday too, with Belle, as she wished me to help her select a hat. They are begin- ning to wear straw hats now. The new dresses are appearing these pleasant days, and the sleeves, well- they are so inflated that if they grow any larger they will burst. Tell Edfe that if she makes a new dress she will have to remember the rule for sweetening canned pie-plant. "Put as much cloth into the sleeves as your conscience will allow, then turn away your head and put some more in." Most of the sleeves are lined with fiber chamois too, which keeps them very stiff and rattling. And the fiber chamois in the skirt reaches half way up the back. It looks like yellow wrapping-paper. I am glad the skirts are made perfectly plain - I guess the attempt to introduce drapery has been given up. But box plaits, box plaits, box plaits in the waist! I put my name down to stayhere for Commencement this year. The girls told of having such fun at Commencement that I concluded it would be pleasant to stay- Class-Day is a great occasion. Anna Graham - of Cleveland - is going to be Prophet of her class then. The Juniors have been selecting their rooms for next year, in the last two days. It is a time of great excitement, for there Is such a difference in the desirability of the rooms. They draw in this way: Mrs. Kendrick puts a lot of little blocks of wood, each with a number on it, into her little black handbag. Then the girls pass in front of her, each "putting in a thumb and pulling out a plum"- Then whoever has drawn no. 1. has first choice of rooms in the building. No. 2 second choice and so on. More and more girls every year seem to want single rooms, so that there is greatemand for them, and the girls near the end have only poor ones to choose from. And as for the rest of the classes, they have only a few left apiece^ and a great many of the girls who want them cannot have them. Probably sixty girls in our class will want singles and only about twenty singles will probably be at our disposal. I want to get a single room myself if I can, if I cannot probably Ray and Carrie and I will room together in a parlor. Otherwise Ray and Carrie will room together In a double. I think it is not the best thing for the same two girls to room together next year U we can help it, though of course we should be very happy if we did- We shall probably draw for roomstomorrow, and have our rooms all selected by the next day or two. Belle is not coming beck next year, because she can not afford to. She did not know of the possibility till just lately, and it was not settled till Easter vacation, I am so sorry she has to stop now, for the two hardest years only, are passed, and the two pleasantest are to come. Belle's mother needs her too, I think, for she is sick most of the time, and is at home alone. The only other members of the family are Belle's two brothers who are in other towns. Belle has been away to boarding school for a good many years, so that I should think her mother had not seen much of her. Mary writes that she is making plans on the supposition thatshe is coming back next year - but I do not believe she will come back. She is not as well as she was when she was here. Her mother has been in Princeton for ten or twelve weeks, where Mary's brother has been very sick with typhoid fever, so that Mary has herself and the house to take care of, and her little sister and her sick aunt. She is having the housecleaning done now and is seeing to having the whole house papered. There is nothing like her ambition. Kate Dunham has selected a single room - a very pretty little one - though it is little. She does not appear to be very anxious to come back next year. I think she would have been just as happy at home, though she likes it well enough here. I like it more and more the longer I stay here, that is, Igrow more attached to it. And we are beginning to have the professors now, instead of just teachers. There are so many things that I would like to study next year, that I am having some difficulty in deciding on my electives- The Seniors are beginning to feel sorry about leaving - they have only a few weeks more of college. Mr. Thompson - ("Uncle Fred" as the girls call him) gave the Seniors each a spoon last night, as he does every year. The spoons are rather larger than teaspoons, and are very heavy - quite a nice thing to keep- Give my love to the neighbors - I am glad Etta is well. I am relieved that the Kendricks are settled in their house at last, and did not have any more fuss. Lovingly Adelaide. (Claflin} Vassar College. April 21, 1895.
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