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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: 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 21, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Oct. 21. (1894, My dear Edith, - I suppose that at this moment you are down at the Baptist Mission Sunday School, unless Mr. Hungate has found some one in the First Church by this time who is very ready to accomodate him by taking your place. Do you still go down there? And is Mr. Hungate all right now? I should not think you could still keep up that Sunday School now that you have more responsibilities in our church. I hear that you are \Secretary of our C.E. Society as well...
Show moreVassar College. Oct. 21. (1894, My dear Edith, - I suppose that at this moment you are down at the Baptist Mission Sunday School, unless Mr. Hungate has found some one in the First Church by this time who is very ready to accomodate him by taking your place. Do you still go down there? And is Mr. Hungate all right now? I should not think you could still keep up that Sunday School now that you have more responsibilities in our church. I hear that you are \Secretary of our C.E. Society as well as Treasurer of theLadies Society. I am glad they appreciate your ability, but I hope it won't wear on you to have this extra work. I wish I could step into the C.E. meetings at home every Sunday evening. Tonight the Bible Lectures begin. They are to be given this semester by Dr. Patterson of Rochester Seminary - you> see we have a Baptist this term. I am going to take notes this year. I wish that I had taken notes last year of Dr. Vincent's lectures. I shall be able to hear a good deal better this year, for I sit so much nearer the front. We had such a good sermon this morning, one of the best I have heard here. Dr. Taylor's only brotherhas been very sick for some time and he died yesterday. He lived somewhere in New Jersey, I believe- Mrs. Taylor and Mary went there Friday, but Dr. Taylor did not go till yesterday. This has been such a beautiful day- and so was yesterday. Yesterday afternoon Miss Epler took Maude Warner and Marion LiOckhart and me out riding. You know she took us last June, and at that time she asked us to go again with her to another place some- time. So the time came yesterday. It was just a perfect day, the warmest day we have had here, so that it was just right for driving- We went to a placeabout ten miles from here. Maude and Marion each drove on the way there, and I drove all Ihe way home. It is lots of fun to drive on these country roads, where it is so easy - not a lot of wagons and electric cars and bicycles going in every direction. It was quite hilly where we went. I mean much more so than it is within two or three mifcs of here. Of course I never have a chance to see such beautiful scenery anywhere else as I do around here, and the more hilly it is, the more beautiful. You can look all around you and see hills in every direction, one back of the other, and farthest away the mountains, thethe Cats kills especially. Here where there is no smoke the leaves are beautiful, and so often you can see a hill covered all the way up the side with trees, and the leaves are of almost every shade you can think of. It is so nice of Miss Epler to take us, especially for such long drives, for we were out for three hours. At a point about two miles from here we came to a bridge over a creek, and sitting on the edge of it with their feet dangling over, we saw three college girls. Juniors, whom^we all knew, and guess what they were doing - fishing.' They were as surprised to see us as we were to see them. They hadn't intended to tell us about it tillthey brought home the fish. They did not catch any, but they still declare they would have if it hadn't been for three boys who came there to fish and grew too familiar with them so that they had to leave. The girls said they saw ever so many fish going around in the water. WeU, there is one thing important to report this week, and that is, that Poughkeepsie now has electric cars. They have been thinki ng and talking about them so long that I concluded not to say any- thing till I saw them. They began running out to the college on Tuesday. To be sure they have not such conveniences as electric buttons in them, but they are really good electric cars, of the same kind as most of them in Cleveland. I havenot yet ridden in them, but I must take the opportunity soon, especially as the fare is reduced to five cents. I hear them sometimes in the evening and if I shut my eyes I could imagine I was at home. I think there will be more intercourse between the college and the town now, especially in going to entertainments- The girls will go to more of them in P. and the P. people will come out more to ours. reader There was a famous Shakspere writer- in town last night, whom a good-ef-many of the girls went in to hear, with Mrs. Kendrick and the new Professor of English, Mr. Wentworth. We are going to be very happy this year I think, in our "fire- wall". Mary andBelle are very congenial and we have lots of fun together. We have to work ever so hard. I mean ever so steadily, for our work is not so hard as last year, I think, but takes more time. I see better than I did last year, how much I enjoy college, and how nice the girls are etc. How fast it grows dark- I did not notice it, but I think I had better not write any more now. I try not to use my eyes except with a good light. I am going to put in some needles that I found here when I came back, I did not know they were here, and I don't know just where they came from, but perhaps you and mamma will be glad of them, at least if there are no better onesin the house than there were this summer. Lovingly Adelaide. ^Claflin,
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: October 12, 1894
Text: Vassar College. Oct. 21. (1894, Oct. 12. 1894. My dear Bessie,- You have been so good about writing to me several times aleeady, that I will answer your letters next. I want first to thank you for the postal stamps you sent me for my birth- day. They were about the most useful thing you could hav? +hought of, and they came at just the right time, for I intended to buy some that very day. I am taking this time to write because I am too lazy to do anything else just now. I...
Show moreVassar College. Oct. 21. (1894, Oct. 12. 1894. My dear Bessie,- You have been so good about writing to me several times aleeady, that I will answer your letters next. I want first to thank you for the postal stamps you sent me for my birth- day. They were about the most useful thing you could hav? +hought of, and they came at just the right time, for I intended to buy some that very day. I am taking this time to write because I am too lazy to do anything else just now. I have two recitations the first thing Friday morning, and nothing more till late in the afternoon. So the middle of the day seems like Saturday, and when I have had the hardest part of my week just before this, I like to do something else at this time than study. Our work is going to take ever so much time this year, for we have so much library work in history. For that we have to scheme and wait to get hold of the book we need, for often there is only one copy and 130 people want to use it. Then we have to read pages and pages, and take notes of the principal ideas we pick out.We bought several history books which we can use all we want to, and that is a great help. Studying history this year is interesting out of class, but not in class, for our teacher, Miss Johnson, is said to be more like a primary school teacher than any other here. If there are any more of mamma's pictures at home, I wish you would send me one as soon as you can. The other one, that you said Mr. Zndean sent, never reached me. I wrote to the postmaster in Poughkeepsie about it, but he could not find any trace of it. I am so anxious to see one. Mamma said thefamily did not like them very well. Etta's picture carne all right, though the wrappings were nearly off of it. Aren't you going to send me Clarence H.'s too, or cant Lou part with it? The other day, after I had been out walking with Katharine Dunham for an hour, I found a note on my door saying that Mr. and Mrs. West of Des Moines were in the parlor and would like to see me. I had not the slightest idea who they were, but I went down to the parlor. However, they had gone by that time, so I have not yet found out who they were. They sentup the note about half an hour before I got here. 1 have been wondering whether they are the relatives of the Fuller's, -wir for those are the only people I have heard of that live in Des Moines. But I couldn't remember whether their name was West. Some Des Moines girls were entertaining them while they were here. This morning Ray brought a letter from Mamma down to Greek class, and I read it there. I wish she would stay longer than till tonight, in Ypsilanti.Tomorrow Mr. Thompson is going to have the annual excur- sion to Lake Mo hunk, for the Freshmen, Seniors, and all the new students, in other classes. I wish we could gc, for it is such a beautiful place, and the long ride is a treat. It is twenty miles av/ay, and they ride both ways in buses. You remember we went last year. Katharine Dunham was not sure whether she was going, for she expects her Aunt Belle here today, and if Miss Sutliffe can stay over till tomorrow, of course Katharine wont go toohunk. We had a very exciting meeting of the Students Association night before last. They discussed the question of wearing the cap and gown. Most of the girls are in favor of it, but it can not be done without sending a petition to the Faculty, and getting their permission. This was sent, two or three years ago, asking that the Senior Class might wear them, but the Faculty would not grant that then. So there is a good deal of doubt about whether the Faculty will approve of it this time- I am not sure whether I want them or not. Itseems to me personally that I would rather wear my individual clothes, but still as the majority wanted them I did not vote against them, because I have no real objection, and I did not want to make the petition less unanimous. You have not told me about school, and how you like German, and whether you find it hard. Did you know that we were both read- ing Cicero? We are reading two of his essays, "Be Amicitia", and "De Senectute", which twill leave you to translate. They are very interesting, and I like my Latin teacher, Miss Greene, ever so much. Lovingly Adelaide. jClaflinj
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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: 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, 1894
Text: Vassar College. March 24, 1894. My dear Edie,-- Vacation has begun, and I am alone in my room now. I think vacation will be very pleasant. It is a rest to have only a few girls here, and have it quiet- Even though I keep busy all the time, it is a rest to do what I feel like doing, when I feel like doing it. During vacation we have to read DeQuincey's Confessions of an Opium Eater, and Joan of Arc and English Mail coach, for English - Gertrude Smith and Arlie Raymond and I havebeen...
Show moreVassar College. March 24, 1894. My dear Edie,-- Vacation has begun, and I am alone in my room now. I think vacation will be very pleasant. It is a rest to have only a few girls here, and have it quiet- Even though I keep busy all the time, it is a rest to do what I feel like doing, when I feel like doing it. During vacation we have to read DeQuincey's Confessions of an Opium Eater, and Joan of Arc and English Mail coach, for English - Gertrude Smith and Arlie Raymond and I havebeen reading the "Confessions" today, one reading while the others darned stockings or sewed- (Arlie Raymond is making over an old silk skirt into a waist). I dont like the book at all. I think DeQuincey is the most conceited, egotistical man I ever read. Miss Sweet gives us lectures in English class, and they are very interesting- She has such an interesting, though peculiar, quiet way of talking- Her lectures on Lamb were fine. Most of the girls went away yesterday noon. Vacation began at half past eleven, but as Ray had no recitation before that, she started before breakfast yesterday morning, taking the 7:47 train for New York, and going from there to Springfield. She took a trunk along, and all her old clothes, as her grandmother is going to have all her spring sewing donefor her there. She bought the cloth for several new dresses, two or three weeks ago, so she wrote, to Ray. Ray will be so fine when she gets back that I won't know her. She will have rather a quiet time at her grandmothers, I think, and I am glad, for she needs a rest. She has been working so hard. She is the kind of girl whom people always ask to do the extra things- For Miss Richardson she and Gertrude Smith have been looking up the History of Algebra. They have read several beside works on the subject, and anaong the English ones Ray has read a good deal of a German one, and Gertrude S. a French one. They are going to write out what they have discovered and read its- it in class after vaca- tion. Ray's music lessons, too, have taken up an hour a day. I wish you had sent the paper which told about the Salvation Army in connectionwith Vassar. About two weeks ago Ray got a letter from her father, beginning: "My dear Rachel,- Have you joined the Salvation Army? " She was perfectly thunder-struck, and not less so when her father went on to say that there had been an article in the Leader the night before saying that Vassar was much excited about the Salvation Army, and that fifteen girls and Mrs. Kendrick had joined it. That is all he told about it, and he did not send the article. If it had not been for this episode, I should not have had the slightest idea of what you were referring to: since I have not heard the Salvation Army mentioned (any more than casually, once or twice, when giMs were discussing the dif- ferent speakers who have been here) since Mrs. Booth was here. That perhaps shows how "exclted(?)" the college is over it. About a dozen girls did join the Auxiliary League when Mrs. Booth was here. By so doing they gave five dollars to Mrs. Booth and promised to use their influence in favor of the Army,as the editorial from the Leader explains. That, however, excited no comment. I met Mrs. Kendrick in the hall the day after I got your letter, and spoke to her about it. She said no girl had ever joined the Army while she was a student here. There was one graduate who did, a young lady who joined it in London two or three years after she graduated, and has been an active worker in it ever since. Of course this Is not saying that it not all right to join it, or that the Army itself is not a good thing; but it shows the facts of the case at this college. As for the matter of "sermons" that was all past and over long ago, and I am sorry you have been stirred up over that. I was not at all convinced that it was wrong, though it seemed a little strange. have However, I should probably^thought nothing more of it, if several girls had not comeseparately, to Ray and me, and asked us what we thought about it, and saying that they thought it was not right for us to have to do it. That is, they thought it was an excellent thing in itself, as every one does, and that it was a fine thing to be able to get the analysis of to a sermon while listeningAit and thus being able to remember it much batter; but they thought it was not right to do it for a weekday lesson; to do the work of a lesson on Sunday to be handed in Monday- any more than we would, on Sunday, get a lesson in New Testament Greek, if a course in that were one of our regular studies, because on Sunday we ought to forget all our week's work, and our lessons. So we thought It would do no harm Just to speak to Miss Nettleton about it. So we did, and that would have been an end of the matter, if Mrs. Kendrick had not heard of it. But she heard of it some way, andthought it was not right for us to have to analyze sermons for lessons, and told Ray so, and there was the end of the matter. I was afraid all the time that we were just splitting hairs, but when I found that Mrs. Kendrick, and Dr. Taylor, and Dr. Vincent, and several other older and wiser heads disapproved of it, I thought perhaps we weren't after all. Nobody's plans were inconvenienced by a stop being put to it, for it was near the end of the semester, and that work was not going to be given to us again. April weather has begun, and we have had no March winds yet. The girls who went away had to start off In a pouring rain yesterday. Most of them went at noon. Ever so many girls go down on the noon train to New York, always- They have to make their plans so far ahead, and hand in in writing where theyre going, and what train they are going to take, and what baggage, etc. a week or ten days beforehand. Then three or four days before vacation the ticket agent comes and all the girls have to go over and spend a part of the afternoon in getting their tickets from him. The 4rsr trunks have to be packed and taken from fie building a day or more before the girls start. They learn to do it in short order too, Ray can pack her trunk in half an hour. It is amusing to stand In the front vestibule when the girls are starting. Some of them embrace and take a "fond and affectionate farewell" of each other, just as if no one else were around. The college authorities have been talking lately about closing up the college during the short vacations, and making the girls who stay board some where around here so as to give Mrs. Kendrlck, and the rest of the officials who have to stay and work, more of a rest. But they have not yet decided to do it.With love to all- Your sister, Adelaide. ^Claflin
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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: 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 16, 1894
Text: Vassar College, Feb. 16, 1894. Papa, I Hope you notice the classic beginning to my letter, which shows that I have been imbibing Homer. We were reading in the Odyssey the other day about a maiden who asked her father for something and addressed him in the above phrase, which means "papa dear." I never knew before that the word papa was In the Greek literally, except that it is spelled pappa. And now that I have addressed you as the Greek maiden did, I must follow her example further...
Show moreVassar College, Feb. 16, 1894. Papa, I Hope you notice the classic beginning to my letter, which shows that I have been imbibing Homer. We were reading in the Odyssey the other day about a maiden who asked her father for something and addressed him in the above phrase, which means "papa dear." I never knew before that the word papa was In the Greek literally, except that it is spelled pappa. And now that I have addressed you as the Greek maiden did, I must follow her example further, and ask you for something, and that is, toplease attend to my semester bill, which came this morning, and which I am requested to forward to you immediately. You see there are no charges for extras, as I have taken pains to need no medical attendance or extra washing. It is very easy for me to get along without extra washing, and I dont see how it is that some girls have laundry bills of forty or fifty cents every week. Still I dont know many girls who have not had some laundry bills. And it is extremely economical to keep well. There is one girl who has been in the Infirmary since the day after Christmas vacation, and the charges are $ 1.50 per day. She has a kind of malarial fever. In Hygiene last week we had a lecture on House Sanitation, in which Dr. Thelberg told us all about waste pipes and drain pipes, and traps, but she did not describe the kind of traps we have at home, under the sink. There is a regular March wind howling around today, though theyget the worst of it on the other side of the house. There is a great deal of snow on the ground. It has snowed so much and so steadily, and the snow never has time to melt away before more comes. I think the ground has not been bare of snow since Christmas. Last Saturday the Vassar Glee Club went down to New York to sing before the New York Alumnae at their annual lunch. President the Glee Club Taylor and some of the Faculty went along, and the^had a good deal of pleasure, considering that their expenses were all paid. They had a public rehearsal here the night before, so that we could have the benefit of their songs too. Friday Tonight Prof. Stoddart of the University of the City of N.Y. will lecture here on "Some Aspects of Shakspere's Maturity, as Shown In the "Tempest." They say he Is very good. I am not sure whether I shall go or not, as I have to have an essay in tomorrow, and I have notyet even decided on my subject. In English we have just begun to study Charles Lamb, and we are reading the Essays of Ella now. For today we have to read as many of them as we can. Today we have Elocution. Last week in Elocution we each had to read aloud, and Ray selected on purpose a piece with a great many r's in it. The Elocution teacher, who pro- nounces (?) her r's in the Eastern fashion, made Ray pronounce words over and over so that she would not "pronounce her r's in the back part of her mouth" as she expresses it. Miss Monroe says, "That's bettah." With love to all from your affectionate daughter, * Adelaide Claflin. and love to you from Rachel.
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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: 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: 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 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: 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: December 10, 1893
Text: Vassar College. Dec. 10, 1893. My dear Edith,— I have no idea whether or not you are still at Uncle Charles'. But if you are, I know you would like to get a letter, so I will risk addressing it there. You may imagine I was rather astonished to hear of your going off so suddenly, I am very glad you could go there and have a visit, though it is too bad that it was pain that compelled you to go. You do have such a hard time with your teeth, as well as with a good many...
Show moreVassar College. Dec. 10, 1893. My dear Edith,— I have no idea whether or not you are still at Uncle Charles'. But if you are, I know you would like to get a letter, so I will risk addressing it there. You may imagine I was rather astonished to hear of your going off so suddenly, I am very glad you could go there and have a visit, though it is too bad that it was pain that compelled you to go. You do have such a hard time with your teeth, as well as with a good many things. It is too bad. I hope my teeth will last until I get home, without needing any filling. Friday afternoon the daughter of Mr. Gardner, Uncle Edgar's cousin, came out to see me, together with a lady who is her mother's cousin. I think she is a real nice little girl. I don't know, though, as I ought to call her little, since she is coming out here to college next year, but she is very young, and wears her hair down her back. (By the way, there are a good many girls here who wear their hair down their bdcks). The lady with her is ever so nice and reminds me very much of Mrs. Handerson. I think she is just visiting them. They invited me, together with two other college girls and two Poughkeepsie girls, to spend the afternoon yesterday and stay to supper. We had a very pleasant time. Her father is very pleasant & something like Uncle Edgar. I did not especially fancy her mother, because she is Woman's Suffrage. She talked quite long and seriously on the subject at the table and I believe she was really trying toconvert us to believe^in it, because none of us did. I wanted to laugh so badly. But still she is rather nice otherwise- Mr. Gardner is Secretary of a business college in Poughkeepsie, and also, as I learned, preaches at the Friends' church, not the Evangelical one, but the Unitarian one. They have ever and ever so many books in their house. When we came home, we took the last car, which leaves Poughkeepsie at eight oclock, in the evening,—that is, it leaves if there is anybody to ride in it, other- wise it doesn't- The driver is always mad when there is anybody to ride in it, because if there wasn't, his day's work would be over. So last night he was mad enough to whip up his horses very energetically, so that they actually ran, and ran fast, and the car went bumping along at a terrific rate---for it. Those cars are the funniest little things, bobtails, with the door, in the back, so low that you have to bob your head if you have a haton. It looks so queer to see no platform at the back end, nothing but one step- They charge ten cents car fare if you ride way to the college, so we almost always walk between the college and Arlington, a little place about half way to town, and from there the fare is only five cents. But still we walk all the way to town unless the weather is very bad, or we haven't time. The cars run every twenty four minutes; that is, they go. I never knew them to run until last night. Ordinarily you can walk about as fast as the car goes. That "Vassar Tea" must have been very pleasant. I am glad you met all those teachers. I have met Cornelia Ranney and Irene Lawrence. Cornelia Ranney is very pretty, and pleasant, but I think she is a a dreamy, unpractical sort of a girl. I used to meet Irene Lawrence every day on the way to High School, but when she was calling on me the other evening she expressed surprise when she found I was from Cleveland. Theyare both very pleasant when we meet them, but as they are over In the old building, and not in any of our classes, we don't see much of them. We have met all of the Cleveland girls, I think, except one. There are thirteen or fourteen altogether. Later. I have just come back from an address to the Y.W.C.A. by Miss Price, who is connected with the international Y.W.C.A. She told of the work and aims of the Y.W.C. Associations in cities and colleges, in this country and Canada. Last week there was such an interesting lecture by the chaplain of Hampton Institute, who told us all about Hampton, in a very interest- ing way. He had stereopticon views, which, of course, added a good deal to the interest, and made it much more real. There were pictures, not only cf the buildings and grounds, but of homes from which some of the students came, little tumbledown cabins of thecolored people, and mud huts of Indians, pictures of some of the children as they were when they came, and of the same ones when they went away. There was a quartet, too, of colored young men, who sang darky hymns. We got a splendid idea of Hampton. It is already after nine oclock, and I must still write to mamma a few lines, and I have to get up early tomorrow morning, too, as I generally have to Monday morning any way. I hope you haven't been killed with your teeth, and that you will get them fixed up nicely so that you won't have to bother with them for a while- Give my love to Uncle Charles and Aunt Effie, and keep lots for your own dear self. Your loving sister Adelaide Claflin.Dear Mamma My tooth is not yet finished, but I hope will be today. I will come home as soon as I can. I did not expect to have to stay so long. A Miss Brown is here, a very sweet girl- and musical. We enjoy her playing very much. Lovingly, E[?] (This is written across the top of Adelaide Claflin's letter to her sister Edith, Dec. 10, 1893.)
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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 3, 1893
Text: Vassar College. Dec. 3, 1893. My dear Ed,- It's too bad when you were so angelic as to write to me three or four times that I can't write to you oftener. But If the family were not so large I would get around it sooner. O you ought to hare been here to Thanksgiving dinner.' You would have been filled well enough to last a month. There wasn't a thing on the menu but what was awfully good, though of course we couldn't much more than taste of most things. Of course I...
Show moreVassar College. Dec. 3, 1893. My dear Ed,- It's too bad when you were so angelic as to write to me three or four times that I can't write to you oftener. But If the family were not so large I would get around it sooner. O you ought to hare been here to Thanksgiving dinner.' You would have been filled well enough to last a month. There wasn't a thing on the menu but what was awfully good, though of course we couldn't much more than taste of most things. Of course I didn't waste my appetite on the common vegetables that I can get every day, so that I appreciated the good things at the end. We enjoyed Thanks- giving Day very much. In the first place, during vacation we did not haveto get up till half past seven. On the table after breakfast we found some bread and butter and ham and cookies and apples, which we took up to our rooms in our napkins, just as we would put up our own lunch at home for school. Then we could eat this whenever we pleased, for dinner was not to be until three oclock. At nine oclock there was a short service over in the chapel, to which I went, though some of the girls went in to town to church. Then I spent the rest of the morning in the library, reading American History, in which I am going to take my exam, on Saturday. At noon a half dozen of us ate our lunch together and loafed until it was time to dress for dinner. About half of the girls had gone away, a smaller proportion than usual, they said. When the dinner bell rang we gathered near the dining room door (all of us in Strong Hall went over to the main building), and Dr. Taylor's little girl and Dr. Thelberg's little girl, both about three years old, headed theprocession into the dining room, followed by the President and those of the Faculty who stayed. They all sat at one table. Thea the girls followed, two by two, singing a Vassar College song. I happened to go in among the last, and got at a table where there were only six; most of the tables had fifteen. We stood behind our chairs while Dr. Taylor asked the blessing. He usually has his meals with his family in his own rooms. We found our menus in our glasses, and since there were so many vacant places at our table, we each took another menu. Of course there was a good deal of time wasted between the courses, but we were two hours and a half at the table. In the middle of this time Morgan Taylor, the President's little boy, got a telegram telling about the Yale and Princeton game, and Dr. Taylor stood up and announced it. Then all the Princeton girls clapped. The girls in the East are so interested in those games, and almost every girl is either for Yale, or for Princeton, or for Harvardetc. They wear little pins representing the flag of the college which they stand up for. Dr. Taylor, in the morning service spoke about Thanksgiving football games, and said he was very sorry the custom had grown, since it took away the religious Dec. 10, 1893 - 2 and domestic character of the day, which it ought to have. He thought it was especially to be regretted that this had been done by the college world. After dinner we came home and talked with some girls. Then the President always has an informal reception in the evening. We went over to this about eight, after we had spent more than half an hour in coaxing a shy girl to come. Her name is Fannie Hart and her home in Charleston, South Carolina. She finally went with us and enjoyed herself ever so much. I got acquainted with several nice girls whom I had not met before. About half past nine we all went out into the dining room and had some ice cream. We would have had a good deal more than we did, if a maid had not come to our table and calmly asked the girl at the head for five piecesof ice cream to take up to some girl's room. That night Carrie Hardin, the daughter of the missionaries in Syria, came over and spent the night with me. During vacation we could stay up as long as we pleased. Friday morning I spent in the library again, and after lunch I helped a girl put up some curtains for some girls who were away. Then I walked into town to Naa McClelland's house, (she lives in town but rooms at college) and helped her to dress her "Christian" doll. You see every year the Y.W.C.A. buys dolls which the girls take and dress; some girls take two or three- Then they have a doll show and exhibit them, then Dec. 10, 1893 - 2 send them to the College Settlement in New York city, to be distributed among poor children. After dinner Friday I helped another girl dress her doll; at eight I went to a spread, and had a piece of cake an orange, some chocolate to drink, and a piece of candy. Tell Edie not to be alarmed at spreads. I have only been to three or four, and they do not occur at midnight. It's just the same as eating a little betweenmeals at home. I have just known of two girls having a fit of indigestion and they probably had been to a spread every night for a week, as a girl at our table has. I think only Freshmen are as foolish as to go to them as often as that. This girl happened to be invited to all these because her friends' families had all sent them boxes for Thanksgiving. Friday night I went over and spent the night with Carrie Hardin. She was left alone in four rooms. Her three roommates had all gone off for vacation. Monday morning- As usual the bell rang before I finished this last night, and I will not have any more chance to write till this after- noon. So I will finish my story to some other member of the family- I am much obliged for the ' Adelbert you sent. It was more interest- ing than usual. Why don't the Board of Managers, or whoever attends to such things, have it sent to the reading room here? They have ever so many college papers, on a separate paper, table, some from colleges Dec. 10, 1893 - 2 that I never heard of- And I am sure when there are thirteen or fourteen Cleveland girls here, that we ought to have the Cleveland college papers. The other day I found there a paper published by the Cleveland University School. More another time, from your loving sister Adelaide.
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Creator: Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin)
Date: [December 1893]
Text: The pond is larger than Wade Park Pond, and they keep it nicely cleaned off, and flood it every night, and there are only a few girls there at once. I have my skates with me. The ones at home that you think are mine, are perhaps the ones that Aunt Allie gave us- Of course you will be glad to have Edie at home today. You must have missed her- But I suppose the change was good for her, though I don't believe she got much rest, because of her teeth- I would have written to her again if I...
Show moreThe pond is larger than Wade Park Pond, and they keep it nicely cleaned off, and flood it every night, and there are only a few girls there at once. I have my skates with me. The ones at home that you think are mine, are perhaps the ones that Aunt Allie gave us- Of course you will be glad to have Edie at home today. You must have missed her- But I suppose the change was good for her, though I don't believe she got much rest, because of her teeth- I would have written to her again if I had known she was goin^ to be at Zanesville longer- Of course X am glad, if Uncle Charles cares to read my letters, to have him do so. I have the pleasure of thinking, during vacation of an essay - our first long one, that has to be written just after we get back- also of algebra, that we shall begin immediately, and the girls always hate it, and I know I shall too, for X don't like the teacher a bit, except out of class- Now I always used to love geometry and algebra, but I have hatedgeometry this year, and have felt more uncomfortable in that class than in any other. Miss Richardson ought not to be teach- ing* She loses her temper so. She lost it at our last recitation, on Wednesday, and that, too, at the first mistake that was made, when there had been several beautiful recitations made before that. At first she said the class could go home and study their lesson, but as soon as she had said that ahe-it occurred to her that they might go and do something else, so she said, "No, you may stay here and learn it." Since she has told us a great many times not to bring our books to class, some one very meekly asked her if we could go and get our books. She saw she had made another mistake so she said, "Young ladies, you may write the rest of the hour." and so we had to write out some propositions to hand in. Then she gave us a long lecture, and told us, as she often has, that-w*.ours is her worst class (she has five classes in geometry, three days a week, and nothing else) She says that the reason why we don't do well,as a class, is because we don't take an hour's exercise just before coming to class. Just as though we could take an hour's exercise just before every recitation- Miss Richardson scowls like everything and stamps her feet, and on two occasions last year she threw a ruler and chalk at a girl. I think the class would do well enough under a good teacher, I can tell by the way I get along myself, and X have done my best for her and have studied ever so much harder than I did on the same work at High School. Miss Richardson is so smooth and polite out of class that nobody can tell whether or not she likes them- I do wish we didn't have to have her for algebra- Well, they want me to come down stairs now, so goodnight, and a merry, happy Christmas to you all. Lovingly AdelaideClaflin, I forgot to tell about the doll show- that came off Friday evening- They were dolls dressed by any of the girls who wanted to do it, and are to be sent to the College Settlement in New York city, and given one to poor children. They charged an admission of^postage stamp, or two cents- The dolls were all dressed prettily, and some of them elaborately, for instance with drawn work in their dresses- The dresses were of all imaginable kinds, a great many of them white,of course. There were more than a hundred dolls, I think- It them seemed to me that some ofAwere dressed too daintily, considering their destinations, but perhaps it is just as well to let the children own something really pretty, for once- I did not take one to dress because I thought I shouldn't havettime, but I helped three girls dress theirs, so I think I might as well take one myself next year. 223 South Second ave. Mt. Vernon N.Y.
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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 12, 1893
Text: Vassar College. Nov. 12, 1893. My dear Papa, - I think I have gone the rounds of the family now, so that it is time to begin at the top again. I didn't tell what happened the week before last, I guess, because I didn't have time to finish my letter last Sunday. So I shall have to begin way back at the Sophomore joke, or rather, lack of a joke. That was at Hallowe'en, when it is customary for the Sophs to play a joke on the Freshmen, and the Juniors one on the Seniors. When we...
Show moreVassar College. Nov. 12, 1893. My dear Papa, - I think I have gone the rounds of the family now, so that it is time to begin at the top again. I didn't tell what happened the week before last, I guess, because I didn't have time to finish my letter last Sunday. So I shall have to begin way back at the Sophomore joke, or rather, lack of a joke. That was at Hallowe'en, when it is customary for the Sophs to play a joke on the Freshmen, and the Juniors one on the Seniors. When we woke up Hallowe'en morning we found a similar tack on all the Freshmen doors, and thinking that the Sophs intended to hang something on them during dinner or chapel, we all carefully removed them, and kept watch all the time. So they didn't have a chance to do what they intended to, and they were awfully mad. So they had to resort to the plan of printing some "Hints to the Freshmen", and got Mrs. Kendrick's permission to put it on the official bulletin board. Of course this wasn't much of a joke, since it depended on the Faculty, as no one is allowed to remove anything from the official bulletin board. The "Hints" were quite funny though. It was advice to us as to how we should behave, etc. written as if for small children, for instance, that it was not proper for us to walk in the Senior corridor, or to invite the teachers to come and see us. But the Sophs were extremely quiet the next day. They didn't crow any over their "joke". There are three Nov. 12, 1893 - 2 Sophs at our table, one of whom lives in Cincinnati. Her name is Maud Warner, and she lives in Walnut Hills, and goes to the church that Mr. Simpson had until he became President ofMarietta College. You know Mrs. Holway went there too. She says her mother knew Mrs. Holway. Maud is an awfully jolly girl. She is always making jokes. She is such a good doctor that the girls call her Dr. Warner, and when they are sick, but not sick enough for the real doctor, they always send for her. The real doctor, Dr. Thelberg, is awfully lazy. She has two Freshmen classes in Hygiene once a week, and has a half an hour a day for office!^ hours, and has hardly anything else to do, except to draw her salary. She doesn't take the trouble to go and see girls unless it is absolutely necessary, so they always have to go and see her. Last night about ten oclock a girl over here had a sort of nervous spasm, and when they sent for the doctor, she said she couldn't come because she had just taken a hot bath and gone to bed, and she would catch cold if she got up again just after taking a bath. So they got Mrs. Flett, the nurse. Poor Mrs. Flett always has to do the doctor's work for her, like that- But they say that if any one is very sick, the doctor wakes upand takes splendid care of her. Last Sunday a girl who belongs to the Friends' Church in Poughkeepsie invited Rachel and me to go there with her. So we want. I think these Friends are rather modern, for it wasn't so different from other churches as I have heard about. There were only three or four old ladies who had the Quaker dress and bonnet, and the men did not sit on one side and the women on another. It was conducted more like prayer meeting than church, they had several prayers from people in the audience, and a sermon by the minister, but no collection. There was about five minutes' silence between each thing. Toward the end, a girl proposed a hymn, and then we saw that a few of the young people had Gospel Hymns No.5. There were only about three young ladies and a boy who sang, of course without any instrument to accom- pany them. They say the older ones dont like it a bit, to have singing. The tune they sang was a lickity split one too. I never heard it before. I think it is mean of the young ones to want to sing when theolder people disapprove of it. I think if they want to be just like other churches, they ought to go to them, and not spoil the Quaker service. We are not going to spend our time any more, though, in going to Quaker churches, when we only have the chance to go to town to church once a month. I'd rather go to a Pres. or Congregational one. They say, that from the census they took of us here, they found that there are more Presbyterians here than anything else, Episcopalians come next, and then Baptists. I went to an Art Lecture Tuesday night. Prof. Van Ingen, the teacher of art here, is going to give them once a week, I believe. He has stereopticon views o£ famous paintings, and he tells the name and artist of each one, and describes it a little. He is Dutch, and a little hard to understand. Friday night there was a lecture on the Municipal Govern-ment of London, which they said was very interesting. I did not go,because Ray and I had previously promisedto go to a spread. Of course we had a good time there. We had sardines on crackers, cheese, apples, grapes and "fudges." Fudges is a kind of candy, made 2 glasses of sugar l/4 cake of chocolate one glass of milk and a little butter. This boils over a little gas stove, until it hardens in water. Then you pour it on a piece of paper and let it harden, and it is good. Make Lou try it and see- that is, if she has any "leisure time". I am so glad McKinley was elected. I saw it on the bulletin board at noon the next day. I could tell what girls came from Ohio, when I heard them talking about it. But McKinley seems to be very popular all over the country. For girls from all over were rejoicing over his election. Poughkeepsie went Republican. How is the Republican Club getting along ? I mean the one in the Eighteenth Ward. I suppose you had a big celebration over the Republican victory. Are you very busy at the shop now? With love to all the family and lots for yourself. Your loving daughter Adelaide Claflin.
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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: [Nov. 1893]
Text: (About Nov. 8, 1893, Wednesday P. M. Dear Bess,-— Your letter came yesterday, and I have just gotten one from Edie- We are getting started at our work now, and it seems to me that our extra fc time will be very little indeed. The recitations are a whole hour long, and they say that we are expected to spend two hours pre- paring for each lesson. We have Latin, Greek, English (that is rhetoric) and Hygiene and Mathematics, but we dont have them all every day, so that we have three recitations a...
Show more(About Nov. 8, 1893, Wednesday P. M. Dear Bess,-— Your letter came yesterday, and I have just gotten one from Edie- We are getting started at our work now, and it seems to me that our extra fc time will be very little indeed. The recitations are a whole hour long, and they say that we are expected to spend two hours pre- paring for each lesson. We have Latin, Greek, English (that is rhetoric) and Hygiene and Mathematics, but we dont have them all every day, so that we have three recitations a day- But we have just found out that for the first half of this year we will have Solid Geometry, and we did have it twice in High School. We supposed it would be very different here, but there are only about eight or nine propositions (ask Lou what that means) that we haven't had, so our teacher said that we might just as well take an examination in it, and then we would have just so much extra time for something else- Ray would take music and German instead, and I would probably take some advance study- and be so much ahead- We have a lovely teacher for Latin, Miss Franklin- Our Greek teacher (I think she is Miss McCurdy but I am not sure) is very nice too, but she expects us to know an awful lot, and she pronounces some vowels differently from what we have been used to so that we can hardly understand her. Our English teacher, Miss Nettleton, seemed like a terror the first day, but I think Nov. 8, 1893(?) - 2 that when I get used to her I shall like her. Our mathematics teacher Miss Richardson, is very nice indeed, but perhaps we will not have her (if we take the examination). I am renting and buying second-hand all the books that I can - but Ray and I together bought a Harper's Latin Lexicon, which, of course will last us forever. Since we have begun our work we have not had time for anything else. So that we have not finished fixing our room and I have not finished what was to be done to my clothes. I tore my brown dress yesterday on a trunk, and it took me an hour and a half to dam it this morning. We have not had time to make any formal calls yet. When we do it will take a goodwhile- The other night we were over whelmed with them - had thirteen in three-quarters of an hour- They were people who had been told to hunt us up, but it included three or four apiece that such people brought with them, for instance Abby Vaillant thought she had to hunt me up, so she came and brought five strange and stunning girls with her. Some of them were very pleasant and some weren't. A Miss Vender Burgh from New York had been told about Ray and came to see us, and she is the snobbiest one we have met yet. I have seen all the Cleveland girls who are here- We are pretty well acquainted (that is I think we will be) with a girl named Hermione Stork who has three aunts in Cleveland whom I met at the Adelbert reception- Our rooms looks pretty well- I am glad the walls are not white, they are a sort of a pinkish brown. The embroidered yellow tray cloth just about fits my bureau. We have a good sized closet apiece. There is more than enough room in it for all my things, and there is a large shelf in it. I did not leave anything in my trunks. My silk waists are in a large pasteboard box, and the silk skirts are in my bottom drawer- We have to make a large and small laundry bag apiece- Table napkins, towels, stockings and handkerchiefs will be counted two as a piece, for washing- Dresses and fancy things are charged for according to the time it takes to iron them, at the rate of forty cents an hour- But I have not worn any of my thin dresses yet. V There is an orchard oa the grounds where we can get all the apples we can eat. I am not used to such luxury- We bring some in to our rooms too- But tell mamma I won't eat too many of them- I haven't time to write any more now- Give my love to all the family, and to Etta and Mrs- Henderson and the Wheelers- I hope the old lady ia better- Have Miss Clara and Miss Ella come back yet from the Fair? X hope you will have a new tooth grow in- Couldn't any of the family pull your other one? With much love- Address Vassar College Adelaide - Poughkeepsie N.Y- (Adelaide Claflin, '97,
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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 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 22, 1893
Text: Vassar College. Oct. 22, 1893. My dear Lou, -- It was a good while ago that you wrote to me, but your turn for an answer has come at last. In church this morning I wished that I were sitting beside you listening to-Dr. Mears- None of the sermons I have heard so far, (except-frr~President Taylor's) have been nearly so good as his. But I enjoy Dr. Vincent's Bible Lectures. We had a concert Friday night - a violin and piano recital. I would have enjoyed it more if I had not been so...
Show moreVassar College. Oct. 22, 1893. My dear Lou, -- It was a good while ago that you wrote to me, but your turn for an answer has come at last. In church this morning I wished that I were sitting beside you listening to-Dr. Mears- None of the sermons I have heard so far, (except-frr~President Taylor's) have been nearly so good as his. But I enjoy Dr. Vincent's Bible Lectures. We had a concert Friday night - a violin and piano recital. I would have enjoyed it more if I had not been so sleepy. All the lectures and concerts are free to all the college. Yesterday Ray's brother Harry sent her some good things to eat. He tutored a boy this summer, and the boy's mother seemed to take a fancy to him, and has sent him several nice presents. This week she sent him a lot of good things to eat, and it was some of these that he sent to Ray.-- two cans of sardines, a can of boneless turkey, a jar of olives, and some raspberry jam. There is a little grocery store in the main building where we can get soda crackers to eat these things with. Tomorrow night we are going to invite a half dozen girls in for a little while during the evening, to help us eat them up-. I didnot expect to have a spread quite so soon. We are in rather an embarrassing position too, for neither Ray nor I have a single dish here. Oct. 72, 1893 - 2 But we can use pieces of paper and hatpins, and a tin soap dish of Ray's. They had Senior Parlor Opening yesterday afternoon. This is a small parlor which is given up to the Seniors every year. They furnish it just as they want to, and then have an "opening". It is very pretty, and has some very nice things in it. There is a famous oil-painting in it now, which a gentleman in New York, the father of one of the Seniors, lent to them for this year. The girls take away their own ornaments from it at the end of the year. Only the Sophomores are invited to the opening. The next event will be the party given by the Sophomores to the Freshmen, in two or three weeks. Each Soph, will escort a Freshman. I have already been invited by a very nice girl. I should like to hear how High School is getting along- How does Miss Beaumont get along without Mr. Muckly to do chores for her. Does Miss Beaumont still have a girl put the clock back every morning with the window stick? And is Mr. Lothmann just as cranky, Dr. Zeliqzon just as solemn, and Mr. Weimer just as jolly as ever? What is the name of that smart boy that moved away — the one you thought would be Vale- dictorian? Do you have to study hard? Do you like Virgil? Our Latin - we are reading Livy - is pretty hard. Ray's Latin teacher is ever so much stricter than mine. So I suppose she will learn more than I. But my teacher is nicer. Your loving sister Adelaide. 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: 1893-1897

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