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Vassar College,
Oct. 20, 1871.
My dear sister,
I have just received your letter and feel that you were slightly "blue" when it was written. I can sympathise for I am sometimes so. Wouldn't it be better if you went out with young people more? You can make yourself entertaining when you please. (You see I am talking to you in a motherly manner.) But I fear the trouble with us both is that we do not please. Did I ever tell you that a young gentleman once told me that it was my own fault if I did not make myself agreeable. Oh, I was angry but it was the brother of that young lady who boards at Mrs. Browns and I scarcely knew him. As for your being an old maid, it is all nonsense. What of Nannie Hopkins, even Nannie Duval & Mary Hamilton. I expect to be an old maid because I shall never find anyone to suit my fastidious taste and perhaps it will be the same with you. I want so much to have you come here next year with me. My Rhetoric is missing, someone must have taken it from my room but I shall try and find one in the waste room, and send you. You could pass in that after a very little study, just study punctuation thoroughly. (you can see by my composition that one can pass an examination without being very perfect). Then Algebra you can study from our old book and I am sure you will have no difficulty until you come to Radials, unless it may be evolution. Next summer I can show you any little things which trouble you. Then you can pass into Freshman French by looking over Otto's Grammar, for that is all we have to study before the freshman year. I want you to enter my class and know that you could, of course you cannot pass in Latin unless you study it some this winter, but in place, you can pass in English Literature. You have read so much that by a little study you can easily do it. Please write me and say if you will come next year. If you do, the little study you will have to do will give you some employment for the long winter.
There hasn't a funny thing happened here for a long time. Did I write you that the Sophs made one attempt to "haze" us poor Freshman. They drew a picture of a large eagle with outstretched claws holding in them poor '75---. It did not affect us much and I hope they will have sense enough to make it their last attempt of the kind. We have very little respect for the class of '74, for they are poor scholars, but we ^make no pretense as yet to any brilliancy except in Mathematics. None of our class are very talented but can do a great deal by hard study. I want very much to read the "Virginians" now that you have spoken so highly of it and think I shall, for I find more time for reading than I did last year. Do decide to come here next year it accept for yourself and all the family (including my imaginary brothers) much love. Julie
[Julia M. Pease, '75]
Oct. 20, 1871.
My dear sister,
I have just received your letter and feel that you were slightly "blue" when it was written. I can sympathise for I am sometimes so. Wouldn't it be better if you went out with young people more? You can make yourself entertaining when you please. (You see I am talking to you in a motherly manner.) But I fear the trouble with us both is that we do not please. Did I ever tell you that a young gentleman once told me that it was my own fault if I did not make myself agreeable. Oh, I was angry but it was the brother of that young lady who boards at Mrs. Browns and I scarcely knew him. As for your being an old maid, it is all nonsense. What of Nannie Hopkins, even Nannie Duval & Mary Hamilton. I expect to be an old maid because I shall never find anyone to suit my fastidious taste and perhaps it will be the same with you. I want so much to have you come here next year with me. My Rhetoric is missing, someone must have taken it from my room but I shall try and find one in the waste room, and send you. You could pass in that after a very little study, just study punctuation thoroughly. (you can see by my composition that one can pass an examination without being very perfect). Then Algebra you can study from our old book and I am sure you will have no difficulty until you come to Radials, unless it may be evolution. Next summer I can show you any little things which trouble you. Then you can pass into Freshman French by looking over Otto's Grammar, for that is all we have to study before the freshman year. I want you to enter my class and know that you could, of course you cannot pass in Latin unless you study it some this winter, but in place, you can pass in English Literature. You have read so much that by a little study you can easily do it. Please write me and say if you will come next year. If you do, the little study you will have to do will give you some employment for the long winter.
There hasn't a funny thing happened here for a long time. Did I write you that the Sophs made one attempt to "haze" us poor Freshman. They drew a picture of a large eagle with outstretched claws holding in them poor '75---. It did not affect us much and I hope they will have sense enough to make it their last attempt of the kind. We have very little respect for the class of '74, for they are poor scholars, but we ^make no pretense as yet to any brilliancy except in Mathematics. None of our class are very talented but can do a great deal by hard study. I want very much to read the "Virginians" now that you have spoken so highly of it and think I shall, for I find more time for reading than I did last year. Do decide to come here next year it accept for yourself and all the family (including my imaginary brothers) much love. Julie
[Julia M. Pease, '75]
