Vassar College.
Feb. 10, 1895
My dear Mother,—
Your letter came yesterday morning- Friday no mail
came, because the terains were not running. There has been almost a
blizzard here for a day or two - snow in drifts, and wind blowing, and
fine misty snow in the air. The electric cars were not running, nor the
trains either. There was to have been a lecture Friday night but the
lecturer could not get here. He appeared, though, in time to deliver his
lecture at eleven oclock Saturday morning. It was oa the "Underlying
Causes of the American Revolution", and the girls said it was not very
interesting- I could not go for I had an essay on hand- I have to take a
Saturday off for an essay every six weeks- No extra time is given to
us for writing them, and we have to prepare three lessons for Monday,
too. I wrote on "Periodical Literature versus Books". We are given a
half dozen subjects from which to choose. Carrie and Belle took "Is
Football as it exists today justifiable? " They both said no. Some of the
other subjects were: "Is it right to fee in this country? " Is it the proper
sphere of the novel to attempt instruction or social reform? " "Does the
Realist hold the mirror up to Nature? " "Can a man express In his art,
qualities in which his character is deficient? " I should not like to have
to write on some of those. I can never get inspired to write on my essays
till the time to hand them in is near at hand. We always have to hand them
Feb. 10, 1895 ~ 2
in on Saturdays at six oclock, and I never can begin mine till Friday
night, (or sometimes even Saturday morning). I work out my thoughts
»
a little Friday night, then Saturday I box myself up in my room and work
at it steadily from breakfast till six oclock. On my first one this year
I had "Good", on my next "Carefully written but not interesting." This
last criticism I considered quite mild when I discovered that ever so
many girls had to rewrite their whole essays- Lester Baker - the
president of our class - who is usually considered a good writer, had at
the end of her last essay, "Very superficial. Carelessly written and
over familiar. No argument worthy of the name. Rewrite."
Ray did not have to write an essay this time, because they accepted
the share that she wrote for Trig Ceremonies instead. She was on the com-
mittee to write it. Trig Ceremonies come off next Saturday. I could not
write you about it before because everything about it is kept a great secret
by the class, and we try not to let any of the other classes know a thing
about it beforehand, but they always do their best to find out something
about it, especially the Freshmen, who are supposed to be the most
interested. It is a sort of farce consisting mostly of grinds on the Fresh-
men, and the higher classes, and the Faculty. The occasion is when we
required
have finished Trigonometry - our last^Mathematics- and we are supposed
to illustrate to the Freshmen what an awful time we have had with
Feb. 10. 1895 - 3
Mathematics and how glad we are to be through with them. I have a
minor part in it - representing Mrs. Kendrick- We are all Puritans,
so I am going to sit and knit-dressed in gray. This is the last time
that there can be Trig Ceremonies, because they have changed the
curriculum now so as to have Trig in the last half ol the Freshman
year, and ol course they could not have Trig Ceremonies while exami-
nations and commencement and everything else was going on. The
Freshmen are studying Trig now.
W e have had a week ol our new semester and are beginning to
see what our routine will be like. I think Chemistry will be very
interesting- though we have not had laboratory work yet- That begins
tomorrow. It is so different irom all our other studies - lor we will
work with things instead ol with books.
Miss Leach is such a line teacher and makes the recitations very
inte res ting-
the
This week we elected our officers oI the Y.W.C.A. for^next year-
and Carrie was elected Recording Secretary. She has to post notices on
the bulletin board, and keep piles ol minutes beside informing all members
ol committees of their appointments, etc. The book in which she keeps
her records weighs about ten pounds, and Carrie had to stand up and hold
it while she read all the minutes lor the last year, at the annual meeting
Feb. 10, 1895 - 4
Friday night.
I believe I forgot to tell you how we changed bedrooms a week
ago Friday. We made rather quick work of the bureaus and wash stands,
for they are just alike in all the rooms and all we had to do was to carry
the drawers to our new rooms without taking out any of the things. The
room I have now is the smallest one - about the smallest room in college.
It is like the one Miss Adams had in New York, when she sat on her bed
and could reach everything in the room. It is 7 x 9 ft. and contains a bed,
bureau, washstand, chair, wardrobe, and a path up the middle, like this:
It is a cute little place, and I am quite attached to it already. Carrie's
bedroom is as large as the parlor, and I was going to have that, at first,
but I chose this one instead, because it is cuter, and besides the kitchen
utensils and such things are kept in the large room. Ray has the room
I used to have.
The trains are not yet running from New York I suppose, for the
j/: t j
Feb. 10, 1895 - 5
minister expected this morning could not get here, and Dr. Taylor
preached instead- I hope Clarence has gotten over the mumps by this
time- They go harder with grown people than with children don*t they
L*ove to all the family and neighbors.
Adelaide. jClaflinj