^pril 27, 1895,
Perhaps this will be my week letter, se that
you will not be looking for one Tuesday,
My own dear Mother,—
I am going to write to you tonight, so that the letter will
reach you on your birthday. I will delegate Bess to give you my birth-
day kiss, along with her fifty nine which I suppose she will give you.
How nice it would be if I could hire a flying-machine on each of your
birthdays.' — and some other days too. I send by this same mail a
dishcloth which I knit for you in my spare moments, thinking it would be
a useful if not an osmamental gift. At any rate, if you don't wish to use it, let
it ornament the kitchen.
Today is Founder*s Day, and therefore a holiday, though really it is not
so much of a holiday for me, because I have only two recitations on that
day anyway- Still I appreciate the difference, decidedly. This has been a
much nicer celebration then that of last year. The aim this year was to
have the day of interest to the students as much as possible, and as much
as possible to reslly take us back to the days of the Founder. For several
years we have had some famous (more or less) lecturer^ to address us in
the evening, on some more or less interesting subject which had no connec-
tion at all with our college or any college. But this year we had exercises
at four oclock in the afternoon* so that outside guests need not come to it
Apr. 27, 1895 - 2
if they did not want to, though a good many did come. The programme
opeaed*bg.with aa organ voluatary by Prof. Bowman, who la the head ol
the musical department, then a college song in which we all joined. Then
Katharine Reiley - the president ol the Students4 Association, made aa address
oa Student Life at Vassar, She made a very fine appearance aad delivered
her address very well - without notes- She is a very clever girl - I might
say womaa, lor she is very dignified.
Alter this we sang a song which was written lor the occasioa - by competition -
by Miss Doughty, one ol Gertrude Bronsonfs room mates. (By the way Adel-
bert Bronson is here, I saw him several times today.) v
Katharine Reiley read a telegram from a member of the lirst class that
graduated - in 1868. The chief thing of the evening was the address of Prof.
\ v\
Whitney, en "The Founders of VassarH. Miss Whitaey Is the Astronomy pro~
lessor. She graduated here la the first class, and has beea here ever since,
since
as Maria Mitchell's assistant so long as Miss Mitchell lived, and alter that
she has beea Prolessor ol Astroaomgr herself. She is a fine womaa, very
simple and cultured*
Saturday morning-
Bedtime came before I could finish my description, so I will
resume It now.
Miss Whitney's address was fine, Interesting reminiscences, and a
Apr. 27, 1895 - 3
history of tho beginning of the college. She told especially about Dr.
Raymond, the first President, Miss Lyman, tho first Lady Principal,
and Miss Maria Mitchell. 1 think her address was tha nicest thing they
could have had for the occasion. The chapel looks very pretty on such
occasions. All the girls who have guests sit downstairs In the chapel,
and tha rest of us in the gallery (where we can watch the people very
easily). Tha afternoon exercises were over at half past five. There was
no dinner served at dinner time in the dining room, aa it was filled with
little tables for the evening refreshments. But we were provided for,
for at lunch they brought on platters and plates full of things from which
wo helped ourselves, meat, bananas, bread and cake. So we took them
upstairs and at suppertlme set our little table and had a meal such as we
children used to have sometimes around the sewing table.
In tha evening there was the usual promenade up and down the corridors*
in full dross. I did not dress for that because I have had a slight cold
this week and I thought it was safer not to take off warm clothes. While
tha rest ware dressing for that, Bella and I went down to the Lecture Room
and examined the things in the Loan Exhibition, while the room was not
crowded. The Exhibition was very interesting. A great many things that
belonged to Matthew Vassar, ware there, furniture, personal belongings, and
a good many pictures of him- Some old daguerrotypes included, and a good
Apr. 27, 1895 -4
many letters of his to various people connected with the college. There
ware also mementoes aad pictures of Maria Mitchell. Beside these things
about particular persons there ware photographs, letters, autograph
albums, class pins, programmes and all such things, of some of the
earliest classes, and old catalogues. Two of the historic bootjacks which ware
placed in each room when the college was opened, by the kindness and fore-
thought of Matthew Vassar, were interesting objects. Z think this collection
was especially interesting to the alumnae who were here.
A great many of the guests are staying over for today. This morning
at eleven o'clock the Glee Club sang informally in the Chapel for an hour or
so, and everybody always likes to hear them. Well, I guess you have heard
enough about Founder's.
O X almost forgot, in my interest about Founder's, to tell you some-
thing else which Is of some interest, and that is that X am going to room
with Ray and Carria in a parlor next year. We drew for rooms on Tuesday,
and I tried to get a single, to room alone, but X drew a blank, which means
that X could not get one, so X drew next for a parlor with Carrie and Ray.
We were all unfortunate in our drawing* so that we finally got the very last
choice for parlors in our class. For this reason we consoled ourselves
with the thought that at least we would not have to spend time in selecting
our room, for we simply had to take the only one that was left. But it is not
Apr, 21, 1895 - 5
a bad room, la fact it is a very good one, and our next door neighbors are
going to be some of our best friends. The best thing about the room is
that it is a south one, where we will have the sun all day. The room is on
the first floor, so that it will be convenient in many respects.
I wanted very much to have a single room, for some reasons. I
would like to try one because I have never roomed in a room alone, and
there is not much privacy in rooming with several others. Still it Is lots
of fun, and Z enjoy it ever so much, in a firewall, and in some ways it is
very convenient to have some roommates. So X am going in that way next year,
and look forward to having a single room in my Senior year. Of course Ray
and Carrie and I will be very happy together, aad we are very congenial.
On general principle I think it is better for the same girls not to room together
for three consecutive years, but Ray and I could not help it this time.
I
Before I forget it I will tell you that I used a dose of my cold pills
this week, and gave another dose to a girl who was coming down with a cold,
so that I have no more. I like to have something on hand ready for use In
case 1 need it, so If you have any cold powders In the house you might put
one in your next letter. I used some of my cough-pills too, but X still have
a few of them left.
Bessie's and Lou's old letter did nome this week. When I first saw
the date March 24, I thought it was simply a slip of the pen, as the letter
Apr, 27, 1895 -6
was mailed April 24, But when I read the news about things that I knew
happened about a month ago I changed my mind, I thought perhaps it was
a sort of April Fool arrived late till I noticed the outside at the envelope,
which bore marks of having been in a man's pocket for about a month,
being creased and dirty. So I accepted that as the solution.
I wish we had as warm weather here as you writ® about. There
have been only two or three days when I could stay outdoors long without
a wrap, I still have on my warm clothes, though shirtwaists are pretty
generally worn now. Spring is slower than usual even here, where it is
always slower than at home, I hope I can put an shirtwaists pretty soon-
I think I prefer the changeable weather of home to the long steady winters
of this climate, where you say goodbye to the grass and anything like warm
weather, in November, and don't expect a suggestion of them again till
April*
Give my love to the neighbors and friends- and X send lots especially
to you for your birthday-
Your loving daughter
Adelaide, ^laflin*
Vassar College. April 27. 1895.