Vassar College 1876-78

Mary W. Gay
Feb. 3, 1978


Feb.3. 1878. 1


I can hardly realize that it is almost a
year and a half ago that I came to Vassar College
for the first time. I was but sixteen then and had
never been away from home before. For a long time
it had been my chief desire to attend boarding
school, and in Sept. 1876 this desire was granted.
Two days and haff's[sic] hard examinations preceded
my entrance into the College. A large, spacious
room with a north and west window was assigned and with
Mary E. Hager of German Vally[sic] N. J. as roommate,
I occupied it my first year. My roommate was not just
such a girl as I should have chosen. Though she might
have been worse. Tall, dark-haired and eyed she was
not bad looking though rather melancholy in her
appearance. Her mind however had not been at all
cultivated and I found to my dismay that she could
neither read nor write correctly. Though she was in
many ways very annoying, yet I could comfort myself
with the fact that "she meant all right." Charity can,
if it will, cover a multitude of sins. She is here
again this year but rooming at quite a distance from
me. I think that it was Friday when I came to remain
at the College and we had from then until Monday to
settle ourselves in our new domain, to become
acquainted with our neighbors and to explore the
spacious and beautiful grounds adjoinig[sic]
the College. Next



door to me roomed a girl. whose acquaintance I shall be
always thankful for having had. Lizzie J. Goudy. whose real
home is in San Diego Cal. but who had been sent to the school by her
uncle a lawyer in Chicago. Though looking much older than her age
21. She is very prepossesing in her appearance. She is very frank
almost rude sometimes in the expression of her thoughts and
feelings. Despite all that. she is my true and faithful and we are
as good friends if not better than we were last year when we
were thrown more in contact with each other. She is a devoted
Methodist and a true Christian. I can hardly understand how she
bears so well her long separation from her widowed mother but
the path of duty seemed to be here at least for the present.
Opposite us were Miss Briceway and Miss Perkins. The former was
from Rockford, Ill. and the latter from Augusta Me. I was
quite fascinated by them at first. L... probably was born to
be a leader and I was so timid and frightened that I admired
her daring character. I have since learned to priZe more
highly the adornment of a meek and quiet spirit. In spite of
her un-lady-like ways she is a girl of much natural brightness
and capability. When she has learned that though[sic] who
listen are as interesting as those who talk. I think that she
may become a noble, useful woman Carrie was very unlike



her. sunny-tempered and with a kindness which sometimes
amounted almost to officiousness. Her lessons never worried her until
the last few minutes when to use her own expression, she would
just dig. She and Lou still remain good friends and room together
on the 4th floor. These were all the girls I became acquainted
with during the first two or three days
Feb. 4, '78 after my entrance into the College. Perhaps it would
be well to speak here, before I enter upon the after work, of my
examinations The Preliminaries were passed without any especial
trouble still I was very happy at the end of the first day when
I received my card of admission from the President. The second day
was a very trying one. first came Rhetoric. Contrary to my
expectations and fears I passed it. I think perhaps that Miss Le Ron's
kindness may have helped to render the verdict favorable. Second came
Latin. Three hours of hard questions followed and great despair on
my part. Miss Goodwin evidently disgusted with my ignorance used all her
sarcasm upon me and I was thoroughly miserable. But I passed to
Freshman Latin with the exception of Virgil's Eclogues and Georgics
which I had never read and from reading which I was excused at the
end of the semester. In Algebra I had had good previous drill and
got through very nicely. On this day I met Emma Clarke and her brother from
Owego. She was a very nice girl but she left the College at the end
of the first semester. Friday morning , my



mother, who had been staying at the "Morgan Home" with me
went home and I was left dependent upon my-self for the
first time in my life. The entire novelty thn kept me for
three weeks from being home-sick but I afterwards suffered
terribly from it as I do at times even to this day. Friday
morning I took and passed the examination in Preparatory
Geometry. So. on Monday, my studies were announced to me
as Livy, Geometry and Physical Geography These were all
studies of considerable interest to me and I enjoyed them
perhaps more in anticipation than I did really I found the
day here was divided into periods. My Geometry came at the 2nd
period. In this study, I had as teacher Miss Church, now
Prof. of Mathematics of Hilem College. I took a great fancy
to her from the first which mad[sic] the study much
pleasanter. She was exceedingly ... in her explanations and in
her requirement of her students. I did not have to recite
oftener than once in but we often had hard
examinations. Physical Geography at the 3d[sic] period.
Miss Hackill, the teacher, was quite an old woman and
treated us as if we were students in a primary school.
But, then she was a good old soul and really pounded a
good deal into our heads. The drawing of maps was her
hobby. 4th. Period. Latin under Miss Adams. If charity
was not such a beautiful virtue I might be inclined to
make some



comments here, but as it is, I think silence will
be just as expressive. So in the study of these
lessons and with drawing once a week, the days
passed by. The first great excitement was the coming
of my mother to visit me. This, I remember, was
Election week. The excitement here was intense.
A vote was taken, which resulted in a large
majority for the Republicans. Many of the rooms
were decorated with the National colors - An
effigy of Tilden was displayed in one of the
corridors. But to go back to my mother. I was
so glad to see her: I met her in town at the
depot, and we spent the night at the Morgan House.
She came out to the College and spent part of
the day and went home in the afternoon. I was
pretty blue that rainy Saturday night but solaced
myself with the sponge-cake and dried-beef she
brought.
Feb. 6. '78 I remember well my first interview
with Miss M..., who was familiarly called Miss
"Pussy". She was very sweet. still I remember how
unhappy I felt after it Since then I have come to
like her very much. O- I must not forget Miss Mitchell,
a very peculiar teacher in Latin. What fights she
and Lou Brockway were to have! The poor woman was
very unhappy here, and did not return this year
As corridor teacher we had Miss Goodsell, now
Lady Principal of ... College. She had a very lovely,
kind disposition. In her eagerness to do us good she
instituted a fifteen minutes prayer meeting at
9 o'clock Sunday night. I was quite a trial for me
to go



as she wanted us all to take part. Miss Goodwin was our
night corridor teacher. How she caught us one memorable
Saturday night laughing and carrying on in "Silent time".
The noise in the closet and Lizzie's trail was very
suspicious, so I was not
Feb. 7. 1978
very much surprised when she said in departing "please
request the other young ladies to retire to their own
appartments[sic]". To use a Vassar phrase, I was completely
squelched. I remember how ashamed I felt to meet her
next morning in Bibe[sic] Class. I must not forget Miss
Carver whom I met her during the first part of the year.
We were kind of cousins her grandmother and mine being
own cousins. She was a very pleasant. kind girl, and I
am very sorry that she has not returned this year.
Time passed on until Thanksgiving came and then I went
home for the first time I do not need to write down
about it. I remember it just as well as can be. I did
not want to come back at all but I became more contented
after a time. A week after Thanksgiving came Phil. This
is the anniversary of the society Philalethea. It is a great
day. Miss Swift and Miss Ransom had a debate. Miss Bliss
sang, and then there was a collation, conversation and
promenading. The next great event was the winter
vacation of three weeks.
Feb. 13. 1878
(It is almost a week since I wrote last. I shall try
to do better in the future. The second semester I had
Latin (Horace), French, Botany



and Ancient History. I had studied French some
at home with Mrs. Wilcox as teacher, but did not feel
enough confidence to undertake an examination, so, I
commenced with the beginning class. Of course I found it
very easy, and after telling Miss Morse, Miss Cowles
permitted me to go in a higher French class without any
examination. It was very hard for me, as I had three
other studies. Botany was not very difficult, but Miss
Haskell was rather hard to please. As for Latin and
Ancient History I had Miss Adams, so you may imagine
how pleasant they were. To add to all this, my
room-mate had the chills and fever - So of course
I had to wait upon her. But I managed to live
through very comfortably. I also had courage to
stay through the whole term without going home