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Vassar College. Oct. 12. 1894.
My dear Bessie,-
You have been so good about writing to me several times already, 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 have thought 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. Endean 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 the family did not like them very well.
Etta's picture came 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 sent up the note about half an hour before I got here. I have been wondering whether they are the relatives of the Fuller's, [crossed out: wh] 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 excursion to Lake Mohunk, for the Freshmen, Seniors, and all the new students, in other classes. I wish we could go, for it is such a beautiful place, and the long ride is a treat. It is twenty miles away, 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 won't go to Mohunk.
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. It seems 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 reading Cicero? We are reading two of his essays, "De Amicitia", and "De Senectute", which I will leave you to translate. They are very interesting, and I like my Latin teacher, Miss Greene, ever so much.
Lovingly Adelaide. [Claflin]
My dear Bessie,-
You have been so good about writing to me several times already, 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 have thought 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. Endean 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 the family did not like them very well.
Etta's picture came 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 sent up the note about half an hour before I got here. I have been wondering whether they are the relatives of the Fuller's, [crossed out: wh] 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 excursion to Lake Mohunk, for the Freshmen, Seniors, and all the new students, in other classes. I wish we could go, for it is such a beautiful place, and the long ride is a treat. It is twenty miles away, 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 won't go to Mohunk.
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. It seems 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 reading Cicero? We are reading two of his essays, "De Amicitia", and "De Senectute", which I will leave you to translate. They are very interesting, and I like my Latin teacher, Miss Greene, ever so much.
Lovingly Adelaide. [Claflin]
