Vassar College.
June 2. 1895.
My deer sister,-
I hope you are not having the kind of weather we are- I think
it has been about 96° for the last few days. We had had cool weather
for so long that we quite forgot what hot days were like- But now they
have come and will probably stay with us during our examinations this
week* We console ourselves with the hope that the teachers will lay to
the hot weather say lack of intelligence on our examination papers-
which would otherwise be too glaring to be excusable- I have Latia
tomorrow morning, one course in Greek Tuesday morning, another Tues-
day afternoon, English Wedaesday morning. Chemistry Thursday morning
aad Art History Thursday afternoon- Thea I am through- We have been
doing what reviewing we could in the last two weeks: la the last three
weeks X have had fifteen written lessons- aa average of one a day but they
have not come that way- they have usually happened so that we have had
two or three the same day- For each of these we have had to review from
oae fourth to one-half the semester's work in a subject. I had a letter
from mamma from Zanesville, which I expect to answer, but did not get
at ia time for it to reach Zanesville before she would leave- So she will
be disappointed- I am so glad she weat to Zanesville, though I am afraid
she is not staying long enough to get a rest. It is too bad papa was disappointed
about going- when he needs the change too. Ray and I have bought our tickets
June 2, 1895 - 2
home; we have not thought much about whether we will stop at Niagara
Falls, for we have not had a chance to inquire into the particulars- and
we have ao Idea about the route the Nickel Plate takes, since we have
not seen a time-table. It seems to me that the girls who live nearest
here are the craaiest to get home at vacation times- Some of them think
that it is terrible for me to stay here almost a week after my last exam,
when I have not been home since September. But I thought I would like to
see what a college Commencement was like, and I will not have many
chances. The girls say it is so much fun after the last examination- days
of bliss- Kate Dunham says her sister Mary is coming Saturday, and after
Commencement they are going to Boston for a week- Kate says she is
beginning to wish she was going home this week- Ray has declared right
along that after my last exam. I would suddenly pack up and go home, and
not stand it till after Commencements but when I have said I am going to
stay, 1 am going to.
Of course I can not realise that I have had my last recitation for
this years much less can I realise that my exams, begin tomorrow. But
these next four days must go somehow. As I look back on the year it seems
to have gone very quickly after all- My coming away in September is as
distinct in my mind as though it happened yesterday - in fact some of the
things that have happened since seem much farther away. The time has
June 2, 1895 -3
gone so much fester the latter half of the year, too- X can't deny that
the first semester did drag, for it was such a never ending grind- But
it is so delightful that at the end of a year we think mostly of the nice
things and let them drown out the hard thlngs-
We gave up the day yesterday to everything but study - The first
Saturday this year which I have spent without studying at all. The Seniors
had all their things for raising money— In the morning was the Senior
Auction, when they offer for sale their furniture that they cannot carry
home with them, mostly chairs, desks and tables. The chairs usually from
75 cents to a dollar, and desks from $4 to $9- Carrie and Ray and I together
bought a pair of portieres of very good quality for $3.50. Of course we can
use them for the two remaining years and then sell them for about the same
price we paid. We also bought four very nice window shades for $1.50. That
is all we shall buy, I think.
I forgot to say in my last letter that X received by mail a piece of belt
ribbon, which I suppose came from you, as the printing looked like yours.
Thank you very much - X have beea wearing it this week with my gold
buckle. My red gingham will continue to be in service as long as this
weather lasts. I am so glad X have it. Poor thing - it certainly is seeing
its last days-
Xa the afternoon yesterday the Seniors gave shows - admission
Apr, 21, 1895 - 4
This is the only time of the year when there Is an admission price to
anything- bat the Seniors In this way help to pay some of their expenses-
which amount to no small sum. I think If some outsiders had seen
Katharine Reiley — the most clever and prominent of the seniors -
dressed up as a negro in the minstrel show - singing negro songs and
telling conundrums etc; they would scarcely believe she is the same girl
who as President of the Students' Association made an address on Founder's
Day* and who conducts the meetings of the Students' Association with such
dignity and propriety, and who is to be one of the speakers on Commence-
ment Day.
In the evening we had some excitement net furnished by the seniors -
the final match game in basket ball between '97 and '98- They were to have
played in the morning, but concluded that the broiling sun might be the best
tKfaig in the world for them, shining down on their bare heads - when they
were exercising so violently- The game was the most exciting one we have
had. '97 has always beat '98 before this, but last night '97 had to have five
substitutes, so that although they worked hard, v98 beat them 13 to 12.
Some of the girls in each of the classes were out as spectators - and
cheered continually - '95 cheers for *97 and '96 for '98 - The girls made
up all sorts of yells and rhymes - and 1 imagine we sounded something
like the audience at a baseball game - Only we were all students and not
June 2, 1895 -5
an outside audience.
I should like so much to transplant Sunrise Hill to Cleveland for a few
days - It is Just covered all over with daisies- more daisies than I ever
saw before. Everything is so lovely outdoors now that it seems wicked
to stay in the house. I was walking around today with Dora Roberts, one
of the girls at our table.- whose parents are missionaries in Burmah-
She is going to Clifton Springs Sanitarium this summer, to wait on the
table - She cares more about getting her summer board and lodging pro-
vided, than in saving money - though she will get ten dollars a month-
Three or four of the girls here were there last summer waiting on the
table. They only have to work six hours a day. The waitresses are all
students. Normal School girls, etc., so that it is not an unpleasant situa-
tion. Dora is a little thing* but she has about as much "push and go" in
her as I ever saw in a girl. Perhaps I wrote you about her making a wool
dress during Easter vacation, which fits her like a glove and looks
beautifully- She is an awfully nice girl-
Lovingly your sister Adelaide.
(Claflinj
A week from Thursday morning.*