Vassar College Digital Library
akohomban
Edited Text
Vassar College, Dec. 31, 1878


Dear Pa -


Your two letters - one written just before you left San Francisco and the other at [Rocklin?] - have just reached ^ me. I was on the brink of sending you a letter through Allie, but am glad to -write- directly to you - to know [where?] you are, and how you are. I can scarcely wait to hear from you after your arrival in Dallas. Will you see Grandma and Aunt Lizzie? If so, give them my love, Pa: for although I have never written to them, yet I remember and love them.


I do hope you did not suffer from your hurry: yes, [...] trains are “slow [coaches?]”; and far from [agreeable?] generally. Is there not something that I can do to make your Dallas surroundings more pleasant? You will tell [me?] just how you are situated, won’t you? I want to know every


thing. Of course you are right about [S…]’s returning home, and I feel with you that [these?] things are not to be left alone -- [...] the baby. I hope I shall hear from both [S...] and [...] Alice soon; a letter from either would be quite a novelty.


Jan. 3, 1879. This is the first time I have written the old year’s [successor?]. I expect to write it a great many times [...] [Dallas?], after this. It will not take as long for letters to reach their destinations now, will it? I want to tell you how we spent New Year’s day because I think you will enjoy our happiness. We watched the Old year [end?] & the New in, at a Masquerade party given by the Assistant Lady Principal, Mrs. [...ahmer?]. She is just as lovely and kind as she can be. About 5 min. to 12, when we had all unmasqued, the large front parlor doors swung open, and [five?] young ladies, dressed as pall bearers, in deep black, with ‘78 in silver on their breasts, drew in a skeleton (which they ob-


tained from the Museum). This was on a little cart of inky black, and behind the skeleton, and shaking its bony hands, was a girl dressed in fiery red, with a black tail - the devil. The train was brought up in the rear by a procession of frightfully black figures. Just at 12, the same large doors swung open, and two beautiful little girls, dressed in white gauze, white slippers, powdered hair, and little silver bells which jingled the happiest of [any?] I have ever heard, came tripping in, drawing a throne, on which was seated a beautiful little blond angel, who [guided?] the first two girls with white-[...] [..ns], all covered with tiny silver bells. The throne was of [pure?] white, [...] finely decorated with white rosebuds. On the front of the throne were the words “Happy New Year” in large [rustic?] gold letters, on pure white background. This train was followed by girls in pure white. Really, it was the prettiest


way of ushering in the New Year that I have ever seen. During the evening we had appropriate readings. Yesterday afternoon [Dr. St...ter?] [announced?] [open?] [doors?], and the girls called on [her?]; and last evening we attended a [fairly?] […] [Sermon?] given in Society Hall, so you see my day was fully occupied -- and happily, too. In the morning [obscured by object: I rec’d your?] letter written in [...], & I assure you this was not the least pleasant feature of the day.


I ^will feel so selfish playing here while some girls back [in?] San Francisco [to?] teach. I am perfectly willing to do any thing I can now; and I am also perfectly willing to prepare myself for a teacher in [Latin?] [...] French. If I remain I think I shall take Greek next semester. I must mail this immediately or it will be [...] too late. [...] write you [...] again. Your loving daughter, Lulu


Miss Lulu L Moore
to father
John Adams Moore