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Vassar Nov. 3rd
My dear Nellie,
Of course I didn't notice your note. Could you have expected that I would do any thing so derogatory to my dignity as to notice a note of one half sheet in answer to my orthodox letter, when it was written in pencil too! Certainly not! Moreover you must not expect to receive letters from me written on other days than Fridays unless the cholera breaks out among us. I am extremely considerate of your comfort and write Friday and then it is matted Saturday, but if I write Saturday it wouldn't be mailed until Monday. Don't mention it. I always knew that I was a miracle of goodness. As for Dr. Pomeroy's marriage I did write to Sara as soon as I received her letter, and I didn't before, because I didn't know whether she would want me to. I think that so far from being worse it is a great deal better than Miss Leroy. It won't be half so hard for the girls to have her at the head of the house as it would a young girl, as for her character nothing was ever proved against her, we can't say that she is not perfectly innocent, and what right have we to judge her - For herself personally have always heard her spoken of a very pleasant agreeable woman, and I hope and think she will do all in her power to make it pleasant for the girls. As for George I don't suppose it will make any difference to the poor boy, one way, or the other, very long. I hope that you and Mother will call on her, as if she never had been any body else. I am greatly rejoiced at your good fortune. A water proof dress is not a thing to be despised. I wish you could see the water proofs here. they come marching in it ail kinds of weather into chapel, dining hall, and recitation rooms. For the credit of the young ladies I will say that they have been almost entirely dropped since Miss Lyman gave the a lecture on the subject. But there is a young lady named Swift whom I never have seen without her waterproof but once when she had on a flannel sack and a handkerchief around her neck. Helen Dana thinks it a pity because she will wear it out before the year is out, and be at the expense of a new one. Miss Gilbert had a letter today saying that her brother George is coming home this winter. She is almost crazy with delight. Hattie gave her your messages and she said she know you would if you hadn't forgotten her. She seems to consider you "a model of all the virtues". What has possessed you to attempt giving Hattie Benson lessons? Couldn't she find a teacher anywhere? I am very glad that you have found a German teacher at last. Mrs. King came into Haigh's one day when I was there, and quite exhausted me. There is a girl here by the name of Rhodes who is only seventeen and has read Caesar, 8 orations of Cicero, 8 books of Virgil, Sallust and the Germania and Agricola of Tacitus. She is studying Levy, German, Astronomy and French, and is going to take up Eng. Lit. in order to have her time occupied. Moreover she is a very thorough, careful student. Likewise Miss Glover is something remarkable. She went through the Lawrence Schools without making a single failure in any of her classes. She does recite wonderfully - She told me that the last part of the time she studied Xenophon that they took six pages a lesson and were expected to parse as accurately as if it had been six lines, which she coolly said "made it very hard." I like her very much she looks like Hattie Goodell - Miss Starr is coming in after study hours to read over her Greek lessons - I like her better each time I see her - Isn't it funny that her name is Sarah? She is an only child and an orphan. Wears deep black, and has no relative nearer than a cousin and only two of those. She admires Sara's picture very much and always asks me something about her when she comes in here. Also she takes a deep interest in mud turtle, which is thriving finely and an object of much interest to every one who comes in here - I don't know just what to feed him - What an astonishing woman Mrs. Howard is! Do they really think that she is going to get quite well again - I am glad to hear that Mr. Tarbox is fairly disposed of - I wish that Mr. Kent would follow suit - Tell Mother to remember us to T. Hougtingdon and ask him if Sarah is still in Burlington. I was delighted to hear from Father and should have written to him bat Hattie did. A great deal of love to Will tell him that he would be vain enough if he could have heard all I have said about him - Every one makes it a point to praise their relatives a little more than the one that spoke before them. Nellie I perceive that blessings brighten as they take their flight. I fear that if I should come home the cookies would be as dear as ever. Give such heaps of love to all at home and at Sara's from all of us. Miss G Sends love, as to Mr. Freeland and Co - With a great deal and a thousand kisses I am your little sister Mattie.
My dear Nellie,
Of course I didn't notice your note. Could you have expected that I would do any thing so derogatory to my dignity as to notice a note of one half sheet in answer to my orthodox letter, when it was written in pencil too! Certainly not! Moreover you must not expect to receive letters from me written on other days than Fridays unless the cholera breaks out among us. I am extremely considerate of your comfort and write Friday and then it is matted Saturday, but if I write Saturday it wouldn't be mailed until Monday. Don't mention it. I always knew that I was a miracle of goodness. As for Dr. Pomeroy's marriage I did write to Sara as soon as I received her letter, and I didn't before, because I didn't know whether she would want me to. I think that so far from being worse it is a great deal better than Miss Leroy. It won't be half so hard for the girls to have her at the head of the house as it would a young girl, as for her character nothing was ever proved against her, we can't say that she is not perfectly innocent, and what right have we to judge her - For herself personally have always heard her spoken of a very pleasant agreeable woman, and I hope and think she will do all in her power to make it pleasant for the girls. As for George I don't suppose it will make any difference to the poor boy, one way, or the other, very long. I hope that you and Mother will call on her, as if she never had been any body else. I am greatly rejoiced at your good fortune. A water proof dress is not a thing to be despised. I wish you could see the water proofs here. they come marching in it ail kinds of weather into chapel, dining hall, and recitation rooms. For the credit of the young ladies I will say that they have been almost entirely dropped since Miss Lyman gave the a lecture on the subject. But there is a young lady named Swift whom I never have seen without her waterproof but once when she had on a flannel sack and a handkerchief around her neck. Helen Dana thinks it a pity because she will wear it out before the year is out, and be at the expense of a new one. Miss Gilbert had a letter today saying that her brother George is coming home this winter. She is almost crazy with delight. Hattie gave her your messages and she said she know you would if you hadn't forgotten her. She seems to consider you "a model of all the virtues". What has possessed you to attempt giving Hattie Benson lessons? Couldn't she find a teacher anywhere? I am very glad that you have found a German teacher at last. Mrs. King came into Haigh's one day when I was there, and quite exhausted me. There is a girl here by the name of Rhodes who is only seventeen and has read Caesar, 8 orations of Cicero, 8 books of Virgil, Sallust and the Germania and Agricola of Tacitus. She is studying Levy, German, Astronomy and French, and is going to take up Eng. Lit. in order to have her time occupied. Moreover she is a very thorough, careful student. Likewise Miss Glover is something remarkable. She went through the Lawrence Schools without making a single failure in any of her classes. She does recite wonderfully - She told me that the last part of the time she studied Xenophon that they took six pages a lesson and were expected to parse as accurately as if it had been six lines, which she coolly said "made it very hard." I like her very much she looks like Hattie Goodell - Miss Starr is coming in after study hours to read over her Greek lessons - I like her better each time I see her - Isn't it funny that her name is Sarah? She is an only child and an orphan. Wears deep black, and has no relative nearer than a cousin and only two of those. She admires Sara's picture very much and always asks me something about her when she comes in here. Also she takes a deep interest in mud turtle, which is thriving finely and an object of much interest to every one who comes in here - I don't know just what to feed him - What an astonishing woman Mrs. Howard is! Do they really think that she is going to get quite well again - I am glad to hear that Mr. Tarbox is fairly disposed of - I wish that Mr. Kent would follow suit - Tell Mother to remember us to T. Hougtingdon and ask him if Sarah is still in Burlington. I was delighted to hear from Father and should have written to him bat Hattie did. A great deal of love to Will tell him that he would be vain enough if he could have heard all I have said about him - Every one makes it a point to praise their relatives a little more than the one that spoke before them. Nellie I perceive that blessings brighten as they take their flight. I fear that if I should come home the cookies would be as dear as ever. Give such heaps of love to all at home and at Sara's from all of us. Miss G Sends love, as to Mr. Freeland and Co - With a great deal and a thousand kisses I am your little sister Mattie.
