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Vassar College Poughkeepsie
Oct. 15th 1865
My Dear Father and Mother,
I believe Mother said In her last letter that she wished I would either write on larger sheets of paper or else fill two sheets of the smaller. I thought I could not afford the latter so I have borrowed this sheet of Emma and I hope you will be satisfied with the size. Do not be frightened at my writing again so soon perhaps you will not be afflicted with such frequent epistles much longer if I get to studying next week. I have nothing to read to-day that I feel interested in as I concluded I would try and of all the little odds and ends that I have ommmitted In my other letters, ft has been a very unpleasant day here, rained stormed blew and made everything see as dreary as possible, quite a contrast from last Sunday when I sat by the open window & wrote you. However it Is a little lighter now and X think It Is going to clear off. ft is only the second day It has rained since I have been hare and after such extraordinary beautiful weather It seam almost good to have a "rainy day." I am glad for I was afraid I should gat "blue" and "homesick" when we had any dismal days. Oh you would laugh to hear us count up the days before Thanksgiving and the Holidays. Not that we are homesick but In fact we have not had much to do so far, but think of the good-times coming, I do hope nothing will be opposed to your coming here Thanksgiving for I cannot help looking forward fe hoping for that. I suppose It will seem foolish to you that I begin to think of it so soon but really it seems as though I had been here months instead of weeks although last week has
been the shortest of any since X have beea here. I suppose because I
have had more to do, which makes me think the time will seem much
shorter when we get really at work. I have worked quite a good deal on
my embroidery which has beea very pleasaat pastime. I got a pattern
of one of the girls which is quite pretty end as it is not much work I
should get along very fast if it were not that I spend so much time out of
doors. But the lovely days have been such a temptation to stroll, and
another and I guess you will agree with me in thinking an even greater inducement, there are so many chestnut trees on the grounds and by taking a short walk we can almost always find at least a double handful. The grounds are very large and in addition to that we used the first week or two to take long walks far beyond the college limits but now we are not allowed to go out of the park though I do not think there was much need of the rule for we will not have time to go any farther than that now I should Judge. Yesterday afternoon Emily, Mary Rhoades and myself went over to call on Miss Natchell. We found her alone and unoccupied so we had a very pleasant time. Her Father came in after a while and I had quite a talk with him. He had Just come in from a walk so I asked him if he walked very much. He said that he had not walked as much as ha usually did or as much as ho liked to but that they had been haying such beautiful weather for observations that he had not exercised as much as he ought. I had noticed the schuttles on the dome of the observatory open for several days and wondered what observations they had been taking so I asked him and he said they had been finding their geographical position. Miss Mitchell also said they had been studying Venus. I should like very much to take Astronomy but do not be disappointed Mother when I say I do not think I shall. It would take a great deal of time If I should, more I think than I should be willing to give to it If I am to be here only one year for I should have to go through quite a course of Mathematics before I could take Astronomy proper and I do not think I should care for Mathematical Astronomy much any way. I guess I have about as good an Idea of Astronomy as most girls. Mary does net know yet whether she will take It yet or not. I most go to Chapel —— —— Have Just returned from Church and Indeed It was the most like Church of any service we have had here yet. Mr. Raymond has always preached before and I cannot help It but I do not think him Interesting but to day we had a sermon from Chariee- Thomas H. Beecher
and it was excellent. I see as I commence this letter again that I am on
the third page and have not yet said any of the things I thought of and
expected to when I commenced but It Is always the way when I write to you
I find so much to say. Every Sunday morning alter Chapel service we
have bible classes which last about an hour. Of course the school has
to be devised into different classes, and it Is quite provoking that Mary,
Emily and I are all seperated, though Mary Cornell and I are in the
same class, namely Prof. Tenney's the one I expect to recite Geology —
to. I like him very much indeed and think he will make the class very interesting. We are to study Isaiah. Emily is in Prof. Knapps class and Mary in Mrs Wiman's. Mother said Mrs P Beers had been over to enquire about me. She is very kind and when you see her remember me to her as well as the
others and give a great deal of love to "Grandma" Patterson. Tell them I am expecting Mary up to see me every day as I have answered her letter telling her to come. You spoke of Mrs Stowell being sick I am so sorry and to think that Minnie is away. I should think she would be ashamed for you know Col. said there was no need of her going. You must give my love to Mrs Stowell when you see her I am so sorry she is sick. I have been waiting for my list before writing to Julie as I did not want to send
the letter home first it would be so much bother and now I am going to write soon if I can only find the time. Mr Beecher was here a short time ago and spent the day and I had quite a conversation with him. He told me that Julie had been quite sick with bilious fever I think he said but was better when he left. It is strange so many of the Stowells have been sick is it not? There are not any more sick here I guess than might be expected in so large a school, and none that are seriously so* There are quite a good many that have colds and I of course among the rest, though 1 cannot tell to save me where I can have got it. Unless the damp foggy mornings may be bad. Sometimes the fog will be so thick that we cannot see the observatory from our window and it will not clear away until nine o'clock. Of course we do not go out but the air in the house even seems damp. They are building the Gymnasium now and expect to have it done in about three months they say. It is not quite as far from the College as the Observatory and on the other side. — —How strange that Mrs Tolfre and Sarah are boarding at the Clinton House. Louise wrote me they were but did not say how it happened. Why do they
wish to sell their house? Tell Chick to hurry up and send her Photo. She said In her last letter she was going to have some taken and I forgot to say anything about it in my answer. I wish I had more of my Photos, for I did not even bring this little Album full and the rest of the girls have so many more and besides I find I miss some of them myself. What do you say to sending one or two each time you write if there is room. It does not make much difference what ones only the best looking and you know it will be almost like new receiving them in such a way. Mr and Mrs Williams have promised me theirs and I wish I had them. U you see them you must give them my love* How are the Esty's and all the other neighbors ? You must remember me to all especially Mrs Treman and Lizzie. You will think Emily and I are both hard up for
paper from this piece but we neither of us noticed this hole until I had got the first page. We did not know but you might think we were most starved and had bitten this piece out it is such a funny shape so I have explained. In Father's letter her said he had heard a rumor that Mr White was not going to accept. I am so anxous to hear, and whether Mr Bartlett is going to Trumansburg fe when? I am getting very impatient for some of my callers to come. I am so anxous to see Mr Wilkenson and Mr McChain. Emma has just said she thinks Mother will have a job to read this and I think so too so I will try to stop though as you have perhaps seen I find it hard work. Have you seen the baby yet and Is it pretty and what has Aunt Eliza named it? You have forgotten to tell me. Are Grand mother and Lizzie with you yet if so give them ever so much love. I took a splendid bath to-day. I think you will have to get a bathing place fixed by the time I come home or I dont believe I can hardly stand it for I enjoy it so much taking them here. And now dont say I have not written you one good long letter at least and dont forget that you owe an answer for I shall remember the latter longest. The cookies are most gone but they have been splendid. I am getting so I eat most everything, only think I eat bread and syrup for tea. But I must stop. Write soon. Give my love to all my friends.
Ever your loving daughter Ellen.
I sand this piece of paper to see if it reminds Father of anything. It
made me laugh.
Oct. 15th 1865
My Dear Father and Mother,
I believe Mother said In her last letter that she wished I would either write on larger sheets of paper or else fill two sheets of the smaller. I thought I could not afford the latter so I have borrowed this sheet of Emma and I hope you will be satisfied with the size. Do not be frightened at my writing again so soon perhaps you will not be afflicted with such frequent epistles much longer if I get to studying next week. I have nothing to read to-day that I feel interested in as I concluded I would try and of all the little odds and ends that I have ommmitted In my other letters, ft has been a very unpleasant day here, rained stormed blew and made everything see as dreary as possible, quite a contrast from last Sunday when I sat by the open window & wrote you. However it Is a little lighter now and X think It Is going to clear off. ft is only the second day It has rained since I have been hare and after such extraordinary beautiful weather It seam almost good to have a "rainy day." I am glad for I was afraid I should gat "blue" and "homesick" when we had any dismal days. Oh you would laugh to hear us count up the days before Thanksgiving and the Holidays. Not that we are homesick but In fact we have not had much to do so far, but think of the good-times coming, I do hope nothing will be opposed to your coming here Thanksgiving for I cannot help looking forward fe hoping for that. I suppose It will seem foolish to you that I begin to think of it so soon but really it seems as though I had been here months instead of weeks although last week has
been the shortest of any since X have beea here. I suppose because I
have had more to do, which makes me think the time will seem much
shorter when we get really at work. I have worked quite a good deal on
my embroidery which has beea very pleasaat pastime. I got a pattern
of one of the girls which is quite pretty end as it is not much work I
should get along very fast if it were not that I spend so much time out of
doors. But the lovely days have been such a temptation to stroll, and
another and I guess you will agree with me in thinking an even greater inducement, there are so many chestnut trees on the grounds and by taking a short walk we can almost always find at least a double handful. The grounds are very large and in addition to that we used the first week or two to take long walks far beyond the college limits but now we are not allowed to go out of the park though I do not think there was much need of the rule for we will not have time to go any farther than that now I should Judge. Yesterday afternoon Emily, Mary Rhoades and myself went over to call on Miss Natchell. We found her alone and unoccupied so we had a very pleasant time. Her Father came in after a while and I had quite a talk with him. He had Just come in from a walk so I asked him if he walked very much. He said that he had not walked as much as ha usually did or as much as ho liked to but that they had been haying such beautiful weather for observations that he had not exercised as much as he ought. I had noticed the schuttles on the dome of the observatory open for several days and wondered what observations they had been taking so I asked him and he said they had been finding their geographical position. Miss Mitchell also said they had been studying Venus. I should like very much to take Astronomy but do not be disappointed Mother when I say I do not think I shall. It would take a great deal of time If I should, more I think than I should be willing to give to it If I am to be here only one year for I should have to go through quite a course of Mathematics before I could take Astronomy proper and I do not think I should care for Mathematical Astronomy much any way. I guess I have about as good an Idea of Astronomy as most girls. Mary does net know yet whether she will take It yet or not. I most go to Chapel —— —— Have Just returned from Church and Indeed It was the most like Church of any service we have had here yet. Mr. Raymond has always preached before and I cannot help It but I do not think him Interesting but to day we had a sermon from Chariee- Thomas H. Beecher
and it was excellent. I see as I commence this letter again that I am on
the third page and have not yet said any of the things I thought of and
expected to when I commenced but It Is always the way when I write to you
I find so much to say. Every Sunday morning alter Chapel service we
have bible classes which last about an hour. Of course the school has
to be devised into different classes, and it Is quite provoking that Mary,
Emily and I are all seperated, though Mary Cornell and I are in the
same class, namely Prof. Tenney's the one I expect to recite Geology —
to. I like him very much indeed and think he will make the class very interesting. We are to study Isaiah. Emily is in Prof. Knapps class and Mary in Mrs Wiman's. Mother said Mrs P Beers had been over to enquire about me. She is very kind and when you see her remember me to her as well as the
others and give a great deal of love to "Grandma" Patterson. Tell them I am expecting Mary up to see me every day as I have answered her letter telling her to come. You spoke of Mrs Stowell being sick I am so sorry and to think that Minnie is away. I should think she would be ashamed for you know Col. said there was no need of her going. You must give my love to Mrs Stowell when you see her I am so sorry she is sick. I have been waiting for my list before writing to Julie as I did not want to send
the letter home first it would be so much bother and now I am going to write soon if I can only find the time. Mr Beecher was here a short time ago and spent the day and I had quite a conversation with him. He told me that Julie had been quite sick with bilious fever I think he said but was better when he left. It is strange so many of the Stowells have been sick is it not? There are not any more sick here I guess than might be expected in so large a school, and none that are seriously so* There are quite a good many that have colds and I of course among the rest, though 1 cannot tell to save me where I can have got it. Unless the damp foggy mornings may be bad. Sometimes the fog will be so thick that we cannot see the observatory from our window and it will not clear away until nine o'clock. Of course we do not go out but the air in the house even seems damp. They are building the Gymnasium now and expect to have it done in about three months they say. It is not quite as far from the College as the Observatory and on the other side. — —How strange that Mrs Tolfre and Sarah are boarding at the Clinton House. Louise wrote me they were but did not say how it happened. Why do they
wish to sell their house? Tell Chick to hurry up and send her Photo. She said In her last letter she was going to have some taken and I forgot to say anything about it in my answer. I wish I had more of my Photos, for I did not even bring this little Album full and the rest of the girls have so many more and besides I find I miss some of them myself. What do you say to sending one or two each time you write if there is room. It does not make much difference what ones only the best looking and you know it will be almost like new receiving them in such a way. Mr and Mrs Williams have promised me theirs and I wish I had them. U you see them you must give them my love* How are the Esty's and all the other neighbors ? You must remember me to all especially Mrs Treman and Lizzie. You will think Emily and I are both hard up for
paper from this piece but we neither of us noticed this hole until I had got the first page. We did not know but you might think we were most starved and had bitten this piece out it is such a funny shape so I have explained. In Father's letter her said he had heard a rumor that Mr White was not going to accept. I am so anxous to hear, and whether Mr Bartlett is going to Trumansburg fe when? I am getting very impatient for some of my callers to come. I am so anxous to see Mr Wilkenson and Mr McChain. Emma has just said she thinks Mother will have a job to read this and I think so too so I will try to stop though as you have perhaps seen I find it hard work. Have you seen the baby yet and Is it pretty and what has Aunt Eliza named it? You have forgotten to tell me. Are Grand mother and Lizzie with you yet if so give them ever so much love. I took a splendid bath to-day. I think you will have to get a bathing place fixed by the time I come home or I dont believe I can hardly stand it for I enjoy it so much taking them here. And now dont say I have not written you one good long letter at least and dont forget that you owe an answer for I shall remember the latter longest. The cookies are most gone but they have been splendid. I am getting so I eat most everything, only think I eat bread and syrup for tea. But I must stop. Write soon. Give my love to all my friends.
Ever your loving daughter Ellen.
I sand this piece of paper to see if it reminds Father of anything. It
made me laugh.
