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Vassar College.
April 10, 1868.
My dear Mother,
I received your letter just before dinner and am going to write you immediately as I have plenty of time. The girls are making sugar candy over the gas - i.e. Laura and Saidee are, Miss Penfield is making herself an organdie muslin while your loving daughter is writing to her mother. Now that it is so well settled that I am to have a box I will tell you as fully as I can what I want. I went over to see the dressmaker Mrs. Green yesterday and she measured me for a short skirt. I have decided to have a white marsailles short dress cut with a sacque. My skirt is to be 37 inches in front and 38 behind. I shall get a pattern of the sacque Monday and you may expect it by Wednesday or Thursday. I suppose Em would be willing to have the skirt trimmed off on her and I know of no one any nearer my size. The sacque is to turn back like a coat and I want a white waist to wear under it of course. This ought to
be as high in the neck as possible and made of linen - or the front at least. It will look in every respect like a man's shirt bosom, and, of course, is to be starched stiffly. I am not particular how it is made, whether the tucks are fine or coarse, uniform or in groups. About such a matter you have fully as good taste as I, and you know fashion allows great latitude in the minor details of one's dress now-a-days. I want a plain white skirt short enough to wear with the dress. I don't know but what such a skirt would look better ruffled and a very few tucks - on second thought, what do you think? It is not an affair of much moment any way. Now as this letter will be the one refer- red to when you come to get the things ready I will write everything I think of.
I spoke of having a white muslin waist. If you send one I would like it plain garabaldi or if ornamented at all - with puffs so instead of tucks. Jennie Penfield is making her muslin ^and instead of leaving the cords on the outside she has them on the inside and they are farther apart than we made mine. I like it better I think. I think I shall need a thin waist for it will probably be too hot during Commencement to wear my silk waist. I am afraid
I am laying out too much work for you. If I mention anything that you do not approve for any reason, you must say so. When you send my box you may send that braided chemise if you please. I shall want a skeleton - the smallest you can find and then I shall take out the top hoops - a pair of boots and I should like to have you send for a pair of kid gloves to match my walking suit whatever color that may be. I suppose you don't know any more than I, but you had better decide upon the material and color yourself. I like gray very much or steel. Saidee says I had better have ponjee as that is to be the thing of the season. The bit I sent of hers is ponjee also the dress Nell got In New York. I think Nell's however was cheaper and perhaps you had better get a piece of her and tend for one like it for me. You must go by your own judgment in every thing. All I want to do is to suggest and leave all decision to you. Of course I could get my gloves here but it will probably be cheaper for sine Mr. Woodruff to get such things I wear ^6 or 6 1/4 you know. I want my skeleton white. I can't think of anything more now that I want. In regard to the trimming of my dress. I think it had better be white - sort of gimp. I can get a sample In Poughkeepsie and send you or get the whole of
it and trim it after it comes. I am going to send you a piece of cloth for skirting thinking perhaps you will need a new skirt as well as myself and this is very nice - cost $.70 per yd. Aren't you tired of so much about dress ? Remember that you told me to be very particular in my directions. I must tell you about Carrie Young's last freak. I suppose father's admiration will be unbounded now, allowing that it has had a limit heretofore. She has run away and been married to a worthless fellow by the name of Sam Herroa -
they are boarding at a hotel in Cincinnati now and her father will not allow her to come home. Annie says she thinks letters of condolence would be more appropriate than congratulation.
What a contrast there is between the cousins. I never saw a girl that I admired more thoroughly than I do Annie Glidden. I wish you could know her.
I received a letter from Aunt Maria yesterday. It was real nice and I enjoyed it ever so much. I shall write to her again before I come home certainly. She writes that Frank McKean has been at home. How could you be so heartless as to not write me about it?
I have not yet perfected my arrangements to spend that week in New York which Mrs. McKean suggested.
I have decided not to have anything done to my black dress except to mend up a few holes and re-plait it. It is so old I cannot do much more with it. Tell Sue I am delighted with the prospect she offers ^me of joining her party to the Mts. Wouldn't it be delightful. I do hope nothing will occur to prevent it and, more than all, the visit of her cousins and relatives for I want to see them very much indeed. I wanted to write to Hal week but to write so much to you that I could not. I shall write you a short letter Monday for I don't want a single Wed. to pass without bringing to you my letter.
Lovingly
Mary.
[Mary (Parker) Woodworth, '70]
April 10, 1868.
My dear Mother,
I received your letter just before dinner and am going to write you immediately as I have plenty of time. The girls are making sugar candy over the gas - i.e. Laura and Saidee are, Miss Penfield is making herself an organdie muslin while your loving daughter is writing to her mother. Now that it is so well settled that I am to have a box I will tell you as fully as I can what I want. I went over to see the dressmaker Mrs. Green yesterday and she measured me for a short skirt. I have decided to have a white marsailles short dress cut with a sacque. My skirt is to be 37 inches in front and 38 behind. I shall get a pattern of the sacque Monday and you may expect it by Wednesday or Thursday. I suppose Em would be willing to have the skirt trimmed off on her and I know of no one any nearer my size. The sacque is to turn back like a coat and I want a white waist to wear under it of course. This ought to
be as high in the neck as possible and made of linen - or the front at least. It will look in every respect like a man's shirt bosom, and, of course, is to be starched stiffly. I am not particular how it is made, whether the tucks are fine or coarse, uniform or in groups. About such a matter you have fully as good taste as I, and you know fashion allows great latitude in the minor details of one's dress now-a-days. I want a plain white skirt short enough to wear with the dress. I don't know but what such a skirt would look better ruffled and a very few tucks - on second thought, what do you think? It is not an affair of much moment any way. Now as this letter will be the one refer- red to when you come to get the things ready I will write everything I think of.
I spoke of having a white muslin waist. If you send one I would like it plain garabaldi or if ornamented at all - with puffs so instead of tucks. Jennie Penfield is making her muslin ^and instead of leaving the cords on the outside she has them on the inside and they are farther apart than we made mine. I like it better I think. I think I shall need a thin waist for it will probably be too hot during Commencement to wear my silk waist. I am afraid
I am laying out too much work for you. If I mention anything that you do not approve for any reason, you must say so. When you send my box you may send that braided chemise if you please. I shall want a skeleton - the smallest you can find and then I shall take out the top hoops - a pair of boots and I should like to have you send for a pair of kid gloves to match my walking suit whatever color that may be. I suppose you don't know any more than I, but you had better decide upon the material and color yourself. I like gray very much or steel. Saidee says I had better have ponjee as that is to be the thing of the season. The bit I sent of hers is ponjee also the dress Nell got In New York. I think Nell's however was cheaper and perhaps you had better get a piece of her and tend for one like it for me. You must go by your own judgment in every thing. All I want to do is to suggest and leave all decision to you. Of course I could get my gloves here but it will probably be cheaper for sine Mr. Woodruff to get such things I wear ^6 or 6 1/4 you know. I want my skeleton white. I can't think of anything more now that I want. In regard to the trimming of my dress. I think it had better be white - sort of gimp. I can get a sample In Poughkeepsie and send you or get the whole of
it and trim it after it comes. I am going to send you a piece of cloth for skirting thinking perhaps you will need a new skirt as well as myself and this is very nice - cost $.70 per yd. Aren't you tired of so much about dress ? Remember that you told me to be very particular in my directions. I must tell you about Carrie Young's last freak. I suppose father's admiration will be unbounded now, allowing that it has had a limit heretofore. She has run away and been married to a worthless fellow by the name of Sam Herroa -
they are boarding at a hotel in Cincinnati now and her father will not allow her to come home. Annie says she thinks letters of condolence would be more appropriate than congratulation.
What a contrast there is between the cousins. I never saw a girl that I admired more thoroughly than I do Annie Glidden. I wish you could know her.
I received a letter from Aunt Maria yesterday. It was real nice and I enjoyed it ever so much. I shall write to her again before I come home certainly. She writes that Frank McKean has been at home. How could you be so heartless as to not write me about it?
I have not yet perfected my arrangements to spend that week in New York which Mrs. McKean suggested.
I have decided not to have anything done to my black dress except to mend up a few holes and re-plait it. It is so old I cannot do much more with it. Tell Sue I am delighted with the prospect she offers ^me of joining her party to the Mts. Wouldn't it be delightful. I do hope nothing will occur to prevent it and, more than all, the visit of her cousins and relatives for I want to see them very much indeed. I wanted to write to Hal week but to write so much to you that I could not. I shall write you a short letter Monday for I don't want a single Wed. to pass without bringing to you my letter.
Lovingly
Mary.
[Mary (Parker) Woodworth, '70]
