Vassar College Digital Library

Mansfield, Adelaide (Claflin) | to Louise Claflin, Dec. 8, 1895:

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Date
December 8, 1895
Abstract
VC 1897
Transcript file(s)
Details
Identifier
vassar:24526,,Box 21,VCL_Letters_Mansfield_Adelaide_1897_060
Extent
1 item
Type
Rights
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: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897060001
Vassar College. December 1. 1895.

My dear Lou,-

This week my chief piece of news is that Ed has been up here. You know Friday was "Phil" — and I had invited Ed. to come up. He came in the evening, just before the lecture - when all the rest of the men came. The lecture was at half-past seven, by Joseph O'Connor - who, everybody says, is "a famous journalist," but I have not yet found anybody who ever heard of him. They tried to get a number of other lecturers first, but couldn't. I heard that this man was the ninth one they

 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897060002
tried to engage- And unfortunately they wished they had not succeeded in engaging him, for he was extremely stupid as a lecturer - As a usual thing the lectures are humorous or light or interesting - in some way - because on such an occasion the audience needs something quite entertaining to keep their attention — For instance, the girls had their brothers or friends whom they had not seen for some time, and as the lecture was stupid, they could not resist the temptation to whisper-

The subject of the lecture was literary style, and it was discussed in just about the same way it would be in a rhetoric - the most commonplace definitions - etc.

 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897060003
Of course there were a great many pretty dresses to look at - that and the singing by the Glee Club were redeeming features.

There were ten promenades- I kept only one of Ed's for myself, because he was to be here Saturday morning- and distributed the rest among my friends- Mary MacColl, Katharine Dunham, Bertha Young, Maidee Traver, Carrie Abbott, Ray, Gertrude Smith, Carrie, and Jo Sleight. Each girl had a certain place for meeting her friends- the seats in the different parlors being all numbered - So at the end of each promenade Ed returned to our seat, and I went there too, to introduce him to the next girl he was to have.

 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897060004
Kate Dunham took him to the Senior Parlor to show that to him - and he wrote his name in the guest book there.

Ray's brothers, Charlie and Fritz, were here, also Mr. Capen, and so this whole crowd of us went in to refreshments together- I think Ray's brother Charlie came partly to see Mr. Capen, because he had never seen him before-

I had a promenade with Mr. Capen, and had a very pleasant talk with him - He stayed over for Saturday, and went out walking with Ray, as he always does on his visits- The rest of us always leave the way clear for him and Ray.

I saw Adalbert Bronson here as the guest of Annie Childs

 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897060005
the girl who visited them last Summer-

Ed came out about nine o'clock Saturday morning, and he and I went out walking—up to Richmond Hill - from the top of which we can see all the country round- He took the 11:40 train back to New York- He said it seemed so funny to be around among girls, that he kept forgetting to take his hat off when I spoke to one passing- He said he had had to take off his hat in the street only once since he had been in New York, and that was when he had happened to meet the Brighams. Ed said that when he woke up Friday morning he was undecided whether to come up here, because he had such a head

 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897060006
ache- He said he hadn't seen a well day for six weeks - he has had a stomach ache all the time, and lately he has had headaches with it- His head ached all the time he was up here- For all that, though, he said he had a very good time here, and was very glad indeed that he came -

One nice thing about it was that it was very good weather- we have not had any snow at all, except the little bit that we had over a month ago- It seems strange too, for we hear of snow in all other parts of the country- We shall be able to go skating in a day or two, I think - some boys from town were skating on our pond the other night and some girls early the next morning, but the danger signal is still up - The lake is frozen

 


: VCLLettersMansfieldAdelaide1897060007
very smooth and it will be fine skating- The gymnasium opened last week for regular gym. work— In the fall the basket and battle-ball teams play so much voluntarily and for others there is so much to attract them outdoors, that we take plenty of exercise outdoors, and gym. does not have to begin till it is too cold to attract us, except for necessary exercise, outdoors.

I have heard hardly anything about the Women's College this year- I keep wondering what is going on there. None of the girls there have written to me, because I owe them letters, and have not had time to write to them. Do you see much of Carrie Hardy?Remember me to her the next time you see her, will you? And also to Nina Roberts and Alice Cage and Emilie—and Sadie Adams - I have not even written to her yet-

Lovingly your sister Adelaide.
(Claflin)