Sleighton Farm
Darling, Pa.
Sept. 1, 1919.
Darling,
At last I'm on my "life woik", as it were and my! how many laughs I have had.
First of all, dear, let me say when writing to me put "officer" after my name for there is a colored girl here whose name is Frances E. Brown. It would be rather disasterous [sic], wouldn't it, if she should get my letter from you? - what is more, all the mail to the girls is censored so yours would be, too, and Dick Gidley would be the censor as she is in the office!!
Well, Bub dear, we landed here six-thirty Friday night and not a soul to meet us - So I 'phoned up to the Farm - In talking over the 'phone I said "This is Miss Brown speaking." - So when I finished the old hayseed of a station agent said, "Be ya Frances Brown?" "yes," I said - "Well ya going to be to the farm long? Jeas sent yer trunk up this afternoon" From this you can imagine what the station of Darlington is like - This is a rough sketch and absolutely no exaggeration in directions & dimensions!
We drove up in an old hack - but when we got to the farm! Truly it is beautiful. The houses are all of stone painted white or white washed guess it is! with green vines all over them.
Friday night one of the "Holyokers" who was here took us about. Then Saturday we were called to Mrs. Falconer to see what we were to do. Truly Mrs. Falconer is an old dear altho' very, very, business-like & efficient -
We were given our choice of three positions and guess what I chose, Bub dear - the new girls! Ye gauds - but you should see them - have to be watched every second. Gosh - you have to boss them around like mad! They sure are tough! and really loathsome to look at, some of them. The best looking are the worst so there you have it, all the time.
Saturday I went over the whole place where I was to be - I had thirty-five of the girls write letters - by heck, it took all day to do it for you know many of them have a mentality of 8 yrs! Then I had to censor their letters. Woof! It was some job - any letter that was indecent or slusky [?] was torn up & the girl locked in her room - the girls can write only once a month and then only to the person whose name they have given in the office -
We have to go every place with the girls and watch them every minute.
Every girl is locked in her room at night & the windows are all barred -
You know down here you are quite "big guns" - never do a thing for yourself - girls do it all -
To-day Monday - I begin to teach the new girls - what I am to teach I know not! Some psychological stuff I'm doing.
Dick & I have our Sundays off together and we went into Philly yesterday - Every other week we have off so next Sunday I'm off on. - I have Saturday afternoons off every week, too - Being teacher - you know!
Listen, dear, we can have visitors but listen - couldn't you come into Philly some week-end and I could come in & stay at Buddie's. You would have to stay in town some place for I don't think Buddie has room. I don't know tho' but will find out. You see I could come into Philly Sat. afternoon & stay till 7.30 train back Sunday night.
Dearest, this "woiking goils" life is no joke - I now have twenty minutes before I'm on duty again -
Now I'll continue the above - or you can come out here and stay at the officers cottage - However, personally I think the Philly arrangement best until I can get to know the strings out here better.
I very likely will have forgotten how to smile! when I get out - you'd have to teach me all over again, dear - will you? Why, you have to treat the youngsters like hats or else they think they have the upper hand!
This afternoon I'm relieving some officer - Heaven only knows what I'll do - I'm not to have school tho' - I can tell you one thing Bub darling, the salary I'm getting is certainly earned and, by heck I've been here only three days -
This afternoon we have races and the like because it is Labor day and like as not I'll have charge of a group at the games! Heaven help me if they run away -
This is Tuesday morning now and I've slews of papers to correct so much finish this up quickly -
Yesterday I was left in the house alone with 17 bad girls who could not go out - I was petrified at first when they began to "sass" me back but I punished one hussey by sending her to her room & locking her up on bread & water rations for a day or two and, by heck they were like lambs after that.
There was not a minutes rest for me until 9:30 last night - now what do you think of that. You see they are very much lacking in workers so we have to go too!
Well, darling I must stop - but there sure will be plenty to tell when I write next time.
Do write me awful soon -
All my love,
Fran.