So. Hadley. No. 49. Mar. 26./50.My Dear Mother,
I think I have not addressed a letter to you for some time, though I suppose it makes little difference to whom they are particularly written.
I received Nathaniel's letter with much pleasure, as I always do letters from any-where, and particularly from home. We are all pretty well now here: Miss Whitman is gaining strength slowly I belive. It is three weeks last Friday since she was taken sick. She hopes to be able to meet us in the Hall this week, but is not going to recover too fast, so that she will be sick again. Her trouble seems to be a nervous weakness. She is very susceptible to noise, and we have a great many charges about going softly by room No. 90 where she is. As Miss Hazen is away, two teachers have come into power, and occupy the seats on the highest platform in Seminary Hall formerly occupied by Miss Whitman & Miss Hazen.
Last evening I received a nice long letter from Mary Eliza which I will read you when I come home. She said the children were well - much company for her - into all sorts of mischief and asking all kinds of questions which it was very difficult to answer. She was anticipating much pleasure in Lydia's visit of a few weeks, which she was soon to make. She spoke of Aunt Eliza's little girl named Clara, for Aunt Curtis - but as you have heard from her so recently, these things will probably not be new. I also received a note from Miss Lillie now having reached the venerable age of four years - her mother wrote it at Lillie's dictation I presume. Mary E. says L. seems to have more distinct recollections of "Uncle Nathaniel" than of "Aunt Phronie."
There is a revival of some interest now in progress in Amherst College, which commenced near the time of the death of one of their Professors, Mr. Peabody . The work seems to go on very quietly, and much good appears to be done. Mr. Laurie preached to the young last Sabbath - all day from the text "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth." In his sermon a few Sabbaths since, he said that So. Hadley was darker than any missionary station in Africa, that while many of the towns on the river were now visited by the Spirit, this place stood "alone, like a barren field, blasted and blackened by the wrath of God."
There is a disease among some of the girls just now, quite unpleasant, but not fatal I think. We call it "the Catalog fever." Quite a number of the old scholars find that their names are coming out in the wrong class, which troubles them not a little. They will not probably be out till next term so I cannot tell you now where I shall be classified. Some feel so badly they cannot study, and sit at "the sick-table" so called. Miss Scott sits at the head of this table, & it is my regular seat, but when any-one is sick, and wants crust-coffee, toast &c. she takes my seat, and I go away to hers, at her table. The other day, as I had been absent from Miss S's table a long time, I asked her if I might sit there one meal & she said "yes." So she found a seat for me, offered me coffee & toast, supposing I was sick! We had a good laugh over it, but as I had not eaten the first mouthful of "sick-victuals" as I call them since I came here, I thought I would not begin then; as I did not go there because I was sick.
Nathaniel did not mention in his letter whether or not you had any help, now. I do hope you may have a good girl. I am sure you have had trouble enough to deserve one. I am glad Nathaniel had so good success in his examinations, also that Father was able to be there. When I come home, I hope to be able to compose audience sufficient for him to declaim to me about the poor Indians.
Last week Miss Scott sold us some very good maple-sugar, & I presume she will tomorrow. I wish you had some of it at home. Lizzie does not yet know whether she shall go home in vacation, or not. She thinks of going home early next term to meet an uncle from Cincinnati & an aunt from Nova Scotia neither of whom she has seen since infancy, & who have not met her mother for nearly twenty years. I hope to come home three weeks from next Friday, & when I speak of it, it makes me feel as if she must go, she says.
I have some ideas of writing to Miss Houghton tomorrow. I do not hear from them, though they said they would write me.
S. S. Fisher March 26/50
Lizzie or "Betsey," as I call her & I go over to Dr. Brooks' nearly every evening for the Seminary medicines. This affords us a fine walk by moonlight, which we are allowed to subtract from our walk by daylight, the next day. It is but a little ways from the Seminary, & so while he is fixing his medicines, writing directions &c. we employ ourselves in reading a daily paper from Springfield which contains an account of Dr. Webster's trial. Lizzie is busily engaged in copying history topics for Mary Packard so that she can study it before she comes, & enter in advance. It does not seem as if I had written anything interesting at all, but I felt just in the mood for chatting with you.Much love to all the folks, not forgetting yourself. Write soon to yr. aff. Sophronia.