Seminary. Nov. 15. 1850.My dear Mother,
I received with much pleasure a letter from Nathaniel & from Maria Bates together. Although I have as yet received nothing from you, yet I know you are perfectly excusable, and only wish I could be here, and helping you at home, at the same time, I am glad to hear that you have the prospect of another girl soon, and I hope she will prove a good one.
Lizzie, Kate Cross and I are very happy together, as chums. Kate was with two unkind girls before who made a servant of her, & made her work too much. She has grown quite fleshy since she came here, and has very fat cheeks. She has a trouble in her throat like the bronchitis, & has had it treated as Mr. Packard did his, by an application of silver, internally to it.
Our school so far seems to be very pleasant. The teachers say the girls are unusually conscientious, and give less trouble than usual about their rooms and domestic work. This year there was as great a demand for rooms in the fourth story as there generally is for those in the second and third.
The teachers received a letter of six pages written by Miss Whitman's own hand this week. She wrote that her lungs had troubled her severely since she left the Seminary, but that now all disease seemed to have disappeared, and all she needed was strength, which she was gaining slowly. She is able to ride two hours on a pleasant day, walk half a mile a day, read, sew & knit moderately, &c. She has lived on a milk diet for five months, as meat is too stimulating for her. She says she is comfortably situated without a care at her brother's in Cambridge. She sent a very affectionate message to the Semin class and to all the young ladies. She said, even if her health should be restored so as to be comfortable she never expected to resume her place here again, much as she loved the Seminary. But perhaps she would be able to spend a day next summer with us, though she could not tell what this winter would do for her.
The story now is that Mrs. Sackett is to leave quite soon. Her health is not quite sufficient - she says she could never bear the confinement, and she wishes to be with her husband who is preaching in N.Y. She does not seem to be exactly the one after all, though we like her very much. She has thus far corrected the compositions of the Semin Class. I wrote Mrs. Houghton last week that she would probably stay - perhaps it would be well to correct the mistake, for she told me of the girls herself that if her husband settled where he now expected to be, she should wish to be with him.
One of the teachers asked me the other day if I was to be here Thanksgiving! I told her I expected to stay. She said they expected to have a very fine time, better than last year, but she would not tell me the secret. However, it has all been guessed out. A wedding will probably serve for variety, Thursday evening. Mr. Hawkes the President of the Trustees who lives in the Sem. has a widowed daughter who is to marry a physician in Springfield about that time, and her mother said slyly that all the young ladies would know when she was married!
Very few scholars have left this year on account of failure in Examinations, but a great many are now in classes pursuing the preparatory studies which account for [...] New studies are to commence at Thanksgiving time. I am to have Logic, & Mental Philosophy. Have succeeded much better in Geometry since I last wrote, & like it very well now. - I enjoy singing very much - sing half an hour every day from 12 o'clock. There are quite a number in our choir, & two other girls and myself carry the Tenor, which I enjoy very much. It is the highest part, & I think will strengthen my voice. Kate Cross injured her throat singing Alto, & advises me not to sing that much. - My glasses are a great help to me. The other evening, I saw many stars with them that I could not without. The girls laugh at me some, for many think I wear them for the fun of it.
I wrote a long letter to Lydia last week. Have written to Grandmother Draper once since I returned. I was glad to hear that the little sale made out so well. I have knit another pair of mats since I returned - There are two girls here whose pastor is Mr. Benson, in Wisconsin. They tell me that Mrs. B's health is very feeble, so that they have lately come to Boston, as the last chance for her life.
We are all well. Hope to hear from home often.
Love to all from your affec.
Sophronia.