[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading.]
Mt. Holyoke.
Oct. 2. 1895.Dear friends:-
I had almost forgotten that I should have written to you today for I have been wholly absorbed in a little trip to the foothills of Mt. Holyoke, which was almost equal to a Mountain Day. Miss Hooker took the girls of her Botany cllasses, about seventy in number, to this place, which she has named the Mountain Pasture, to gather asters, goldenrods, and ferns to press for our herbariums. We started from the "lower south door" at half-past ten, each girl laden with her Manual press-board, and a shawl. Miss Hooker led the procession with her carriage and little brown horse, which, by the way, has no mane just now, because Dr. Lowell's horse has reached over from its stall and chewed Miss Hooker's horse's mane. Then came a three-seated barge, drawn by two horses, one of which jumps and kicks when it starts; next came a four-horse coach with seats along the sides, in which I rode, then another two-horse coach drawn by big brown horses adorned with crimson tassels; and Mr. Bates brought up the rear with a two-seated carriage, drawn, literally, by a "rat-tailed, ewe-necked bay,["] which objects to being hitched in the same manner Peter does.
We went about three miles and then made our first stop to get a certain kind of aster, then we turned off an old road which goes from Bigelow to Uncle Myron's, only there are sand holes where the teams got stuck once or twice and the girls had to get out, before they could be started. There were deep holes where one side of the wagon would go down, and the girls on that side would squeal and lean over the other way, then perhaps one side would go over a big rock, when the girls would all gasp and then giggle about it. Sometimes the branches were so troublesome that we had to bend nearly double to avoid them. I endured all this as calmly as possible on the way to the place, but when we returned I walked until we reached a good road. I wouldn't have minded it a bit if I had been driving Peter, but it is not quite the same when you are crowded in among a load of eighteen, away up in the air, and with four strange horses propelling you. We went on this way for about two miles, then we reached the Mountain Pasture where there is a spring of very fine water. Miss Hooker calls it "the Lythia spring.["]
Dinner was the first thing on the program. When the lunch was unpacked the coffee and a basket of peaches were found missing. Mr. Bates scratched his hoary head in much perplexity and said he was sure he put them out on the stone steps in front of the building, so it was decided that they must be there all this time, so one of the drivers was dispatched in hot haste for them. He must have driven very rapidly for he returned with them just as we had finished the rest of our dinner. The dinner consisted of bread and butter, sandwiches, boiled eggs, graham wafters, peaches, pickles and coffee. After every crumb was disposed of, and Miss Hooker's "Dick" had had his fill of the wafers, we started on a wild scramble up one of the lesser mountains. It was a very queer place, for a part of the way there were no large trees but a perfect forest of huge mullen [sic] stalks and the bristly goldenrod squarrosa with an underbrush of all sorts of smaller plants. Then we came down through the dry bed of a stream, which I should judge must be a lively on[e] in the spring, because there were great logs strewn along it. Some parts of the ravine reminded me of the Cat Rock. (party)
It was a regular scramble. I got nine varieties of asters and eight of golden-rods and I can tell them all as I see them growing, and have their scientific names at my tongue's end, and I feel very well satisfied with my day's work, only I have just about demolished my tan shoes. We arrived at home at a quarter of five. Then I had to do my domestic work immediately. Since supper I have been studying my Bible for tomorrow and my Elocution for Friday.
You will be sure to send the check for my tuition next Monday, will you not? I had to go to Miss Purington last night and explain about it.
And will you give me the present address of the Baldwin's. You will find it in the last letter of Eva's.
There is a tiny hospital being built for the college. Good idea.
Have you had a frost yet? There was a slight one here last night.
I thought I had informed you before this that my room-mate is a Boston girl. She comes from Charlestown I believe, soemwhere in the vicinity of Bunker Hill Monument.
I wrote that last word just as the lights went off, and now I am writing this (can you believe it?) by moon-light. It is a magnificent night.
[Unsigned, but written by Susie Lawson]