A Letter from Carrie Gowing
to Mary Gowing
Oct 2, 1904

P.S. I am so glad Mamma is improving. How you must have enjoyed Helen's visit! Save uncle Charles' letter so I can see it, won't you? I wish I could see that pink. I don't think I shall need those Ger. verbs. Yours C. E. G.

Mt. Holyoke College
Oct. 2, 1904.
Dearest, darling, precious beautifullist sister Mary:

I haven't forgotten you, though I haven't written to you before. I think you will have to call this your birthday letter as I shan't have time to write another one before the 6th. I hope you will have a delightful one. It is Elizabeth Thompson's birthday the 4th. She wrote to Mary Davis that she has been very homesick I guess we could sympathize, for I have quite a number of twinges though it is just lovely here and I am very grateful that I can be here. I have entirely recovered of my cold, and Inez has just begun one. Every one has to have one to be in fashion. I was all right those cold days, for the heat was on, and I had clothes enough on my bed. Isn't the frost very early this year? We have been having the queerest weather. It looks bright and fair one minute and the next it is pouring. We think it is more like April than October.

I went up on Prospect with Mary and Edith Damon, you met her, Auntie, she is Mary's room-mate and we found quite a lot of chestnuts. There are a good many trees around here. Prospect is right back of the lake. You, Auntie, must have seen that hill right back of the college grounds. It is lovely up there and it is especially pretty now the leaves are turning. They say they think the leaves won't be as pretty this year, on account of the wind and rain. One afternoon Mary D. and I took a little row on the lake. I took a lesson in rowing. It was great fun. There are about a dozen boats belonging to the college for the girls' use. They are real safe ones and they say the lake isn't deep enough to drown anyone. Down by the lake is the green house and the college gardens. The green house seems like a tropical region, for there are so many rare palms and other large plants. The gardens looked fine just before the frost, but I suppose they are spoiled now.

Miss Hazen came in to make a little call this afternoon. She is real nice I think, also Miss Kelly came to see me, but I was out. I was very sorry, for I think I should like her. Is Marion still at home? People are inquiring whether she is going to be married this year or what she is going to do. Miss Hazen said his (Mr. Hall's) mother was a special friend of hers and it was a fine family.

I have just been to vespers. They are simply beautiful. I do enjoy the music here so much. When the vesper service was over and most of the people had gone, the lights were put out, and Mr. Hammond played to those who wanted to listen. He played Handel's "Largo" and such pieces as that. It was charming to sit in the dusk, and listen. He played the "Largo" wonderfully. I enjoyed it so much, it was really a pain. I wish you all could have heard it. Next week, Wednesday evening, Booker T. Washington is comming [sic] to Amherst to speak for the benefit of a colored church there. Special seats have been reserved for the students who wish to attend and a special car is to go. Some time soon Mr. Charles Wagner, a famous French preacher, is to speak here. Perhaps you saw his picture on the outside of the Congregationalist of Sept. 17th I think. He comes to address a peace conference in Boston. Sometime in the winter the man who is at the head of the organ music at St. Louis Exposition is comming [sic] here to play. He is Alexander Guilmant, the greatest organist and organ master in the world. He is in the conservatory at Paris. He is known by his "Marche Funetre" and "Chant Seraphique." Then at another time a company of English musicians are going to give a concert of the 17th and 18th centuries with the instruments such as the lyre, spinet, lute & harpsichord, and they are going to give some of Shakespear's [sic] songs. I think that will be fine. Then Mme. Blauvelt, a famous soprano is to give a song recital and Miss Hullock from Philadelphia is going to give a piano recital. I do hope you, Mary, can come to some of them. I think you could get here just as easy as not, for I will meet you at Holyoke and we would have a delightful time. When I hear when they are to come I will write. I suppose they come in the winter.

The seniors gave us a reception in the gymnasium. Alice Thompson took me. We were introduced to Miss Woolley, (that is the way to spell it) Lottie Lane, president of the class, another senior and their honorary member[.] Each class chooses one of the teachers for an honorary member. Then we went round and were introduced to no end of seniors and freshmen, but I couldn't remember their names a minute after I heard them. We had two kinds of ice cream in punch glasses and fancy cake. There was music for our entertainment. I am going to send you a programme of a song recital by Miss Julia Dickinson, the teacher of vocal music in college it was very nice. She has a very sweet voice, and it seems so easy for her. I wish you could have heard it.

Do you hear from Mrs. Haskins, and how is Dana? Can he go back to school? How did they ever let Florence Marsh go back, and how did they let them go together as before? They haven't done any hazing to me yet, perhaps they wait till later for that. They haven't made any announcement of it, strange, isn't it? Miss Kelly made me a call last evening (Tues. evening.) I enjoyed it ever so much. She said she went to Pelham for two days last winter. I am writing this Wed. morning I intended to finish it Sun. but you see I didn't. I am sorry you expected a letter last Saturday and didn't get it. You see I wrote the Monday before and I called that that weeks' [sic] letter. I can write Sunday better than any other time, but if you had rather I can write Wednesday as I am doing now.

I received Mamma's letter Tues. at ten and I had recitations all the forenoon and I couldn't read it till half past twelve. Imagine my impatience! Wasn't it nice you could meet Miss Barrington and hear all about Mr. Carl Faeltens' (is that the way to spell it?) school? Wouldn't it be nice for you to be together? You needn't worry about my corresponding with Woodbury, for I don't know whether I shall send that banner before June or not. I can't seem to get time for it, and all our pictures aren't hung yet. Inez has most of hers hung. You did get a fine letter from Woodbury. I saw the envelope and I knew whose it was. Well dear I must close, hoping you will have a happy birthday. I am afraid you won't get this on time for you[r] birthday but you can call it a birthday letter and you will know I am thinking of you on that day.

Your devoted sister
Carrie

Dear Auntie and Mamma:
I am going to try and answer some of your questions. I have entirely recovered from my cold. Did you get yours the day you went home from here in the rain? Do you know whether Helen has a room mate and does she like her? I don't need any underwaists made, for you know we found a lot when we packed my trunks. Miss Wentworth asked me to canvass Mead Hall for subscriptions for the "Evangel" and "Intercollegian". I got six. It was more than the others got from the other halls. & she said they would know where to go again for help.

I like Inez ever so much and I guess she likes me. We found the work rather hard at first, beginning Geometry & Trigonometry, but I guess we can carry it all right, when we get used to it. Latin is very easy so far. & English isn't bad at all, but German is so different from Mr. Reynolds style of teaching. Would you like to have me send one of my catalogues? You spoke of it. I got the grammer [sic] all right. You wanted to know when I got your letters. I received Auntie's first letter of last week Thursday afternoon and the other Friday at 10. I like to have you correct my spelling for I do want to learn how to spell some time. Inez had pictures enough for our room. She has a number of nice copy prints and some other cheaper ones. The carpenter came and did the things for us, but we didn't pay him for he sends in his bill at the end of the term or year I guess. We got a good step-ladder and we hung our things without any accidents. The room is so high we had to get up on the top of it[.] I am afraid Mamma couldn't do it. I didn't just enjoy it.

Inez bought some material like my book-case curtains but most of the girls have them only half way so she put it on top and we share the shelves below. We have our mirror above the chiffonier. I don't know that I told you I ring the retireing [sic] bells and dust in the afternoon the week I don't sweep and dust in the morning. Also I light the gas in the lower bath room every afternoon. We take our rugs out doors and sweep them with a broom. The ones in the pa[r]lor I sweep with a carpet sweeper[.]

Quite a number of the scholars have german measles, and they go to the infirmery. [sic] I suppose there isn't much danger of my taking them. I put my laundry down in the basement Monday morning and the wash-woman comes and gets it & brings it back Friday afternoon[.] She does it very well. I did all my washing this week, for I didn't get it down in season. I didn't care, for I could do it all right. I bought me some gold dust so I put them to soak in gold dust water. How much ought I to use for half a tub of water? I think I put to[o] much in last time, but they washed very easy and look nice. The place is pretty good to dry them. There are three lines and three horses in the laundry & six set tubs with hot & cold water and eight gas heaters for irons. The kitchen is just back of the dining room. I see that Oakdale girl once in a while, but I haven't seen the younger one for some days. I will close now with heaps & heaps of love, daughter & niece Carrie.