A Letter written on Mar 30, 1848

[The envelope is not written in Mary Lyon's handwriting, but this letter is.]

South Hadley, Mar 30, 1848.

Mr. Tenney,

Sir,

I have just received your letter of inquiry about receiving scholars to the advanced standing of the Senior Class. It is not true, that we shall receive none to this standing. But it is true that we are becoming much more [...] than formerly in our efforts to prove that they deserve this standing. This we felt ourselves under obligation to do in our endeavor to raise the standard of our school, to illustrate, some 10 or 15 come this year with more or less expectation of entering the Senior Class. One of this number will fairly enter. The others all in a few weeks decide of their accord that they were not prepared. Most of them are now anticipating another year, & will add to their education more than the value of one year. My candidate should be careful to place all who require latin [?], & enter a little on her Senior studies before admission. They should at least study the whole of Euclid, & Philosophy or Paley should also be added. We do not now examine regularly on the back classes. But we make out classes for a rapid review on [...] Euclid, history, physiology &c. & as they recite those lessons easily, mark their standing. We give them those lessons as they can bear them, when they are through, we examine them at our first examination which means in the winter. This general examination is not to prove their standing. This is done by their daily recitations. It is to be to them a motive to be thorough. My candidate for admission to the Senior Class should calculate on giving one half or fourth on our [...] of the first part of the year to their general reviews & examinations. If they have studied the [...] studies which I have mentioned, they would have time. I should like to have an [...] account of the progress in latin which each candidate will have made before next autumn. I can then decide whether it will meet the requirement. We do not design to omit [..., ] Art, Hist. & Evidences of Christianity by an exact equivalent, but as a favor to those who have advanced in latin much beyond our lowest requirement.

Respectfully yours,
Mary Lyon