Mt. Holyoke College
Feb 16, 1890
My dear father;-
I was very pleasantly surprised to get a letter from you. You seem to be having considerable dissipation, and I hope city life won't have a bad effect upon you.
I have a little cold, and slightly sore throat this morning, which seems to be settling in my head.
Our seats at table were changed yesterday, and my roommate and I are together at just the table where I most hated to go. Miss Prentiss is the teacher and very nice but so slow. Her table is invariably the last to leave to leave [sic] the dining room. The girls have to sit and wait for her to get thro' eating. Evangeline and I have concluded that we need the discipline, and side by side we have taken our places at table to the tune of "Come on my partner in distress." However most of the firls are special friends and among the best in school so that we shall have a good time and that will compensate somewhat for the weary hours that we must wait at table.
Evangeline expects her mother next Tues. to spend the night and Wednesday with her. She will have my bed and I shall sleep in some other room.
It seems such a long time since I have seen anyone from home. I just begin to realize how nice it was to see you on your way to & from Holyoke. Although I am not homesick, I am looking forward to vacation more than I did in the winter. I am trying to find something to take the place of my extra work, and I think I shall go into a French class, and take charcoal drawing two hrs. per week. There are no new classes beginning this time of the year.
My dear teacher, Miss Smith, who has been my teacher in Algebra Geometry and Bible class, left Wednesday for Ann Arbor, Mich. Miss Kies went there in the winter and expected to welcome Miss Smith but a card from her came just after Miss S. left saying that she was coming east to her father's funeral, so they crossed each other on the way, and Miss S. will be among strangers until Miss K. returns on Monday.
A candidate Mr. Putnam preaches today, but I have just decided not to go, for I am afraid it will be cold in church. As a report or remarks on the sermon always comes in to my Sunday letters, I hardly know how to supply the vacuum. I would like to send this to Amherst but am afraid you would not get it as soon as by way of home.
I am so glad that we are all well this winter. We have so much to be thankful for. Your loving daughter Mabel