[Some paragraph breaks added for ease of reading.]Friend
Your kind remembrance reached me here, forwarded from my home. It certainly was very thoughtful in you to think of sending it, and since you still bear me in mind perhaps you would be interested to know of my whereabouts & whatabouts, intentions etc.
I left Mulford in August 8 '71 & after that remained at home for two years, doing what girls at home generally do, viz, nothing but have an enjoyable time. Traveled a trifle, visited a good deal & read & studied some. But for some reason that kind of a life never suited me. To be contented and happy, I must be busy & while health lasts, the content is in proportion to the amount accomplished. I do not believe man, or woman either, were ever created to do nothing or what many do, do, worse than nothing. But this sounds like the beginning of a sermon, & I will postpone that.
The two years bring us to last fall when it one day occurred to me that I would go to school, & thought of Mt Holyoke, which offered inducements because of its system. I wrote to the Principal asking for a position as assistant teacher of instrumental music, with time & chance to study. She told me they did not teach instrumental music, but were wanting a teacher for the choruses, as all the school was trained, and offered me the position on trial. I accepted & at her request entered the junior class. I had not supposed this possible because of the requirements but the examinations last for four weeks giving time for some study. I have had up to this time four choruses, the largest numbering 70 more or less, two of the others, little smaller.
The girls have done well & the most advanced class sing[s] Oratorio [?] choruses well. As the classes only sing three half hours each in the week I have time to study & keep with the class in all but Latin which I have been making up, never having studied it[.] I have not made up my mind whether I shall take the whole college course, or not, but may. If I do not study here I shall elsewhere & the whole course compares with many college courses.
There are 300 students & the whole of the work of the Seminary is done by the girls, but this with all the conveniences takes but an hour a day from each. Probably you have heard fo the system, for it is one of the oldest Seminaries in the country. I do not have "domestic work."
May I congratulate you upon the success of your entertainment? I have no doubt it was such & it was a pleasure to see your sister's name among the singers.
Well friend I have given a hasty sketch of myself & you may wonder what will follow. I cannot tell you that. Study for sometime, there is so much to be learned[.]
I enjoy searching for all the good things there are to be found, & aim [?] if people to help others. Would be pleased to hear from you & to know of your success in any direction.
Have you heard from Profs Webb, Mason & Allen this fall. All were well.
Yours sincerely
Annie S Wilson
Mt Holyoke Seminary
South Hadley Mass
Feb 10th 1874.