Letter 4
Mount holyoke female seminary/college
Thursday eve Oct 19th, South Hadley
Dear Mother,
I received your very welcome letter of the 13th inst. immediately after tea this evening and now hasten to return an answer. I am very well now excepting a cold and was very happy to hear that my friends in P. were when you wrote, hope they are now. I had a bad headache the first week I was here occasioned by having a fire in my room. Most of the time since then the weather has been so mild that I have found it comfortable without one and consequently my head has been very much better. I do not know what I shall do when it becomes so cold that I can not do without one. Although when I get accustomed to it I presume I shall not feel its effects so much. But I will not tire your patience with any more preface. Lucius doubtless gave you an account of my safe arrival, reception and introduction &c. &c. Therefore I will pass over that and come directly to the main point namely the “Examination”. I suppose I am considered passable or I should have made my appearance in Petersham before this time. It was not as bad as I had anticipated though to be sure I missed some but not so may but that they excused me. I am now studying Algebra (the hateful thing) and Worcester’s Elements of Ancient History. I have also taken one lesson in Chemistry. My time is very much taken up, hardly have time to prepare my lessons well. There are about 210 scholars here now. Several have left on account of ill health. My roommate Miss Higginbotham left last Tuesday morning for Westfield. She was not prepared for an examination in Arithmetic and Miss Logan thought she had better wait until another year before entering here. Miss Catherine Ann Porter of Somerville, N.J. (married Rev Frederick Pitkin in Sept 1845. ed. ) rooms with me now. She is a member of the Senior Class this year, is a very interesting young lady. I like her very much. I suppose she will not room with me much longer as she has a roommate engaged for this year. The bell is just ringing for 9 o’clock and I must close for tonight.
Oct 20th. I have just returned from reciting my History lesson and have now a few moments which I will devoted to this letter. Perhaps you want to know how I like here. I am rather more contented than I was at first and think I should be quire if it was not for studying Algebra. That gives me the most trouble of anything now. Though I can get my lessons so that I can recite them pretty well yet I do not understand it and consequently I do not like it at all. You don’t know how I want to come home. It does not seem as though I could stay here all this winter. At any rate I do not think I shall want to come here another year unless there is a great alteration in my views and feelings and indeed I know I shan’t.
3 o’clock. I have just returned from a long walk of some 3 or 4 miles and am rather tired. Miss Porter went with me and we did not intend to walk quite so far but we took the wrong road which lengthened our walk about two miles further than we expected. It is one of the school regulations to walk a mile and back every day or stay out of doors three quarters of an hour and is just as binding upon us as it is to recite a lesson unless we get permission to stay in doors.
I have not had any regular domestic work to do yet. Some days I would do one thing and some another just what they wanted I should do but not anything that has been very hard. I have not told you anything about the teachers yet. There are 13 beside Miss Logan and the assistant Principals Miss Moore and Miss Whitman. Miss Julia S. Trumbull a young lady who graduated here last year is my teacher in Algebra and Miss C. Wright in History. I like them very much.
I am very glad you have got me a cloak as I shall need it before long. When you send it to me if you can I should like to have you send me a pair of black woolen hose, a black skirt and apron if you can get me one. They would save me so much washing and I need a pair of thick shoes. Mine are so thin that I dampen my feet almost every time that I go out. Also a handkerchief to wear on my neck and my hood I should like to have the lapels out of and made shorter.
Tell Dr. and Olivia that I shall certainly expect them over the first good sleighing there is and also you. You and Lucius can come to Belcher Inn and spend the night and come and see me the next day. Now do. I should be extremely glad to see anybody from P. Give my love to all the girls. You know who I mean, Lucy Ann in particular also Elizabeth Emeline Louisa and E. Brooks and tell them to write or send me a paper. Miss Logan don’t see the inside so they need not be afraid to write. I shall come home the February vacation if I am well for I had much rather pay my passage there than my board here which I shall have to do it if I remain here.
Tell Charlie to pick some chestnuts and send me, also some apples. I want some very much. I can’t get any here now unless I buy them. If you have found those pens yet I wish you would send me one. They cost three cents apiece here. I don’t think stationary is very cheap.
Give my love to Aunt Prudy and tell here I have not forgotten her as she said I should . Also to my brothers and sisters at home and everyone who takes pains to enquire for me. Don’t let anyone see this for I have written in such haste that I am ashamed of it. I shall expect to hear from you or the Doeboro folks as soon as convenient. As my sheet is full I shall have to say Good Bye for the present. Write as soon as possible..
S.A.L.
Emily Dickinson attended the seminary 1847-48.
Letter 5
TRAVEL TO VIRGINIA
Sarah A. B. L. to her mother, Mrs. Laura Lincoln. Postmarked Aldie, Va. Mar 25th
Oak Hill, March 23, 1846
Dear Mother, bothers and sisters,Thinking you may wish to know by this time, where Sarah is, and how she fares, I have taken my pen though it is Monday morning, to give you a brief account of my journey hither. We arrived in Worcester about a quarter of an hour before the cars started for Norwich. Found Mr. Ayres waiting us at the station in great tribulation lest we should not arrive in season, the stage being about an hour later than usual on account of the badness of the traveling. We reached Norwich at ten o’clock and immediately embarked on the boat “Traveler”, which was soon gliding down the smooth surface of the Thames. I had a severe headache and was glad to retire to my berth as soon as possible, and not withstanding all the noise and confusion of the numerous feet walking on deck over my head I fell asleep wearied and tired out. Miss Gates was very seasick, but none of the rest of us were. At 7 o’clock we arrived in New York. But I will not say anything of that city, as I can not say anything except to its disparagement.; The reason why was because we did not see anything but a very dirty part of the place near the wharves. Sailing through the harbor however was very beautiful.We crossed the Hudson on a ferryboat into Jersey City where we took the cars, and were soon hurrying on towards Philadelphia with all the speed of a locomotive. We passed through many very beautiful towns and pleasant villages. I was much amused with the construction of the buildings. They were small square buildings the length, breadth and height being equal, only large enough to accommodate one family, and some did not look large enough to set a table in. The city of Trenton is very beautiful. The houses there were made on a larger scale, though there were many small ones interspersed with the large ones. There is some of the most beautiful scenery in Pennsylvania that I ever saw. At 3 o’clock we reached the city of ‘brotherly love” and of all the places that I ever saw, that was the most magnificent. I will not do it the injustice to attempt to describe it with my imperfect pen (especially so poor a one as this is). If I should ever live in a city I should want it should be Philadelphia. We had not long to enjoy its beauties, but soon were in motion to leave them all behind. Each separate car is drawn by horses, for about six miles from the city, they not allowing the engine to enter for fear of fire. We expected to reach Baltimore at 10 that night but when we arrived at Elkton, about half the distance between the two cities, the engine of the cars coming from Baltimore had run off the track and broken it all to pieces and the engine belonging to our train being obliged to go back to Philadelphia, we were necessitated to wait four or five hours till its return, or spend the night in Elkton. The children being tired and sleepy, and Mrs. Ayres have a sick headache, Mr. Ayres thought we had better stay, leaving Mr. Loring to go on to Baltimore with the baggage. This arrangement was very much to my dissatisfaction as I wished to have spent some time in Baltimore, the cars not leaving there until three P.M. But one dissenting voice not being sufficient to over-rule thirteen (though I merely said that for choice I should rather proceed) we directed our steps to the nearest hotel, where I tried to make myself as contented as I could after so serious a disappointment. Mrs. Ayres was so sick the next morning that at first we were afraid we would be detained until another day, but after we had taken breakfast, she felt so much better that we decided to go on. We had quite a view of the city of Baltimore as the cars pass through several of the streets. It is not near as pretty as Philadelphia. Almost the first person I saw, after stopping at the depot, was A. J. Cleveland in company with Mr. Loring. I hardly knew him at first he has grown so fleshy. Imagine how glad he was to see somebody from Petersham. He immediately took us to the hotel where he boards, (but a few steps from the depot) where we had a splendid dinner. Everything was served up in the grandest style, and it relished none the less though we were waited on by negro slaves. I asked Mr. Cleveland if he could say anything with regard to slavery. He said he could say a considerable or as much as he wished to say. He says the slaves are not generally treated as bad as they are represented to be. But I must hasten on with my story. If I could write all that I could say it would fill a folio volume. But I will say that if [you] get tired reading this scribbling to lay it aside and not try. I will tell it all to you when I come home.We left Baltimore between three and four, arrived in Washington at eight. Almost the first building we saw on our arrival was the Capitol. It occupies a very conspicuous position. We could not tell much how it looked by moonlight. The next morning Miss Gates and I walked around it. I should think it was more than a mile. It is surrounded by an iron fence, on each side there are gates supported by marble pillars. The grounds within the enclosure are laid out with a degree of elegance and taste rarely equaled. There were marble walks leading from several of the gates to the building. We wanted to go in, but having no one to conduct us, (Mr. Ayres having so much business that he could not attend us, and Mr. Loring also being busy or preferring his own pleasure to ours) we were obliged to conduct ourselves with only an outside view of its grandeur. We saw several of the Congressmen who boarded at the hotel at which we stopped, but did not hear any of their names. Mr. Ayres took us to the Patent Office, the city Post Office stands very near it, both are magnificent buildings, built of granite. The Patent Office contains every thing that the imagination can conceive of, birds of the rarest plumage, from every part of the world, and beasts of every description, preserved so as to resemble life. You would almost think they were going to fly right at you. The marble status of Washington dressed in regimentals stands in the center of the hall. It has a very commanding and majestic appearance. There are several other busts of eminent persons in the hall.The coat and vest worn by Washington, when taking leave of his army, also those worn by Gen Jackson at the battle of New Orleans, are preserved sacred to their memory. The original copy of the Declaration of Independence is also here, paintings from the pencil of the finest artists, statues from the chisel of the most perfect sculptors, a beautiful cabinet of minerals and shells from every land and sea, relics ancient and modern, collected by adventurers in every country since the flood. But I will (not) attempt further to describe them, for my description falls so far short of the reality that it is almost mockery to try. The city of Washington is not as pretty as Baltimore and Philadelphia, or perhaps we did not see the prettiest part of it, except the public buildings.Owing to the difficulty of getting a conveyance from Washington to our places of destination, we were obliged to go to Alexandria to spend the night. We had a beautiful sail down the Potomac, although the wind was very strong and it rained some. The bosom of the river was not so calm and unruffled as was that of the Thames and the Sound on Tuesday night. We rose at three o’clock expecting to take the stage at four for Aldie. There was a dreadful thunder shower that night. I heard nothing , having slept soundly until we were called to rise. It rained violently when I awoke, but it had nearly ceased before we started. Mrs. Ayers and Miss G said they were never much more frightened in their lives. It was about 5 when we started and very dark. We had proceeded about three miles from Alexandria where we came to a creek which was so swollen from the rain that the stages could not pass. There are no bridges in Va., the creeks being dry in the Summer. They said the water was about five feet deep, so there was nothing to be done but to go back to Alexandria. After considerable difficulty the stages were turned and we rode back, with appetites well sharpened for breakfast, after our morning airing. As soon as possible we started again, taking a different route, and we were nearly tired out when we got to our home. It makes me almost sick to ride in the stage, though I could travel in the steamboat and cars weeks without being tired. I think steamboat traveling is the easiest if not the pleasantest, at any rate I like it best.The buildings in this country present a novel appearance, the chimneys are built of stone on the outside of the house. We hardly passed a decent one, except in the town of Gates. It was almost dark when we arrived at Oak Hill (as our mansion is called). It is a very beautiful place, though in a very dilapidated condition and very dirty withal. I shall not give you a description of it until I write again which will not be until I receive a letter from home, so if you want to know what kind of a place it is write immediately. Mr. Ayres’ furniture has not yet arrived as it did not leave Boston as soon as he expected. We have to make ourselves as comfortable as we can with what the house contains.We have not got much acquainted with the manners and customs of the people yet. Two ladies called on us who had come from New York state two years ago. I attended church at Aldie yesterday. A Baptist minister preached. I was almost shocked at some expressions that he used. If we were to hear such in a Northern pulpit, I think the minister would stand in danger of being turned out of the meeting house. I think it is wrong to say anything in the pulpit that will create a laugh which he did many times. There is not but one service.They have most all been sick with colds excepting myself. Little Martha was so sick last Monday as to have the Doctor. Mrs. Ayres is now on the bed with the sick headache, she has just been vomiting, and Elasea has been complaining all day. Miss Gates has the Salt Rheum in her hands so that she has not been able to do anything for three days past. Mr. Ayres has not dared to go out without tying up his face, and Mr. Loring has had a bad cold as well as all the little boys. I am the only one that has not been at all afflicted and I hope that I shall continue well. It is not very warm here yet. We have to keep a large fire in these great old-fashioned fire places. Putting on the back-logs reminds of years ago modern memory.When I began writing I said I would give you a brief description. If I have wearied your patience forgive me. Has Ellen gone to Ware, or is she going? Tell Cousin Lizzie she may expect a letter from me in the course of three or four weeks if I am well. Before I close I will just apologize for not writing so soon as I promised. My trunk was detained in Washington until the middle of last week, so that I hadn’t anything to write with. Direct your letters to Aldie Post Office, Loudon County, Va., care of Mr. Elias Ayres. Mr. Loring desires me to say for the benefit of his friends that he is now well and enjoying himself very much. When we get regulated I think we shall enjoy ourselves very much. Mrs. Ayres hopes I can commence a school by the first of April. There are houses all around here though a good ways apart. This place is owned by Mr. Gouverneur of Washington in right of his wife, the daughter of President Monroe. She came here last Sabbath, in company with her sons and her little negro girl. They stayed until Wednesday. The youngest son is deaf and dumb. They expect to spend the summer here. But I am not going to describe the place in this letter for it will take a whole sheet of paper, and you see I have not but a little more room.I believe I left my bag with its contents in Ellen’s cloak pocket. I am very sorry for I need them much. Goods are very dear here.It is growing dark, and I have been writing most all day and am very tired. Give my love to all my friends, reserving a large share to yourselves, and remember me as ever your affectionate daughter and sister,
Sarah A. B. Lincoln
The following is copy of newspaper clipping - paper and date lacking.OAK HILL’S SITE FINEST IN STATE Home of James Monroe Sits Atop Hill Commanding View of Countryside By Eugenia Tennant Fairfax Aldie, March 23 - To the minds of many people, Oak Hill is more beautifully located than any other of the historical homes in Virginia. On a hill, with the land rolling away from all sides - to the north in the distance one sees the beautiful round topped Sugar Loaf mountain across the Potomac river in Maryland, to the south, the Bull Run hills, on the east and west run the foothills of the Blue Ridge.James Monroe started building this home during his first presidential term and here Lafayette visited him in 1823. They were staunch friends, and Lafayette later sent him for Oak Hill a beautiful French gaming table. Sam Gouveneur, who married one of Monoe’s daughters, sold the place in 1852 to Col. John Fairfax, who owned it for twenty years, and during the War between the States many soldiers from both sides came and went.
Letter 6
Meeting the looks
Sarah A. B. L. to her sister, Miss Ellen Maria Lincoln, Shelburne Falls, Ma. and forwarded to Petersham.
Hay Market Nov. 11, 1846
Dear Sister,
Your letter and paper have been received with much pleasure by your absent Sis. and found me enjoying good health and spirits. Was very happy to hear also that you are pleasantly situated, and often wish myself with you in school. To be sure there are many trials and vexations incident to life at school, such as writing compositions, solving problems in Algebra, or demonstrating theorems in Euclid, to say nothing of the many things of minor importance, “and trifles light as air” which though nothing in themselves, yet in their bearing upon the mind and disposition, influence our whole life and activities - yet in my mind, these little difficulties are all surmounted in the one grand object of obtaining knowledge - to dive into the histories of the past - to live in the ever-fleeting present, or, could the veil be removed, to search into the mysteries of the future - to fathom the depths of science and literature and draw from their hidden springs a vast amount of priceless knowledge - or study the human heart, all are subjects, which in the longest life, the reflective mind would never weary in pursuing. I love to live in a creation of my own fancy - surrounded by the satellites of my own imagination - and in this imaginary world many of my otherwise weary moments are passed. Do not think me an enthusiast! But I will even now descend from this sublime region of fancy, and leave my pen for a season to listen to a tract on Anti-Slavery which is being read in the next room. But I think I hear you say, “When you resume it, I hope you will stop your preface and tell us what you are about”.
Well, here I am again, pen in hand - but ideas where (are) you? Oh! Ah!! Alas!!! But Ellen says, “Where are you?” Hay Market, where is that? What kind of place is it? And what are you there for?” Really sis. I can’t tell you anything about it, for I have not seen the place designated by that cognomen, but have heard that its mansions and palaces are built of logs, with stone chimneys on each end like other Virginia villages. Its knights and cavaliers are devoted followers of Bacchus and its fair ones (some, I will not say all) counted parts of their lords and masters. I am speaking of the lower classes - or as a lady, the richest in Aldie, and who of course considers herself among the “upper ten thousand”, denominates them “the Trash”. I would not by any means infer that this is a true picture of the generality of Virginians, for there are many elegant mansions and country-seats which display much taste in their construction.
I am visiting the Yankee family I wrote about in the Dr.’s letter, Mr. Look’s, who live about a mile from this same village of Hay Market. It consists of Mr. Look, his wife and three sons, together with a young gentleman from N.Y. state who has come to the South for his health. But he thinks this climate is not warm enough, his lungs being much affected, and I believe he now thinks of going to Florida to spend the winter. We have had a good deal of cold wet weather, recently, last week it rained most every day. Now it is beautiful weather - it seems just like spring. I left Mr. Ayres, last week Wednesday. It did not rain on that day, but the roads were most shocking muddy from the previous rains, though riding on horseback it did not seem so bad as it would in a carriage.
I like staying here very much and shall probably remain a week or two longer, or until Thanksgiving (for we Yankees are going to have one). O, how I wish I was going to be at home, I should just like to step into the sitting room, when the table is set, the chicken-pie and puddings all on it, and Mother and you all sitting around it. But will there be a vacant seat for me? Shall I be missed? Be assured I shall think of you all, and “Think of me then.”
Mr. Look returned from Leesburg last evening and said Mrs. Look had been telling him I wanted to get a school, and that he didn’t know but he should dispose of me yet. I told him I was ready to be disposed of. He then said there was a man near Leesburg who had spoken to him several times about having his daughter, who is now teaching in the Female Academy at Utica, come there and teach, but as she can not he spoke to him of me. Said the school was worth about $300. a year, but if I would take it for $200. he could save $100. But I did not agree to that. He will know more about it in a few days. I do not anticipate it much, for I have become so habituated to disappointment that I can bear it with considerable fortitude. Should I not be successful there or at any other place, I should be very happy to have you come and meet me, or Lucius to come all of the way after me. I don’t know but I should have come home before now, if I had known of anyone going to the North who would take me under their care and protection.
I am living here in right Virginia style. I don’t even have my own bed to make or pocket handkerchief to wash. It is, “Yes, Miss” and “No, Miss”. “What a handsome dress you have got Miss Sarah. I wish I had a bonnet like Miss Sarah’s is. What pretty edging Miss Sarah is knitting. &c. &c. “. I went out yesterday and asked June if she would let me have some water to wash out the bottom of my dress, which I had muddied in coming. “No, Miss, but you lay it right down here and we will one of us wash it out”. I told her that I was accustomed to doing such things, and preferred to do it. “Indeed, Miss, you must not do it, and we two great girls standing here that can do it as well as not”. So I was obliged to concede the point, for they would have felt highly insulted, if I had persisted, thinking that I thought they could not do it well enough. Mr. Look has five servants, two men, two women and a little girl. He hires them of their masters, paying them so much a year, besides feeding and clothing them. Mr. Ayres expects to hire some next year. His family was well when I left.
I received a letter from the Dr. a few weeks since, also one from Cousin Lizzie. When any of you write again, let me know, if you know, whether Aunt Easter(?) and Lizzie are coming home this winter or not. I do not know where to direct another letter to her. I suppose you are now anticipating going home, what are you going to do this winter? Tell Lucius he may expect the next letter, though I do not know when it will come, and tell him to be making up his mind to come after me, if so-be I should conclude to come home. Give my love to all my friends, wherever you meet any such. I shall expect a letter from some or all of you after Thanksgiving. You can send two sheets. Have Charles and Janette to write. What have they been studying? Who is going to teach our school this winter?
If you do not say I have written you a long letter this time I will write another very soon. How does Aunt Prudy get along? And does she want to see me any? Tell her I do her, and Mother and all of you. But if my life is spared I trust to sometime. Write soon, and if you can beat me in writing about nothing at all you shall have the premium on the science of writing. But I will wish you a Yankee Good Bye and subscribe myself your absent sis.
Sarah A. B.
(In the same enclosure, but evidently not to be contained as part of the “letter”.)
Before I received your paper I thought should not write until you went home. But “the call is so loud for compositions” I thought I would favor you, not with an original one for I have not time for that now, lest you should not get this in season. But I have selected a couple of pieces which I thought would be interesting to read, if you choose, at the exhibition. I suppose it will not make any difference if you did not compose them whether I did or not. Tell Ellen T. I feel very grateful indeed for the few words she sent me on your paper, and will gratify her with a piece in exchange. I suppose you were only in fun in sending for them but nevertheless I will write them. But for pity’s sake don’t betray me.
Fashion
What is fashion? is a question easier asked tan answered, for although every person has a distinct conception of its meaning, still it is difficult to give in set terms a correct definition. Fashion is an imaginary power or being that rules the earth with kingly sway, and is vested by her subjects with nearly all the qualities of rationality. Her empire is the world, its capital France. From there, her mandates are issued with imperial insolence, and obeyed with a zeal worthy a better cause. Acknowledge her power and implicitly obey her requirements, however exacting and arduous. There seems to be little need of individual taste, for when fashion produces a model nothing is to be done but to imitate it with the most scrupulous exactness.
People are governed by fashion in every particular, they will do right or wrong because it is fashionable, when they could be induced by no other consideration. From the decision of this intelligent non-entity there is no appeal: nothing is too lofty to be exempted from its control or too insignificant to escape its direction. There was fashion at Victoria’s wedding and at the Duke of Orleans’ funeral, at the inauguration of James K. Polk and the battle of Monterey. There is fashion in metaphysics and mouse-traps; in mathematics and jew’s harps; in statuary and steamboats; in poetry and wind-mills; in music and pump-handles. There is fashion in theology and in story-telling; in preaching and fighting; in eloquence and skating; in dancing and in comic almanacs.
The poor degraded son of Africa is free compared with the bondsmen of fashion. His life is one perpetual endeavor to be unnatural. From the highest asperations of giant intellect down to the twist of a riband, all is directed by this modest tyrant. We must eat and drink fashionably, and die fashionably. It is strange that Americans, with their loud boastings of independence, and dislike of subjection, should so willingly wear the chains of fashion, which are anything but. On other subjects they do not hesitate to think and act for themselves, but in this they submit to the dictation of foreign idiots, perhaps, with the utmost blindness and complacency.
S.B.
Light Words
I don’t know but you will have to get an interpreter to decipher my uncouth writing, for I can scarcely read it myself, but I have written just as fast as my pen would scratch, and my wrist aches dreadfully. However, I must beg as a particular favor that you destroy this sheet when you have sufficiently perused it. I never wrote so much in one day before in my life.
TO: 1847
Haymarket, Virginia