Albany, New York, March 1872
My dear Mother,
I have been copying poetry and drawing maps all day and now I am going to write a few lines to my mother as I am tired and I know this will rest me as much as anything.
I am glad we do not have school Saturday. I never should have anytime for writing if they did.
The lessons are not very hard to learn, but they are hard to recite and it takes me all the time to think what I shall say and how I shall say it when I get up in the class and then I very often forget and say something wrong.
We have been having review in Geography all this week. I asked Mrs. Stoneman yesterday how many failures I had made. She said I had not made any, but my recitation on Tuesday was not very good. She gave me Mr. Parish’s to recite from and I could not tell what it was and consequently failed to recite. I was afraid she marked it a failure, but she did not.
I think this school is very good for those who intend to teach. But I think we could learn more in one year at Monticello Academy, than one can here in two.
I am going over now what ought to have been taught me at school just as soon as I commenced studying—grammar, geography, arithmetic, etc…
Mary seemed quite surprised that I am here and advised me to go to the observatory should I be up for a flirtation and graduate in matrimony, instead of spending my time in the schoolroom…
I was just as lonesome as could be when your letter came. I feel considerably better now. I know you do not have much time for writing…
I wish Mr. B. had sent a valentine or something so I could have written. It would seem kind of good to hear from him again.
Please burn this letter won’t you…Emma
