Wednesday, May 15, 2013

We and our room mates agree first rate, they are a little odd

                                      De Ruyter Jan 16th 1864                                                                                                
                Dear Parents[1],
                                                                                The girls went home yesterday.  Carrie and I have cleaned our room, bathed, combed our hair, put on our clean clothes, ate our dinner, and now I am trying to write a few words to you.  You must excuse those little ink spots at the head of this, my pen done it.  I thought it would not pay to take a new sheet.  Carrie is practicing her music lesson.  We like it ever so much and our teacher too.
  The regular Rectorical exercises of DeRuyter Institute[2] were held yesterday afternoon at 1 o’clock.  Sawyer Bentley delivered a lecture.  I was the last one on the stage before him.  Anyone who did not know what the doings were would naturally suppose there had been some great war meeting to see the people crowd out of the hall.  After the exercises were over, some of the gentlemen played with snowballs.  It was quite a sight to see them.
  Last evening Carrie and I called to Mr. Nott’s or rather spent the evening there.  When we first went we did not intend to stay but a few minutes but they would not hear to us coming away before 9 o’clock.  They have 6 children two of them are young ladies one of them a young gentleman.  One of the ladies and the gent attend school at the Institution.  They have called here a number of times.  While we were there they treated us with pop corn, cake and apples and some of the little boys dressed up in some of the girls old clothes and put on a shawl and a large bonnet and was introduced in the room.  We had lots of fun with him.  Another of the boys took him by the top of his bonnet and lead him out of the room.  After a few minutes he returned with his usual rig on inquiring if Miss Betsy Bush had been seen in that room.  We enjoyed ourselves first rate.
  Tom[3] has been home on a furlough.  He wrote me that he intended to call on you before he went back.
  I must draw this scratching to a hitching post.  Hoping to hear from you soon.  Our rhetorical exercises are published in the DeRuyter Times but not in the one we sent you, they only come once in two weeks. 
Good by from your daughter E.V. Wibert[4]

                Dear Parents,
                                                                                As Rand has finished her remarks, and there remains a few lines unoccupied I thought I would attempt to pen a few words for your perusal.  You wished to know how we prospered in our studies, we advance as fast as possible, and keep up with our class in every branch.  And as for black marks we haven’t got one.  We obey every rule and are right in our place every time without telling.
  Our teachers are very kind and are willing to show us any time, we like them very much and I guess they like us.  We and our room mates agree first rate, they are a little odd.
                                                                (Caroline Wibert)[5]
  



[1] George M. and Julia A. Wibert, George born in Wayne Co, NY about 1822 son of Benjamin Wibert and Sylvia Kelly
[2] For information on the DeRuyter Institute, visit here http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nymadiso/drytrnst.htm 
[3] Thomas Akenhead born July 1838 to Thomas & Florinda Akenhead in Wayne County, NY
[4] Erranda Wibert born 4 Nov 1846 in Galen died 2 Mar 1932
[5] Caroline Wibert born in Mar 1844 in Galen, Wayne Co, NY to George M. & Julia A. Wibert 
 

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