BLACKWELL FAMILY
ALICE STONE BLACKWELL
GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE
1879, 1880
DAME, LYDIA MNewport, July 6, '79
My dear Miss Blackwell
I received 
your letter about 24 hours after it 
arrived for at the time when
 I should have received it I was 
having a most glorious time with 
Miss Mumford in Providence. I 
ran up there one morning under 
a most enchantingly blue sky, and 
on the most beautiful of all American 
bays Narragansett. The 
day I spent with Miss Mumford 
being "toted" round the city, seeing 
Roger Williams Park which 
seemed like a little bit out of 
the Centennial etc. I was persuaded
 to stay all night at Miss Prosser's and Miss Sanford 
and I slept together, on


lesson to me for I know that is what I've been drifting into; only 
I don't understand how the dual nature 
of truth-as something to be believed in and 
yet as something 
not settled beyond 
a chance of change, 
can be satisfactory. 
Well I'm afraid 
this won't be entertaining 
but I 
can't help it__
Yours,
Lydia M. Dameat least we were supposed to, 
but there was precious little 
sleeping done that night by 
either of us. On my way home 
from here I'm going to stay 
with Miss Sanford a couple 
of days at Attleborough - 
Alas for my poor pelt! I don't 
know how much will be left 
of it. But we have quite gotten 
over being mad - or that is Miss 
S - has; I wasn't mad - what 
had I to be mad about? She's 
quite affectionate and I don't 
believe my pelt will suffer. 
Such a nice time we had of 
it at Miss Prosser's; Miss Mumford 
Miss Peirce and Miss 
Budlong spent the evening and 
we were very jolly, singing Pinafore 
and drinking lemonade 
and joking to our heart's content.  
Well, it was on my return 
that I found among my letters 
one from you. I am so glad 
you have enjoyed your Vassar 

visit, but I knew you would. 
I shall want to go over some
 of the scenes and girls with 
you at some dim and misty 
future occasion. You didn't 
find the girls so very terrible 
did you? And did you have 
a nice time at Class Day at 
Harvard? And did you go over 
to Memorial in the evening? 
It's no use to ask you if you 
danced; I did, but it was 
too hot and crowded to 
dance many waltzes, and get 
your toes trodden on and
 your hat knocked off and 
Prof. Lindsay. I had a little talk 
with Mr. Lane who used to be 
in your class; caught a glimpse 
of Prof. Lindsay and Miss Bardwell. 
Then I had such a famous 
time at the trip up Mt. Wachusett 
the next day but it would 
take too long to describe it. 
If you have ever been at Newport, 
you can imagine how lovely a time 
I am having, sailing, and walking, 
and riding, and steamboat trips, besides
 lovely people. Miss Wood teaches
at Vassar is here, perhaps you 
met her. In a couple of hours I'mgoing to church; I delight in going to a new church; I think as a 
general rule I can be more devout than in an old one; in 
fact I think that is so in regard to other places and other deep 
feeling too - I could never appreciate something George Eliot 
says somewhere about a place that is "known and loved because 
it is known". Novelty and mystery are so closely akin 
and either produces a certain amount of referential awe.
I could with entire conscientiousness born in the creed 
with a feeling of reverence at the mystery of it but my 
doing so would not indicate anything else; in fact I always feel inclined to bow my head in reverence before anything 
which I cannot fathom. You spoke of that strange
passage in R. F. where they saw the eye in clouds; it's a 
passage I always admired immensely. And I must tell you I 
had a stranger - Experiences perhaps; I don't know what 
to call it -not exactly a revelation - last night. I have a small
room here with one little arched window opposite the door; I came
in from the dark hall expecting to find the room perfectly dark 
but as I opened it I was greatly startled to walk right into a 
great flood of moonlight pouring in over everything. I never had
such a strange feeling is that which came over me; I stood there
in the moonlight and my heart beat so loud, and such a flood of
thoughts and feelings came over me that I thought I should fall I
can never tell the feelings that came to me during the next ten minutes,
but I threw myself on the bed and said the Creed and I know
I never in my life was so near believing in it all. I know I am feeling

 better for it today. If one could only devote
oneself entirely and exclusively 
to seeking the truth of it all, but
I suppose we're not meant to do
that, and yet I should think we
could as far as thoughts go, but 
it happens to me and I suppose it
does to other people that in the midst
of my best thoughts base and unworthy 
thoughts, self-centered and- interested
things will come in. I often
give up thinking that one can have
any power over one's thoughts. I found 
Robertson just before I left home and,
read one or two of his sermons.
I like very much the one called I
think- "Pilate saith unto him- 'What
is Truth'?" and the one on the Trinity
I have partly read and hope 
to get some help from. He puts 
things very boldly and yet without
that impulsiveness that Geo. Macdonald 
[uses] is characterized 
by. Do you ever think how horribly
one is a slave to what
one has said? Your words and 
opinions are your own and
nobody can call you to acct
for them until you have uttered
them. Then at once you are held in bondage tothem and cannot recall them 
(to say nothing of their influence 
on others) [without] or even al-
ter your sentiments without 
a sacrifice at least to your 
amour propre. It is this feeling 
of helplessness before the 
tribunal which your own 
sentiments on uttered words 
or opinions set[s] up that 
makes me unwilling to 
sign a Temperance Pledge 
or a Suffrage Petition 
or any of that sort of thing 
because then a recantation 
if coming years should 
make it seem necessary 
is always a humiliation 
and humility brought about 
in that way or indeed in any 
way I am not saint enough 
to adopt as one of my principles.
Do you know I like very 
much the place where Robertson 
speaks of young peoples' 
getting truths together and 
packing them up to consider 
them as settled things and questions
which once settled are 
settled forever & need never be 
looked at or thought about as
open questions again. It is a good lesson


61 Green St Lynn
Sunday, July 27. 1879

My dear Miss Blackwell

Surprise is 
but a feeble mood to express the 
emotion which seized Miss Lanford 
and myself when we 
read your announcement. Your 
thick letter arrived when I had 
been about two hours in Attleboro' 
and was perused with
great eagerness by both of us (you 
don't object, do you?), and was 
the most characteristic letter 
I ever had from you. I offer 
my heartiest congratulations 
and also heaps of envy and 
covetousness. How little did 
I think that Sunday afternoon 
three weeks ago that the 
next letter I should write

see most, and wouldn't you like to see Mallock?
I didn't mean to write 
so much but my thoughts 
ran away with me. 
You must be in Elysium 
with 
your cousin. 
Will you cast a sentimental 
gaze on the 
exact spot where 
Harold died, for 
my sake? 
Auf wiedersehen
Lydia M. Dameyou would find you on a foreign 
strand! I hope you will 
have just the nicest time, but 
don't let them persuade you 
to spend the winter - I should 
be ever so sorry not to have 
you at College in my last 
year. I suppose you are keeping 
a journal, and I presume 
your first sentence in it is 
"Can I believe it? Am I really 
here?" and the first page or 
two mostly made up of exclamation 
points. Well you are in 
luck and I am boiling over with 
envy. You are very kind to say 
a letter would be welcome, but 
I mean to write you a short one 
for fear of wearing out my welcome, 
and you shall have but 
a few pages of my innocent 
prattle this time. First, let me tell 
you the bits of College news I 
have while they are fresh! 1st Room 
is to be enlarged and adorned 
with a sky-light which will make

it a somewhat airier Purgatory 
than it has been, but I have no hopes 
of their removing the stove. 2nd. The 
Reception room alterations have 
been started. Marion having carte 
blanche about the paper and paint 
by getting on the soft side of Mr. 
Hull. 3rd and this is news that 
will harrow up your soul - the 
Club is to be abolished! I can imagine 
your state of frenzy - tear your 
hair, beat your breast. K.T.A. but 
the dinners, the Sophomore table, 
the pink tickets, the nuts and raisins 
and the rare Ice-cream of the 
Thursday's dinner, the hilarity of 
the law students - all - all are 
things of the past. You weep - I smile, 
you may like "mal odors" with your 
Greek and Latin. I don't. They are 
all gone forever. 4th This is news 
that makes me sad, that drives the 
smile from my lips, the color 
from my artless face - the seat 
of all the romantic deeds of the past
that silent witness (though methinks 
I have seen the tear-drop there), to those 
memories which we shall always 
hold most dear - the bath-tub - 
ah "these tears, these emotions" - the 
bathtub will no longer meet ourearnest gaze or clasp in its embrace 
our dripping umbrellas - 
"Some griefs are 'med'cinable" says 
the immortal bard -but -this way 
madness lies and I tear myself 
from this heart rending topic. 
Marion is at Concord for the summer; 
she has a party on her birthday 
next Thursday which alas! I 
cannot go to for I shall be at 
Nantucket. Miss Elliot has begun 
her  course in Botany at Cambridge. 
Miss Almy is at Hamilton, Miss Hawkes 
at Squam near Gloucester. I believe 
that's all I know. Little Putnamuns
hasn't been heard from and I am 
anxious about her. Dr. Lindsay is 
also at Asbury Grove, Hamilton. My 
sister is to spend next week there with 
Miss Almy. I shall be at Nantucket, 
the home of my infancy most of 
the next fortnight, and then after 
a brief sojourn at home go to
Saratoga for a little while with 
my aunt; the Scientific Association 
holds its convention there 
this year. I had a charming time 
with Miss Sanford; she drove me
over all the country round and 
took me to a jewelry factory which
was nice and interesting though 
the smell of the chemicals made 
me sick, which is not interesting. 
I am not going to tell you what I think 
of Miss Sanford. I don't believe in 
discussing one's intimate friends and 


she is your intimate friend. We got along 
very well together - only I don't think 
we help each other much. I'm not going
to say another word. Just think: 
here's the vacation half gone and where are 
all my fine places for studying; I do 
pride myself on having read one Spanish
story of forty-five pages; besides that
I've read one page of Plautus and one line 
of the Birds of Aristophanes, both of which,
 (the Rudens + the Birds) I mean to read 
through in vacation. Instead of improving 
my mind thus, I have read no end of 
trash. If you want some Edgar Poe - down 
"long drawn out" without the element of 
the grotesque, read "Mysteries of Udolpho" 
at the witching hour of night and 
you will have the cold shivers all night. 
Then I've read the "Lady of the Aroostook"  
which I don't enthuse over at all. I 
must own that I haven't yet read the 
Tempest over preparatory to my arduous 
duties in the Fall. Well that will 
wait. Then I have several subjects on 
hand on which I propose to write 
learned articles for the Beacon if 
it will take them, otherwise for Prof.
Kimpton and my class, but not one 
word yet has blotted paper; also I 
haven't 'provoked' the muse once. You 
see it is a very lazy summer and 
since I've been at home rather an 
uneventful one too. An occasional 
sail, row or swim enlivens the monotony
- and stay! We have one constant 
source of interest if not of enjoyment,
in our next door neighbors. 
The family is noted for three things: its
hens, its dirty children and its singer. The 
two former make the day hideous, the latterturns night into a horrifying wilderness. He is a
youth who sings all the rowdy airs of the 
day in a high falsetto; we sit on the 
piazza and listen and laugh; it is every
evening, and from sunset till midnight 
almost; you can imagine the excitement 
of hearing a screeching nasal voice sing 
a song about a "nasty organ grinder" 
and another about "my wife, who'll 
kiss me at the door". Sometimes he essays
a solo on the cornet or violin.
He is quite accomplished, is Frank,
he plays excellently on the piano, if he 
only didn't try to sing. I'm going to copy 
for you a Latin Hymn on St. George if I 
don't forget it; I know you have a penchant
for Latin Hymns, and I came across
this lately. Do you know, I recognize a
little Robertson in your letter; I have
read several of those you like so much; the
one on Obedience is simply sublime; I also
admire The Sacrifice of Christ and
The Kindness of Christ and I like the one
on Absolution. Yes, I was mistaken in
what you meant that day on the College
door step; the Broad Church Episcopalian
doctrine is what I want most truly
and heartily to believe; I can today
say the first section of the Creed with my
whole heart; and there have been times
lately when I could almost say the rest.
I have hardly ever felt the absolute negative
of the second and third articles but I do
not feel absolutely positive. We had a sermon
a week ago on Martyrs which I think
you'd have liked for he quoted copiously
from your hymn "The Son of God goes
forth to war". the only objection I had to
it was that it was a cheap way of writing
a sermon to make it up mostly of
quotations from the Hymnal & Prayer 
Book. I hope you'll find some time to write soon.
Of course you'll have heaps to tell. I hope
you'll see some of the famous people. Gladstone
and Max Müller I should like to 

I shall try to write this distinctly. I have
been told that my writing was unintelligible
and ergo. distinguished
looking, hence I have not made 
great efforts at distinctness since, 
but this time I shall make the
Dombey Effort.
You will see that it is only the Perseus
& Andromeda myth stewed 
over and flavoured with Christianity.

O Georgi Martyr inclyte,
Te decet laus et gloria,
Praedotatum militia;
Per quem puella regia
Existens in tristitia,
Coram Dracone pessimo
Salvata est. Et animo
Te rogamus corde intimo,
Un cunctis cum fidelibus
Coeli jungamur civibus,
Nostris ablutis sordibus:
Ex simul, cum laetitia
Tecum simus in gloria;
Nostraque reddant labia
Laudis Christo cum gratia
Cui sit honor in secula[*Lydia M Dame*]
61 Green St.,
Lynn, Dec. 23. '79
My dear Miss Blackwell.
Your card received;
Maria and I shall be most
happy to spend Tuesday with you if
the sun shines and the Fates are propitious.
I was in town shopping today
with one of my numerous sisters and
met several of the girls, among them
the original Knehbiel; saw Miss
Preston who is quite delighted with
Smith.
As we, have had impressed upon us
frequently this term that "much study
is a weariness to the flesh" I have
scarcely thought of College or College
work since Friday, but have
given a thought or two to the bêtenoir that comes glancing towards 
me - that Dickens dramatization.
Some of those Flora scenes in Little Dorrit
might do though I haven't looked
to see. Nicholas Nickleby also has
possibilities. We ought to aim at fun
chiefly - no high tragedy; and we
must have as few men in it as
possible because they are terribly
unreliable and slippery in rehearsal;
I've had lots of experience in letheatricals
and would rather work with
ten women than one man, so far
at least as rehearsals go. 
Before see you I will try to have
some ideas on the subject. I have
had only one original idea since
before examinations and that
was "a poor thing, but mine own."
Well, you have got a letter out
of me, haven't you? Good bye until
Tuesday. Wishing you lot of 
Merry Xmas'es - Your with much love
Lydia M. DameMerry Christmas

Copyright 1876 by Wemple & Kronheim, N.Y. 

Seriss N071125 Eleventh St. N.W.
Washington Sept 23
1880.
Lydia Dame
My dear Miss Blackwell
Did you think because
I wasn't going out in the world with
the complete mail of faith, that
I wasn't provided with at least
a breastplate of prudence and
worldly wisdom? I very much regret
the lack of the whole armor
but I pride myself on the breastplate.
How I laughed at your story
of Vesuvius and Washington and how
I have made people laugh over it!
Do you know it was awfully nice
of you to write so soon- do keep it
up because, - well you know I 
value letters exceedingly at all
times and yours especially. I have
had 27 letters. Notes and postals since

[*The breakfast bell
is just going to ring.
Let me congratulate
you on your
advanced age; I thought of you on your birthday*]
[*very sincerely Lydia Mitchell Dame*]

I've been here and that is two weeks
yesterday. How I must tell you all 
about it (they say "abaout" here).
Have I ever told you about Mary
Scott? Well Mary Scott is one of
my dearest friends in this vale
of tears; she is one of the [Chrice?] I[?]
that I admit to my Holy of 
Holies. You have been in there often-
times, so you must know your fellow
spirits. Well, she is perfectly lovely;
and we have known each other 
five years and more, and we are
both very fond of each other. She
teaches in the Girls High School here
and she wrote me early in September
offering me in the name of the superintendent
of schools here, the position 
of third assistant. Of course I don't 
teach my beloved classics or
even some of the other things I 
adore, but I decided within two 
hours, telegraphed her I would come

and I started off the next night, Tuesday
two weeks ago. I will tell you what my 
Salary is. for that influenced me of
course. and I will tell you of course in
confidence but I have always been
in the habit of telling you things for
the last two years at least and I like
you to know things about me . So,
I have a salary of $750 a year
which I am afraid is much larger 
and I deserve and is really very 
lucky for an inexperienced young
thing, Just compare my luck with
Miss [?], and then compare 
our intellects which would be in
the inverse ration. The superintendent
[?] Northern teachers and he had
great confidence in Mary Scott and
she recommended me. What do
you suppose I teach? How you will
laugh when I tell you that my field 
is Physics and Physical Geography!
The latter (tell it not in [G?] I neverstudied in my life. The former I certainly
toiled and moiled over but
with indifferent success. O how I 
pine for the notebook that I recklessly
tore and rent and cast into
the flames one bright day in June
down near the loud roaring sea!
Have you saved yours- the lecture
notes, not the Lab. books? If you 
have and would lend it to me I
would gladly pay the postage and
bless you forever. Of course what
I teach is very elementary and there 
is little apparatus besides an air-
pump and a galvanic battery and
I think I shall get along passably well. 
I know Prof. Newcomb and he is going
to tell me about some good books of reference,
but I should like your note-book
immensely. You can have any of my 
Prof. Bowne books you want; Maria will
bring them to you if you ask her for them.
Ask Maria to tell you about the Catholic 
incident and the theological question.
I know you will enjoy them and I haven't


room to write them. My anxiety about
the Physics is this: Will it have the
same effect on my head that it
had on Prof. Cross's If I thought it
would- but not, I will not indulge
in gloomy forebadings. If you would
know what makes me happy, it is
that I shall have at least 1/3 of the essays
and that will be fifty or more.
My girls are very nice & much more
demonstrative than Northern girls
and they bring me flowers and ask
if they can walk home with me; in
short there are six or eight and perhaps 
more whom I like very much
and take great interest in. Mary 
Scott when she had 76 one year used
to say she loved 71 of them. There is
one little girl named Heilprin, the
youngest in the school, (she's but 13)
who wants to go to college and I've 
sent for a Year Book for her. Her 
parents are foreign but she is one of
the brightest girls I ever saw. Yes, you
are right, it pleases me very much
to be teaching girls. There I have a verycomfortable boarding place in a
red- hot republican family and
I haven't fallen down stairs and
there is a drug store just round the
corner in the next block. Mary Scott
lives about as near me as Park 
Street Church is to the College, and
of course I'm there a great deal.
School hours are from 9 till 2 with 
about 3/4 of an hour recess and
no teacher has more than four 
recitations a day. Then three hours
a week are devoted to drawing and
music by special teachers so that shortens up the hours
on certain days, recitations are 
about forty minutes. If you care
to know where I am, look on a 
plan of W. which you'll find in
any Atlas probably, certainly in
Mitchell's- and I am on the Eastern
side of the 11th St. North-west between
L and M near Massachusetts Ave.
The school is on I St. between 2d and 
3d and I walk down Mass. Ave to I St.
When I ride I take cars at the door and
go in just the opposite direction which

is a Mathematical puzzle to me.
Don't tell me all men are corrupt;
that is the last parting injunction
(there is tautology in this sentence which 
I feel is my duty as a teacher to
print out but do not feel that I 
must correct.) Which my Aunt 
Maria gave me and I already 
know several very nice gentlemen.
I have two old friends here- one is
a young lawyer who had called
twice and is going to see a good
deal of me he says, and another
is a tutor here and I have known
him always. Mary Scott has six
brothers- don't be alarmed, only
one is at the house; he is going to take 
me over into Virginia to Mt. Vernon
before long. I shall want to write
You about that. And haven't I
written an egotistical letter! And
I mean to write a great many more
of the same stamp if you don'tstop me. You asked me to tell you how I was
situated and I've taken seven pages 
to do it in! I only hope you'll enjoy 
it. I'm sure I have. I think of you 
so often and I've told Mary a good
deal about you. You are probably
just wading into the horrors of the
theistic sea- don't get beyond your
depth! A ducking won't hurt you
but you mustn't get knocked over
by the waves. You can easily imagine
my joy at finding that the
city contains seven or eight Episcopal 
churches I have been to three
so far and are going to try them
all before I decide to go to any one
in particular. I will tell you more about
them hereafter. Why doesn't 
Miss Stanford write to me? I wrote to 
her the last minute before I left home. If
you think 'twould make her write you 
can read parts of this letter to her at
your discretion. I do so want to hear from
all the girls so much. Remember me heartily
to your mother and give my love to 
Your better- half - and consider yourself hugged
and kissed, secula, saeculorum. YoursWashington D.C Oct. 17
1880
8.05 P.M.
My dear, dear Miss Blackwell
Imagine me in an
extremely happy frame of mind
and in exactly a state of feeling
to write to you - add to this, moonlight 
outside and gaslight inside
and you'll have a feeble picture
of the emotions which crowd up
on me as I sit down to write to
you, a duty and a pleasure. And 
first let me say that if you will
you will - a wilful woman
[kann?] have her way as well as
the wilful man - and so I enclose
only nine stamps instead of eleven
but as I shall put two on the 
outside of this epistle, the balance

They'll suffer if you try to decipher all this but I hope not.
Write me whatever
news you have. Did 
you think I would 
go back on the
Beacon and leave it in
the lurch?  What do 
you take me for? as
soon as I knew who
was business
manager I dispatched
my subscription.
Aber es konnent nicht.
Grussen deine true
Freundin.
Lydia M. Dame
I shall expect you to use these 
green monsters in writing to 
me & some of them at least.

Where is Miss Abbott?will be preserved and your respected 
self and my ditto will 
still be in equilibrium - excuse
me, but I am "professing" Physics
and the odor of the shop hangs
round me still. I wonder what
you are doing at this moment;
are you still principled against
studying Sundays ? or wasn't that
formulated enough for a principle.
Shall we call it only a 
tendency or a leaning? The amount
of things I have done today
is so numerous and so varied
that I shall give you an account
thereof- I woke at 6.30 and feasted
my eyes until it got light enough 
to read, on my copy of the Sistine
Madonna which hangs over 
my Shakspere just opposite the 
bed. You can well believe I am 
happy when you know that I have

a lovely albertype of the Sistine.
2 feet by 18 inches frame and all.
It is the joy of my heart to lie in 
bed in the morning and watch it
grow into distinctiveness. Well, I did
that for a while; then it got lighter
and I got up and took the Confessions 
of St. Augustine into bed and 
read fifty pages. Next, breakfast 
and after that two hours of leisure
before church for the latter doesn't 
begin until Eleven. In that leisure
I wrote one letter; then I started for 
church lost two cars and ended
by walking about a mile and
a half in a drizzle. I went this
Morning to Trinity Church, one
of the largest churches here and
also the broadest and while the
sermon was on Sunday Schools
and didn't interest me much,  
the service was read more impressivelyimpressively than I ever heard it before in
my varied existence. The Rector
made you think every time what
it was that you called on the
Good Lord to deliver us from. I
had scarcely taken my seat when
two of my pupils came in and sat 
with me. That is a hard thing Miss
Blackwell- when your pupils over
whom you can't help having a good
deal of influence sit beside you
- a poor miserable who cannot
say the whole creed. Of course I 
don't know whether they noticed.
or not but I was very sorry to have
them there on that account. But I 
say more of the creed now than I
used to; I generally say all now
except the second article-person
or whatever it's called, you know
what I mean. Of course I cannot
yet say in the Litany' "O holy blessed
and glorious Trinity" but- I don't
quite know whether I will tell you
but whom should I tell if not you?
and there are some things  I tell you 


that I tell nobody else. Yes I must
tell you. When was it we went to 
church together last? Was it out 
at your house at St. Mary's 
last autumn? I think it must
have been. I don't know how it
has happened, but for some time
past now I have bowed my 
head at the Gloria. You have told 
me that you thought I would see a
broad church. and this savors of
High Church, but I cannot help
it; it seems as though it were something
stronger than I which makes 
me bow my head before the Gloria
Patri. It is also a comfort and a relief 
to me. God never seems so near
or so real to me as when I bow my 
head in reverence to His name.  and 
if I feel better, why I care not which.
Er people say it is High Church or Ritualism
or idolatry. It certainly is 
not the last. I do care when people
say it is that or superstition. I believe 
in reverence and sincerity as the two
highest virtues and it makes me feelbetter to do it and indeed I think. I
know, almost, that I shall find true
light in my darkness here in Washington.
Do you know George Eliot says 
somewhere — "One can begin so many 
things with a new person. Even begin
to be a better man" and I apply
it to my miserable self, substituting
place for person. But I was going
to tell you what else I did. I came 
home in the car, had dinner, wrote
a long letter to Marion and then started
out for church again. I am trying
the different churches and
thought I would go to Grace Church. 
Which I knew nothing about. Wandered
half over the city, found
it to be a bare little chapel in a 
second-rate neighborhood,  went
in and heard a sermon that has
put me in a seraphic state ever since.
The text was "There shall I know even
as also I am known". You will see 
the possibilities in that text and I think
the application[s] to me. I wish you had
been there. It was such a bare place,
very low church with no vestments or
altar cloths at all, only a little organ

and not more than a hundred people.
It made me think of the little
chapel in the Felmeres- you remember?
Only that was High
Church and was probably more
like the little Church of the Holy 
Communion here where I've been
once, where they had candles and
the clergyman wore a green stole.
The churches I have been to are these
Holy Communion   
                      
[*High
rather High.
Called High
but don't think so*]   
                                                    
Church of the Incarnation             
St. John's                                    
Ascension
Epiphany
Trinity
Grace
The last four or the four last are not
High at all. The Ascension is a Southern
Church, but they don't sing the
Te Deum and I can't get along without
that, it is provokingly near. I shall
probably decide to go to St. John's though
there are nearly a dozen that I have
not yet tried as there are 18 in all inWashington and Georgetown. My rector
in Lyme wrote me that he would give
me a letter of introduction to [some]
the rector of the church I should decide
to attend. Wasn't that nice of
him? Especially as I once had some
dealings' with him that might have
made him my mortal enemy.
Your last letter was a very, very 
nice one and I want some more;
I'm very sorry your eyes are bothering
you again. What in the wide creation
made you elect Recent English?  Are
you in German? I want to read the
Greek Iphigenia much. Does Anybody
elect both Greek and German
this term? I congratulate you most
heatily on being editor: I also congratulate
the Beacon. You must tell 
me your poems when you have any
therein, won't you? but perhaps I 
can guess- I paid you a nice little
compliment the other day which I'm
going to tell you about. I quoted in a letter your
verses about the "dove's nest" that you 
gave me from the Beacon when I was on;
perhaps you'll not think it as a complement
however! but indeed I should think

it one if our places were changed. I am 
infinitely obliged for the Physics notes;
fortunately I have to teach the Physics
as I please, without being beholden
to anybody, so you can imagine
that the amount of mathematics
that goes into those young minds 
is microscopic. Something funny
happened the other day, or at
least I said something that was
rather undignified but you'll agree
it was very like me. A girl was describing 
the Strasburg Clock and
she said - "And the hour strikes
and the Apostles parade by and
Judas carries a bag and Peter- 
When Peter goes by the cock comes
out and crows." there I stopped
her and before I thought said "that 
was rather hard on St. Peter wasn't 
it?" Upon which the class laughed
and I was covered with confusion.
One of my young hopefuls had
never heard of David Copperfield,
then only one out of a class of
80 had heard of Prof. Pierce of Harvard. 
You would laugh to see meshowing capillarity and doing
other experiments. Every now
and then it comes over me what
a good joke it is to be teaching
these girls. I don't suppose it's any
joke to them. They are for the most
part nice girls but also for the 
most part stupid. You can't think
how I enjoy it. There I have such lovely,
lovely times with My Mary, and
My Mary means Mary Scott of 
course. SInce I got home from church
I've been over there and had a nice
talk; her brother tonight announced 
me as the other half of the inseparables.
Why did you tell me 
that you knew the Spoffords? I have
had such a lovely ride with them
and enjoyed it so much. They 
took me across to Arlington where
so many Union soldiers are buried.
I then set foot for the first time 
on the sacred soil of Virginia. Mrs.
Spofford tells me your mother 
is coming here this winter; I shall 
of course hope to see her. You
must write me when she is coming
and where she will stay. If

wishes were horses etc. but if she 
could only bring you with her!
I went to the theatre yesterday and
saw Hazel Kirke which had so 
long a run in New York; the theatres
here are small compared 
with those in Boston, but the play
was pretty good. They never have
the stars until Congress convenes
and then they have everybody
except Booth who never enters
Washington. Yesterday, I passed 
a house on 10th St which bore a 
marble tablet with these words 
in gilt letters-
"In this house died President 
A. Lincoln April 15. 1865." That
was all, but you may be sure
I looked long at the building. 
There is a splendid statue of
him on a white column in 
front of the City Hall. Everything 
about the public buildings is socomplete that it's a joy forever. For
instance, one day I went to the Census
Office to see one of my friends,
and the glass from which I had
some ice-water was marked
with the words "U.S. Interior Dept."
blown in the glass. Everything is
nice except that they paint the
Capitol on the outside; the centre 
is not of white marble but of free
stone of some kind which looks dingy
so they paint it. The White House 
is kind of a dead-white fraud. I 
shouldn't like to live there , 
but I shan't probably have a chance.
I have lost my chance to vote this
year but I hadn't yet registered so I didn't
lose any money. Isn't that sordid?
I hope you feel as good as I do
about Ohio and Indiana. I am 
more patriotic than ever before. Last
night there was a great demonstration,
torchlights etc. in honor of the
victory and they kept the [quarreling?]
and shouting going till "the witching
hour when churchyards yawn" - There 
wasn't much sleeping to be done. I think 
of you very often and hope you'll write
just as frequently as your optical arrangements 
will admit. I'm afraid


                                                   Lynn, Apr. 22d 1880.
My dear Miss Blackwell
As I don't want to
believe that you are going to be gone long,
I want to get as many letters from you
as possible so I post[*p]one two letters which
have a prior right to an answer and 
proceed to tackle you. And here let me
say that to make things clear that I never
feel "in duty bound or in honor obliged"
to return as long letters as I get but
write as Rev. Foster says "when the spirit
moves me" and as it moves, and as 
long as it moves; hence if this letter
doesn't hold out as long as you wish
(which I've no fear of), it is either (1)because
the spirit gets drowsy or (2) because
my pen, ink and temper 
become the worse for wear or (3) becausebecause the house is minus postage stamps.
I didn't think you'd have a
letter from me tonight when I came
home from the College today. I came 
home in a horrid state of mind;
my temper and general peace of mind
turned topsy-turvy by a little thing
that had happened and had started 
all my worst passions out on the
war-path. They brandished their
weapons all the way down on the
train, and up to the house, and then
Presto! Chango! a 14 page letter on
the mantel-piece changed the current
of my dreams and two sentences
therein will make me happy for a 
month. I could now find material
with ease for writing half a dozen
pages on far-reaching influences
- but I forbear. Your letters are
charming and your Sunday School 
experience was very funny. I was 
asked last Sunday to join a class
in the Episcopal Sunday School taught

by a woman I have the highest respect
and a great deal of liking for but
I declined on the spot; it was impossible
for a good many reasons.
What inspires me most is not in 
your letters to me, but to the other girls-
zum Beispiel, the glibness with which 
you use my given name gives me
quite an alarming start of surprise
When I read one of your letters in the 
German class etc. you see the girls
- confiding creatures - have let me
read a number of your letters to
the great edification of your humble
servant in some cases. O when
you come back I'll give you "such
a dose"! We have decided on a dramatic
Entertainment under the auspices
of the Phil- I won't go any farther
because I am never sure whether
it is an O or an a. It is to be "David
Copperfield" and I am Chairman 
of the committee. The charactersare not all settled by any means
but the following are pretty sure
David                      Mr. Conn
Micawber                 ''    Bates
Betsy Trotwood     Miss Abbott
Emily                         ''   Biddle
Mrs. Gummidge        ''  [Lelee?]
Agnes                        "  Dame '82
C. Regotty                  "      "       '80
Mrs. Micawber           "   S. G. Kuhbiel
Mrs. Talbot was not willing for Edith
to take part or she would have been
Mrs. Micawber. It is too bad for she'd
have been so good. We shall probably
have it in three weeks time and in 
Pilgrim Hall, Admission 25 cents.
All these are not official announcements
at all. The play is not remarkably
well dramatized but its very
funny. We wanted Mr. Knapp for 
Uriah Heep but he has such a heap, 
I didn't mean a pun, [Peccari?]
of old examinations to make up
that he can't do it; we are thinking 
now of Mr. Goodridge; I think his


voice would be oily enough, but I'm
not sure whether he can squirm.
Time will show; finis coronat opus  [*the end crowns the work]
et cetera. Have you heard that 
Miss Latimer has been at the
college? She came on suddenly, getting
leave of absence for the purpose
of visiting schools and goes back
tomorrow, spending the day at Smith
College and getting home by Sunday
night. I went with her out to Quincy
to visit one of Col. Parker's Schools
on Tuesday and it was very interesting.
In one room in a class in
Language, the teacher wrote the word
"observe" on the board and each 
scholar was to write a sentence
containing the word; then some of 
them were called on to read their
sentences and the first little girl
read in a loud voice feeling as
certain as we do when we know we've
got the right genitive for Prof. Buck
"That girl is very observe in her manners"!We couldn't keep out faces straight, 
as became people of such advanced 
years and dignity. You don't know
how nice it was to have Miss Latimer
here and to sit next to her in
chapel as I did this morning. It is
very lonesome in the chapel not to see 
you over in the corner; do you think
you will be back before our Senior
vacation begins? If not, I must
come in some morning during
that brief period to see you in the
old familiar place. And another
thing- you mention something
in your last letter about hugging
a certain person and refraining,
from some erroneous impression
I assure you. Now, mind- that certain
person won't come across your
path of vision very often after
this year so you'd better take out
as much stock as you want in 
hugs etc while the sun shines so 
to speak. N. B. In the above I do not
mean myself by the sun; although
I believe in the Solar Myth theory I am

not yet prepared to identify myself
with a solar myth. I have heard of 
a new book by Baring-Gould The
Vicar of -- Something beginning 
with W. I don't remember the name;
it has been recommended to me as
very charming. You don't tell me
how you like "The Light of Asia". I 
hope you enjoyed it as much as I
did. I like very much that little
phrase "The dew drop glides
Into the shining sea"
which seems to sum up the theory
of Transmigration beautifully.
Have you read James's "Bundle of
Letters"?  I will say sub rosa that
it's the first one of Henry James's I
ever read except a bit of Daisy
Miller-- and I was quite agreeably
disappointed; I don't dote on Stowells
and his school - quite the contrary, 
but I think this book very nice. To be
sure it left me feeling like saying
with the por publican (or the poorrepublican as I heard a man say
in prayer meeting once)-- but- 
what was it the publican did say anyway?
I felt at least like saying that
I was glad I wasn't like the people in that
book, but, poor people, they couldn't
very well help themselves when Mr.
James got hold of them.
I am very glad to hear so good an account
of your mother; please remember 
me to her. My aunt Maria was 
very much troubled when she heard
of her illness. Have I told you that I
saw WIlmington once from the river
or the bay? We went down from 
Philadelphia on a day excursion and
had a fine view of the beautiful 
Delaware coast; it was so green
and so hilly and offered such a 
contrast to the dull, red Jersey shore
(I humbly beg your pardon if you are
sensitive on the subject of your
birth-place) that I thought Delaware
must be the most delightful state
to live in even if it is full of rampaging
democrats. Haven't you any 
chance for rowing, or haven't you

the desire? Or are you tied to your Emilia 
Galotti and Italian Grammar? Yes
the German is enraging but it is so
easy that I don't care. I'm reading 
a German novel now- "Im Hause des
Commerzienrathes" by Marlitt.
Will you take a piece of advice from 
me? Don't elect "History of Philosophy"
when the time comes; it's the stupidest
thing we have ever had under
Prof. Bowne; he spends so much
time on each old fellow that we
don't get any kind of a comprehensive
view of the whole, which is
what I took it for.
My present engrossing thought is of a
peculiar nature: I came home with a 
new pair of boots the other day and
mon père looked at them and complained
of the height of the heels; he
then made the astounding offer that
if those heels weren't turned over
and good for nothing in a month
he would give me $10.00. Hence 
as money is very acceptable at theend of a four years' college course, all 
my efforts are best on keeping, in
this case, heel and sole together and
in good shape. I had an idea of putting 
the boots away for a month but my
cruel parent would not hear of that.
I've been down tonight since supper to
see the house where Marion is going to
be this summer; it stands right near
the sea and overlooks the sad spot
where the cremation ashes lie buried.
It was beautiful tonight with the moon
shining down over the water but the
house was silent and deserted.
Prof. Lindsay hasn't been interesting
this week; Prof. Buck has, but I 
haven't time to tell you about the
fracas in the German Class in which
two of your gentlemen made themselves
famous for their ill breeding.
Do find time to write me soon.
Yours,
Lydia M. Dame


Lyme, Sunday
July 18 1880

My Dear Miss Blackwell
After a sad and 
bitter experience of several hours I
have decided that it will be more
fun to write you then to read one
of Miss Braddon's novels, hence 
Miss Braddon's stupidity is to be 
thanked for any pleasure you
may get from this letter. You see
how low I have sunk in my
tastes as to reading since commencement.
I didn't read a thing except the newspapers for
the whole month of June. Then 
after I got home early in July I

the place of No. 5 I will sell it cheap as she never did go down on her
knees a la mode and
I unconditionally refuse
all offers otherwise conducted.
However give
them all my best love
the Lady Superior and
all her victims at Beaucroft
assembled, No. 1, 
2, 3, and so on
ad infinitum
Yours with the
most love of all 
dear No. 1 (That's your
place isn' it among
the poor victims?)
Lydia M. Dame
You will see, the light of
my penmanship is putty
black on the first pages but I 
changed pens afterwords. Whyregaled myself with a second course
of Hester Morleys Promise which I
have since set the Talbots to reading
since which time I have devoured the
following in order:
Moonstone, Wilkie Collins
The Smuggler G.P. R. James
The Manliness of Christ T. Hughes.
The Widow Lerouge, Gaborian
Austin Elliott, H. Kingsley
Sister Dora Miss Lonsdale
Sara de Berenger, Jean Ingelow
At Her Mercy,  J. Payn
To the Bitter End, Miss Braddon
A variety certainly and Sarah de
Berenger is the best novel of the lot;
hold up your hands in holy horror
when I tell you I mean to read one
of Ouida's this week. If you've 
not yet read Sister Dora you'd
better do it; it's a book with lots of 
encouragement in it.
Do you know that Miss Latimer 
is in Nahant and that Miss Noye
[*don't you girls write a second Geraldine's Revenge while you're together? I will offer 
you 15 cents for a number and will try to get subscribers for you.*]

is coming there this week? Miss Jennings
is to spend this week with Maria
so that there will be quite a B. U.
omnium gatherum in this section
of the world this week. You will probably
have a postal from Lyme this
week; there is a plan on foot (and if you want some fine fun you'd better fall in with it). My
friends say that I always have 
a plan for something, ergo you
may guess that I am happy being
in my normal condition.
I have been in the briny only twice
so far but mean in the future to
make better use of my opportunities
I haven't had much time 
to spend waiting for the postman
as many of my mornings
are usually spent in the summer
because I've been doing some
writing for my pater from 9 
till 1 and have pocketed a nice
little sum of filthy lucre by
the process- one of my father's 
clerks is on the high road to a lunaticasylum- he imagines he is
growing deaf (where there's much
more likelihood of his growing insane),
and keeps asking people 
if they didn't speak a little louder
than unusual to him, or if you
heard that fly buzzing? or if your
pen doesn't scratch, till you're
almost distracted yourself and
so my paternal turns his young
hopefuls on to learn the mysteries
of banking, and, take my advice,
don't go into that business until
the wolf's at the door or "love is
flying out of the window" as the
old song says. No wolf, love or 
window in this case but merely
a father whom it's pleasant to oblige
especially if there's a bank note (which
is the only redeeming feature 
in the business) at the bottom of it
all. But I've done a lot of nice
things afternoons, picnics and 
parties and walks and baths and
sails so that, now it's about over


I'm quite resigned, as it's always
well to be to the inevitable. I met
a lady the other day who
had had the honor of being
kissed by Jean Ingelow! I know 
a girl who was once kissed by Parepa
Rosa, but I think the other 
case "captures the immortal biscuit"
as the Vassar girls say as an 
improvement on "takes the cake".
When I see you next I shall shake you 
miserable sinner that you are 
for what you said about coming
to church and sitting on the
back of a pew and crowing etc.
Or in case the shaking shouldn't 
keep, consider yourself violently
shaken and then when you've got
your breath be penitent.
I suppose you girls are having a
lovely time at Bearcroft; I'm
sorry you've had so much rain.
Will you ask Miss Prosser please if
she was to write first or I- I can't 
remember. Please give my love toall the girls but tell Miss Joy instead
that I haven't yet decided 
what she deserves. She will understand
Tell her I hope it wasn't a 
great effort that kept her up nights
wasting the midnight oil. I hope
you didn't get really badly hurt
in your carriage accident. Take 
good care of yourself. B.U. can't
afford to lose you and '81 would be
a minus quantity without you.
You may be surprised to hear that
when I was at Vassar I so far put
Class prejudices in my pocket as
to become better friends with a girl
in '81 than anybody in '80- this was
mostly after I wrote you but be assured
it was nothing of the swash
nature; I haven't backed down on
what I said then. The biggest half
of my heart is in Washington, has
been for a couple of years, and will
be ever and always, but it is
right side up and not standing 
on its head and there's plenty of room

for other people without anybody's 
getting dizzy or losing that valuable
appendage viz: the head. I am more
fond of my girl-friends, my Freundinnen,
than of anything else in 
this world. Did you ever write out
the list of the ten girls you liked
best? It's quite exciting and
would be great fun for you to try
at Bearcroft if you would go on
the "present company excepted"
rule so as to avoid difficulties.
Has anybody hear from the Kuhbiels
this summer? I wrote to one
of them early in the vacation but
have heard nothing. There was
a poem in the Independent last 
week by Harriet Osborne Kuhbiel
who must be probably some relative.
Maria is going to Mt. Desert with
my aunt week after next: Miss
Atkinson has gone to Canada, Miss
Alney has gone abroad as you
know. Do you know that Miss Curtishad gone to England for the summer?
She has lots of relatives there you know
as her father and mother are both 
English; I think it is very nice for her
to go. I had the ineffable (I believe this is
the only Bowne-ism I've slipped into
in this Epistle) pleasure to ride a long 
distance in one of those creatures misnamed
a barge the other day with
Mr. Lormis of '79 when he told me an
anecdote the point of which I've been trying
to find ever since; he has been
studying law and has lost that (I cannot
call it anything else) bloated 
look which he wore in his Senior Year.
O, before I forget I want to ask if you have
my Italian dictionary- I remember 
lending it to somebody and I can't
seem to find it anywhere now. Maria
and I have a remote dream of 
finishing poor Silvio and his trouble
if we can get into a sentimental
mood in the hot weather. I don't know
what C.L.S.M. means unless it is
Codge, Lady Superior of the Mormons
but I am afraid the P.O. Department
would annihilate me if I wrote to
her in that manner. I hope she has
not been increasing the number of
hopeless victims. If anybody wants


1125 EleventhSt. N.W.
Washington D.C.
Sunday Nov. 14. 1880
My dear, dear, Girl
I'm going in for a regular 
knock-down argument now, and 
so I must sugar-coat the pill in the first
place. Your last letter was awfully
nice and did me no end of good even
if one of your arrows did bury itself
up to the head in a very tender place. But come
on! write me some more of them. I like 
to be stirred up. Indeed I miss you very
much when I feel in fighting trim, there's
a compliment for you! But now I'm
serious, and am going to answer some 
of your hints and take you up on some
of your points. Do you know I'm surprised at
your position in regard to the Catholics. You 
know we have talked so much about it
(thanks to Mr. Melden) that I thought you would
enjoy Maria's little story and- well, I am 
surprised. You have the utmost tolerance 
for extremes of disbelief- that of course
is not strange- but even in your position
I think that logically you ought to

[*I haven't said half that I think and believe about the matter but you will, I think, be 
able to read between the 
lines. Then you can
write and hang my
fields. "Lay on Macduff 
and" but I'll leave you to finish
the quotation.
L.M.D.*]feel the deepest, broadest toleration
for the extremes of credulity.  And you're
a very logical young woman in most
cases.  Now you will laugh at finding me
almost ranged with the apostles of credulity
but indeed you will never find
me quite there.  Those are the two extremes
and standing where you do I expect the greatest
toleration from you.  Now it is my
firm belief that the more a man fights for
his faith the more does it become his own,
a part of himself.  You don't think much
of the man who is a Baptist because his
father was a Baptist or Methodist because
his family was Methodist and
I think you will agree with me that that 
belief which comes to a man from his 
own searching is a better stronger thing [*for] in him
than that belief, the same perhaps, which
was poured down his neighbor's throat
as a child and which as it didn't disagree
with him he has never troubled himself
about. (I don't like the metaphor
but I can't help it now it's written)  All
this is old; we have gone over it lots of
times but I say it now because I'm not
going to look at the Roman Catholic church
either as Biddy the chambermaid does
or again as John Wesley Smith and Roger Williams
Jones have been taught to do.  No, I
am going to look on it as people do who have
been brought up (as you and I have) without
any strong bias either way and came to
years of discution and looked about for
themselves; and so now we stand on the

mountain and are looking for the sun 
to rise and there is no dweller on the mountain
whom we can trust to tell us where
to look.  Now you say that I "have a sentimental
liking for the Roman Church in
a corner of my heart" (Are you sure that it's
in a "corner"?  I'm not); did you think I would
blow you up for that?  Hardly; I've been
told more than once that I was half Catholic,
and if that consists in being severe
on the scandalous, libellous unchristian
attacks made by people who hold the same
creed  Exactly (and people who say over
and over again "Only believe"), on a religion
that has done so much more for civilization
in the last nineteen centuries than
any other, a religion that has produced
such men as St. Bernard and St. Thomas
Aquinas - if that is being half-Catholic,
then I shall always be half-Catholic and 
glory in it.  But as to "sentimental liking" -
I have the same about Greek traditions as
Roman Catholic legends - I care more for
Herakles and Perseus than for St. George
and St. Veronica.  I think it is the same
kind of feeling, and you don't suspect
me of lapsing into paganism do you?
But now I will tell you something: You know
it is told of Sir Walter Scott that late in life
he said that he had never written a line
that could shake the faith of any one, or
words to that effect.  I can't tell it nicely.
Now Heaven knows I had little enough faith
at the age of 14 when I read the Waverley
Novels, but the seeds of my liking for all(mysticism indeed has always had an attraction for me.)
that is reverent and poetic and mystic 
and beautiful in the Roman Catholic
religion were down where I read the Abbot,
Ivanhoe, Quentin Darwood and 
a number more, and my strongest 
feeling towards Scott is of gratitude that he taught
me a lesson of charity that I shall
never forget. But I will not boast; you
told me once that I had the makings of 
a first-class bigot in me. I don't think 
you have the slightest foundation for 
any such remark; I wish you would
tell me where you find it. You know somebody 
says of Herbert Spencer's philosophy
that a very good Christian Theist may
walk off with one half of it and a fighting
Atheist with the other. (I would give
a dollar to see you quote that to Prof.
Bowne). Do you mean something like that
as to the contradiction of my character?
I think you'd make a much better
bigot than I and your letter is much 
more bigoted than this one. I don't see 
how anybody can be blind to the great
work of the Roman Church all through the
Middle Ages, unless he shuts his eyes purposely.
I won't enlarge on this point because
Montalembert has done it much
better than I ever could and you have read
him I believe. Now I know you will quote
Lecky. I don't read Lecky, but if you 
quote Lecky I will quote Ruskin and
I will head you off by beginning. It is 
something that I like extremely. "No man
of thoughtfulness will ever allow himself


to speak contemptuously of any religion
in which God has allowed one good
man to die trusting." O I think
it is very wicked for Protestant
people to talk as they do about
the Catholics I don't see how they can do it.; I don't think they've "a 
leg to stand on" by way of argument. 
I told Miss Sanford when we were at
Miss Prosser's a year and more ago, that
I could just as easily join the Roman
Catholic Church as any other Evangelical
Church. I don't feel exactly 
so now, you know, but I do not think
it is a pernicious system as you say.
I don't think that its doctrines [*are]
require in the main a greater amount
of faith, credulity, what you
will, than those of the Protestant Church;
always excepting that of the Real
Presence which would be a supreme
sticker to me. But don't you suppose that a man 
like Dr. Newman or Cardinal Manning
can be a Roman Catholic without superstition
and able to give a reason
for the faith that is in him? I should
very much like to talk with an educated
Catholic who wouldn't try to
proselyte. I would risk the world's opinion
and go into the Roman Church tomorrow
if I had a faith like that of St.Thomas Aquinas or Savonarola. But 
it won't do to quote instances for you
will hurl two or three obnoxious people
at me in a  twinkling. I can see 
you getting ready to say Torquemada
to me but I am no prouder of 
Torquemada than you of Tom Paine
and there we are quite exactly. I
went to a Catholic Church this afternoon
with a young man and the
smell of incense still lingers about
me; this may account for my fervor.
He tried to get up a controversy but I wouldn't
controverse (I was saving my powder for
you). He said it would be impossible for him
to be a devout Catholic; I told him I could
conceive of circumstances under which
it would be quite possible for me to
become one. Did you ever wonder if
the people who prate of superstition 
so much could define just what
they mean? I think there is scarcely
any word oftener misused and recklessly 
applied. Why is it superstitious 
to make the sign of the cross? I haven't
any desire to cross myself but if I had
I should do it. If people would only
remember that it isn't [*what you do] the action
but the spirit of it. I am very glad 
of what you say about superstition 
and I heartily "acquit you of any nonsense" 

in the matter; I really did think
you might be shocked. But why do
you speak of our treatment of 
individual Catholics? That certainly 
cannot affect me for I know
so few; therefore what I think about 
Catholicism ought to be unbiassed. I
can't say anything about Catholicism
as a civil system because I don't
know enough and as it is no longer
a civil system why should we trouble it?
As Prof. Bowne says emphatically in the
beginning, middle and end of his 
evidences that Christianity is a great
system here and in power- so we
must look on Romanism as a great
religious system here and in power
more or less, and so I have told you at
length my sentiments more of which
you knew before. I hope I haven't 
shocked you; you don't generally shock
easily, Did I tell you of my Sistine Madonna 
that hangs where I see it the first thing 
in the morning? I have two tall wax candles
standing one on each side and some day when
Miss Scott is over I am going to illuminate.
Wouldn't you like to be present at that act of 
Mariolatry? I have also Murillo's Madonna (one
of them) & the people in the house say I am
High Church; 2+2=4 Now I have talked of myselfenough. Aren't you sick of me?
You didn't know what a tempest in a 
tea-pot your few words would make
but you might have known it. So you
think Mr. Bailey has left his heart in
Concord, do you? Do write me when 
and where your Mother is to be in 
Washington; I shall make every effort
to see her. By the way you must 
be sure and come down to Lyme during
the Xmas holidays; I have only a
week and two or three days but I shall
count on seeing you. I can't fix any
day yet because I don't know what 
plans my family may have, but
you must come down some some day. I
suppose you know all about Miss Noyes
going to St. Mary's; I think it's very nice.
And I've written you eight pages of matter
and never a word about the election!
How do you do? Shake hands over 
it. Can't you cut college and come
on to see him inaugurated? I've been
wildly excited over it; the news was 
recieved with a great rumpus, bonfires
and so forth all night long.
Of course I knew your editorial and
I'm much mistaken in if you didn't have
a poem in the October Beacon. It's funny
to have shuffled off the Beacon. I believe 
I had something in almost every number
for two years. I am glad you are Editor. 
Do write to me soon, be good to me. With much love
Lydia M.D.


[?].C June 20. '80.
My Dear Miss Blackwell,
Somehow or other
I always feel in the mood to write to 
you; perhaps you will wonder then, why
I haven't written you before, since
your letter arrived some time ago.
Well- I don't know that I've any
good excuse, except that I had
a great many letters that had to
be written, that I had let accumulate
before Commencement, and 
have taken this loafing time to
answer; but largely I've been dolce
far niente-ing so to speak, spending
a good deal of time waiting
for the mail, and absolutely I
haven't read anything but the
newspaper for about a month

[*I wish I could write more; I heard from Miss Abbott a few days
ago, a nice letter.
We stay here till Sat.
and then spend
Sunday in N.Y which
will be lovely.
I hope you'll come
down to Lyme this
summer; there are
to be such lots of us
there you know. I expect. 
to have
lots of lovely 
times.
Good-bye, I am 
expecting visitors
and must close.
Yours always
with love
Lydia M. Dame.*]One doesn't graduate twice in a lifetime
and a good clear loaf is a 
rarity. My aunt wants to have 
me here next winter and it's possible
that I may come but it's 
doubtful. I certainly don't want 
a year of loafing and all my 
friends and relatives want me 
to have it. Perhaps it is best like
"my heroic struggling WIlkins" 
to wait for some thing to turn
up. Only (I can't forbear this dig
at you) because I chose to keep
my plans and projects to myself
I don't see why you should be
so foolish as to ask me the question
you did about my future
prospects, in the Senior vacation.
Whatever I do I don't propose to
be as foolish as I think Georgie
has been. Wasn't that interesting
though! but unless you have 
seen Marion you don't know the

funniest and at the same time
the saddest part, as far as Georgie
is concerned- of it. Would you
like to marry a man who three
months ago now had somebody
else in view? Mind and don't 
let Georgie hear of this for the
world. I am not going to tell 
you the story on paper. I suppose
Mr. Turner is a bachelor of at
least thirty-three, a Westerner and 
probably quick- tempered from
his ha'ar. I know he is conceited 
and likes to hear himself talk, and
he is Narrow. What, will Georgie
do. a communicant of the Episcopal
Church as the wife of a 
Methodist minister among the
red men. Well, well, I will tell you 
the story in time.
Last night was Dame Party night
and the girls fairly shone. I think
it was the best one I have ever been
at and it was my fourth. I gotquite rich on verse-making being paid at the
rate of ten cents a verse by my
munificent aunt. Then there was 
a lot of impromptu verse making
by word of mouth that was a new
departure, and this with singing 
in galore made up the literary
feast. Last year when you were
here did you take breakfast on the
morning after from the remains 
at the observatory? We did this
morning with four of my friends
and made ourselves sick on unwholesome
cakes and candies.
I must impress upon you:
you ask if the fair one is kind und so   [*und so weiter: and so on]
weiter. Never again venture on
that with me! I have left those things
behind me since my Sophomore Years,
it was pleasant while it lasted but I
have given it up- I think the other 
is better, the good firm friendships
and those I devote myself to hereafter!
Le roi est mort, vive le roi! I have
one or two very nice friends here
this year and a lot of nice acquaintances; 
the other thing is over.
So, now as I am a graduate, I turn 
over a new page and begin over again