BLACKWELL FAMILY Kitty Barry Blackwell Edith Blackwell [?] 73Somerville, Wedensday April 14th 1876! Dear Kitty I have had the scarlet fever but I am over it now. I think it is horrid to be sick, I couldn't go out for several weeks. My music teacher gave me apiece saturday. I have not had any before. I practice an hour and a half every day and sometimes more. I do not go to school now, but I think I shall go next week. It snowed yesterday all day, and was quite deep, but it is almost all melted off now, Papa and Mamma went to the village this morning in the sleigh, think of a sleighride on the 14th of april! I hear Ethel read every day she learns very fast; she has learned her letters since Newyears and reads[?] of three letters. I have to go to the dressmakers, to have a dress fitted, so I must stop. love to all. your affectionate cousin. Edith Edith Blackwell Edith BlackwellEdith Blackwell daughter of Samuel and Antoinette Somerville Oct 8th 1876 My dear Kitty Your kind letter arrived several days ago; but I have not had time before, to answer it. I thank you very much for sending me the tie. It is a lovely shade of blue. The ties which you sent to Floy and Gracie came some time ago and I am sure they were both very much please with them. I don't know why Gracie has not written before. I think she intends to write to you to day. I go to Mrs. Duren's school now. I have to study most of my lessons at home. I don't get home from school until about three o'clock,then I have to practice, eat my dinner, and study my lessons for the next day and so I don't have much time. I do not study Latin now, as Mrs Duren does not teach it, and I am very glad. I study French though, and like it very well, as it is not nearly as hard as Latin. You asked me if I should like to be a doctor. I really don't know whether I should or not, of course it wouldn't be very pleasant to have to get up at any hour of the night to see patients, but I suppose there always are unpleasant things in every business. I have no special taste in that direction, but I suppose I might as well study medicine as any thing else. But I have not decided whether I will or not. Mamma says I need not decide until I have been to school here for a year. I really don't see what makes all my relations think I should become an artist. I am sure I never drew any better than most girls of my age, if as well. I like to draw very well, but I am sure I have no special talant for drawing, and I should not make a good artist. I can't imagine what makes people think so. Mamma has been at Philadelphia for a week and has had a very pleasant time. She came home last-night. I suppose Flo told you about our going to the Centennial. I expect to go again, for one day only, with Papa, Gracie, and Ethel. I don't know exactly when we shall go. Floy is at Rockaway now and will probably stay there for several weeks. GrandPapa is sick, and Mamma intendsto go to Henrietta to see him. I think she will go tomorrow if she can get off. This is a dreadful pen, but I can't find a better one so I have to use it. Love to aunt Elizabeth & aunt Marian. Your affectionate cousin Edith Swarthmore May 4th 1878 My Dear Kitty I was afraid that you would not get my other letter because I forgot to post a 5 cent stamp on it I was very glad to receive yours you always write such nice interesting letters. My room mate's name is Anna Hollingsworth. She is very tall and fat and not at all pretty but she is very kind & exceedingly studious she studies nearly all the time. Miss Cunningham the professor of mathematics, is Anna's cousin. She lets her keep the gass burning until 10 o'clock, although the other girls not in the college classes are not allowed to have a light after 9. But Anna almost always sits up until 10 to study, as that I seldom get to sleep before that time. Since Easter we have been having the study hour before breakfast from 6 until 7 instead of in the evening, & we haveI don't like to study in the evening because the gass hurts my eyes. Since we have had morning study hour, we generally play games between supper & 8 o'clock. We play proverbs bright thoughts & other guessing games, sometimes in one girls room & sometimes in another. Some of the girls are comming to my room after tea this evening. Mary Deacon Laura Satterthwaite, Annie Hicks, Eva Knight and Anna Constable. Sunday I left off writing yesterday to go and take my walk, so now I will try and finnish this. We have object drawing and also perspective, In the object class, we draw cones, pyramids, vases, &c from plaster models. I drew a cup & saucer last time. We have to draw a pavement with octagonel blocks, for our next lesson on perspective. I like Latin better than I used to. Virgil is a good deal more interesting than Caesar I think but Miss Austin gives us such long lessons that I can never learn them very thoroughly. Maggie Halliwell always asks for longer lessons, because she has been studying it for several years, & learns her lessons very easily, we have a whole page next time. I suppose you know that Papa has sold Hillside, & that we are going to move to the village. I don't think I shall like it nearly so well. I wish I had plenty of money & then I would buy hillside, I mean to, sometime, if I can, I think it was a shame to sell it, but I suppose Papa was obliged to as he couldn't sell any of the other houses. It won't seem at all natural, to go home to the village house, I know the water isn't anything like so nice, but it can't be helped, so I may as well say nothing about it. I know Papa wouldn't have sold it if he didn't think it was best to on account of business. I must stop now and study my geometry. This is written dreadfully I know, but I haven't time to copy it. With love to Aunts E and M - good bye Your loving cousin, Edith.to get up at half past 5. My room is very pleasant, it is an east room and has a lovely view. The croquet ground is just below the window so I can watch them play. I am sitting in front of the window note, at a small desk. I see Anne H. writing her composition under a tree, and several girls swinging in the grove. I think there is going to be a shower, it is getting very cloudy and quite a breeze has sprung up. I haven't been out to take my walk yet, we are required to be out an hour every day. I generally go out as soon as school is over, at a quarter after 4 o'clock, with Mary Deacon. Sometimes we play croquet & sometimes walk & down the board walk. There is a board walk nearly a quarter of a mile long leading down the hill to the station. It is very pleasant to walk there now, as there are trees along both sides a good many flowers. There are quantities of magnolias in blossom and tulips. Edith 26 Rue de Labeck, Paris Sept. 9, 1904 Dear Kitty: I shall plan to leave Paris Sept. 26, and shall probably stop a day at Rouen and reach London Sept. 27th. I find that my little address book of the Woman's Rest [T???] Association, gives addresses of boarding plans but no lodgings in London. I think a lodging with breakfast should give much more freedom for sightseeing and for2 excursions outside of the city. So I shall probably not decide in a permanent place until I have a chance to look about a little. I shall write for terms to one or two boarding places convenient to the British Museum and go wither to one of those, or to a hotel in that locality for a day of so until I can decide on something satisfactory. I notice that the "Kingsley Hotel" from which you wrote 3 is very conveniently located, and may go there temporarily. My letters which usually come to the Am. Express Co., will go to their London office, 3 Waterloo Place, after Sept. 25th. I have just written o Frances to tell her when I expect to reach London. We are having a great amount of rainy and cloudy weather in Paris and both Miss Stone and I have uncomfortable colds which I hope will soon take their departure, as I hope Aunt Elizabeth has done before now. Some cousins of Mamma, two Misses Davock, have been in Europe and are now in England. One I have never seen and one remember slightly as having visited by at Hillside - About the age of Frances I think. They expect to be in London in Oct., so I hope to make their acquaintance. One has been studying music in Germany. With love to Aunt Elizabeth. Affectionately, Edith Somerville Tuesday June 27th 1874 Dear Kittie, I hope that you will come in May. I want you to very much. If do not go to school now, but I study at home and Papa hears my lessons. They and I go to dancing-school every Saturday afternoon. It is very cold here today. I do not like winter as well as summer, I think it would be nice if it was summer all the time. I have grown very much since you were here, when you went, I was notes large as Gracie is now, and Gracie was not as big as Agnes. you have never seen Ethel. I was 13 on the 27th of December, there is going to be a lecture in the village, to-night, by Cordova, the subject is MRs. Grundy and I suppose it will be very funny. I expect to go, with Papa and Floy. I know how to make bread, I made some on Saturday. Perhaps we will move to the new house in the spring, if it is not sold or rented. give my love to aunt Elizabeth, and aunt Marian. Your affectionate cousin Edith Wednesday. We went to the lecture last night and we stoped at the post office and got your letter. I am sorry that you are not well. I will send your letter to Alice. E.B.B.