Letter from M. Carey Thomas to Mary Elizabeth Garrett, April 26, 1884

Dearest Mary, This printing is merely an invention of mine to save writing my address on business letters, so do not be shocked by it. I am tired out tonight with much talking. 3 hours of recitation, careful examination of Smith College buildings, with one of the teachers, an intolerable woman who wishes a position at Bryn Mawr and so is very attentive, a visit to a distant cousin of mine here an introduction to several of her college friends, a drive in her phaeton, tea at one of the college cottages with 25 girls, whom I met and talked to afterwards, after that 3 teachers called and with them attendance upon the Alpha literature society, thereby missing a call from President and Mrs. Seelye. This is a sample of my days at Vassar, which was far better and far worse. Better in the sense of the good work done there and a certain collegiate tradition, worse because I had not a moment free, the professors were so kind. I was delighted with much at Vassar. It was a sensation to sit opposite Maria Mitchell at table, or to be in her study and see her lying on the couch at full length speaking sarcastic, rather bitter, wholly loyal things. I felt, little as personal enthusiasm is in my line, that I would do anything to show my reverence for her and I think I shall be quietly of keeping the tiny bunch of flowers she gave with what she says is her customary remark-- GÇ£a bunch from my garden, Miss Thomas, my whole garden.GÇ¥ I felt very sorry for her. It is doubtless as she says, there is not a man in the country who has worked as hard and done as little. Her appliances have been defective, but love for her makes the whole sophomore class elect calculus in order to be allowed to be allowed to come to her mathematical astronomy, which if you knew girls as I do, would enable you to measure her popularity. Prof. Braislin too I saw a great deal of and liked. Her calculus was brilliant, but among the men professors I saw little brilliant teaching, or rather it was very different. Here the same. Perhaps men cannot teach women easily. Vassar seemed to me monastic and charming. I canGÇÖt express how it impressed me, but unlike anything else I had ever seen. She does so well. She ought to do better. I stayed there for 3 whole days and left with the kind of admiration for her I imagine her graduates feel. The rules are unbearable. I wish I could be president for a year, and here at Smith it is a chance wasted. I dislike to think about it, these 250 girls getting husks. It is perhaps too soon to judge and you must not, as of course you would not, repeat this. I cannot express to you my despair over women so clever, so enthusiastic and so little chance. None of these girls can be scholars because they are not started right, then education is in the hands of men who do not care. There is not one strong woman in the place not even one really well educated woman. There! I cannot write you a nice letter tonight-- it makes me so helpless and consequently so indignant. If I had Bryn Mawr in my hands I could soon throng it with students, not a girl would go to Smith, but I am afraid of getting desperately interested and then being baffled and after all I cannot give my life to it and if I did afterwards a President Seelye might step in and undo all. I shall now try my best, but to be resigned to disappointment is more difficult I fear than I thought it would be when I talked it over with you so calmly. It is the curse of belonging to an unfree race to care for it so foolishly, I suppose. I am so glad Mary to think that you will have money some day. There is so much good to do and what some of us do in another way you can do in that way and after all it is rarer than the other ways and does not even exclude them. Goodnight-- I have not told you how distressed I was to hear your backache and headaches had been worse. I did not write at once because I think I was too disappointed. Sometimes people of heroic temperaments make mistakes and I think it is a false economy to wear yourself out as you are doing-- both for your father and yourself or else you will break down. If necessary you should get someone, whose voice will be pleasant, to read to Mr. Garrett during that time. Please, Mary, it may be for a long time. Some decayed gentlewoman or someone. I am so glad Julia can be with you now for a little while. How is the chess playing progressing? It is not very good for you I fear. Yes my visit seems very far away and yet it was the longest time that I had ever seen you during how many? 7 years of friendship. 7 next fall. By the way, I asked about Mrs. Green and I found she is very nice, cultivated, rich, and able to in such lines of work. The Arthur Stuart house is off their hands, he and his sister having behaved well about it in the end. I also investigated the GÇ£member of churchGÇ¥ rule because the Y.W.C.A had before that seemed to me one of MotherGÇÖs interests in which I could silently sympathize, its work being so practical, philanthropic and woman helping. She had not so understood it, but I showed her the sentence and it seems by her, Mrs. GreenGÇÖs, and Mrs. Gildersleeve's interpretation that is only meant to exclude Catholic influence in the board of managers, but certainly (and they say so also) the wording should be changed. I am amused by Aunt HGÇÖs new stage. She takes now no interest in religious work, but thinks philanthropic work the only satisfactory field because there GÇ£the results are solid.GÇ¥ It is easy, once removed from such socialistic and educational problems, to forget that there is anything to be done, but I am afraid, unexpected as it is, this college tour has opened my eyes to many things that I shall not forget. If I canGÇÖt produce anything under the olives I much fear I shall have to return, although English roots, and the Arthurian legend, and Mythological references in Aglo Saxon literature seem rather winding paths to my ends. To be sure there are many more summary measures possible. Certainly I am conscious of a strong impulse to-- well to put it barely-- to wring the necks of most of the profs and teachers in Smith College. You must, dear Mary, excuse haste and exasperation and all the results of 5 days steady conversation with strangers. I am afraid this is a very unreadable letter. Do not imagine me always in my war paint. I love you, and think of you, and wish to see you often. Yours very lovingly, Minnie C. T. All letters directed to Baltimore are forwarded but I do not wish more than a note. Please give my regards to Mr. Garrett, remember me to Julia.