Letter from Eunice Lyman on her routine, teaching, writing letters, and spelling

Title

Letter from Eunice Lyman on her routine, teaching, writing letters, and spelling

Description

Letter from Eunice Lyman to either Sarah or Mary Frances Lyman. She discusses her routine, teaching, writing letters, and winning books with spelling. It is unclear how closely the two women were related, as the term cousin, at the time, could be used for any relative other than a sibling or child.

Creator

Lyman, Eunice

Is Part Of

Lyman Family Papers

Language

English

Identifier

PUA_MS31_38_a

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/

Source

Pacific University Archives

Format

Letter

Type

Text

Other Media

[Cordeville?] Oct. 20, 1875

My Dear Cousin,

Your letter was joyfully received notwithstanding you people out there where the [?] thinks we Easterners have not-very thought about Oregon. I have always been delighted to hear from Oregon myself, and know that the others have also. Tell Cousin Willie that his letters will not remain unanswered any more than a week or two longer.

These Saturdays don’t amount to much anyway. [?] writing compositions to correct; mending [?] take so much time that there is no time to hear myself think just a minute quiet all day long. It is an improvement for the other days however. Don’t feel too sorry that Providence prevents your teaching. It is a tormenting life to lead the best you can make of it. I do enjoy it sometimes that is a fact when I have a nice [?] and all goes on well. It is all right. But this year I have an awfully hard school and since capital punishment is not allowed in the schoolroom I have to endure it. I have a number of very nice girls too. But they are mild and there are a great many of them and I am very tired & it is hard work. However the year is more than half gone and I guess I can contrive to exist quite comfortably with what help I can receive from all the nice books I can read. I talk as if the world was all a hollow [?]. I am just a little tired and reckless that is all.

I have managed to do one good thing and that is to win an unabridged Webster by [spelling?] down seventy five of those Buckeyes. My good fortune did not forsake me there at least.

Isn’t it a pity that my penmanship does not correspond to my orthography?
Wednesday Mon 3rd not quite finished yet [?][?]. I don’t know what I shall do. I have neglected to answer the letters of my correspondents this winter worse than ever before & now I have a host of letters to write.

Write I must for I cant exist without letters. They do me so much good. You ought to see the way I eye Mr Camp when he comes home from the office. Every day I resolve not to ask him because I think that he will give my mail to me. But every day regularly I decide it is the safest way to be sure [to?] say anything from the office. Fortunately I usually am remembered. [Oh?] we had another spelling school here last week Friday evening. There were two [?][offered?] one an elegant copy of Milton to the best lady speller & a copy of Shakespeare to the best gentleman speller. My good fortune was again to win the Milton though not to spell down the “crowd” as two gentlemen remained standing when I spelled [?][?], & I [?] therefor.

Give my love & kind remembrance to every member of your family.

Your Eunice