File:Kate V. Hunter to Alice Mary Longfellow, 12 March 1891 (a495926a-354c-4154-b59b-5ea2e3e5e59a).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1007.001/002.003-001#049

[printed letterhead: The Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute]
Hampton, Va., March 12, 1891. Miss Alice Longfellow,
Dear Friend;-
I write to thanks you for paying my scholarship. I do not know any words to use so that I could express my feeling of thankfulness towards you.
I am nineteen years old. I live in Campbell County Virginia. It is about four miles from Lynchburg which is on the James River. It is a very hilly place. I can see the Blue Ridge Mountains from there [p. 2] when I look away to the northeast and then they are covered with snow they look so pretty.
My family is not very large. There are five of us in family with my step-father. I have one married sister and one brother. I am the youngest child.
I used to go to a school on a half mile from home. It was a log house with two long windows on each side and a stove in the center of the room. We usually had on roll about fifty or sixty children. The average on roll daily numbered about thirty-five or forty. I had all colored teachers. All except two [p. 3] were from Lynchburg. The last teacher I had was a graduate from Hampton, Mr. R. C. Panniel. I was then among the oldest and the largest in school. I was also member of the most advance classes. Mr. Panniel told me a great deal about Hampton. He asked me if I would not like to come to Hampton and try to finish my education. I became very anxious to come. I went home and told my mother about it. She said if I should get permitted that [p. 4] she would do all that was in her power to help me to come. I wrote to General Armstrong immediately asking him if I could enter the work class. I received a circular and some blanks to fill out. I filled them and sent them back. I received a card of admission very soon. As soon as school ended I went to Lynchburg and worked for five dollars a month until two weeks before it was time for me start to Hampton. With what money I earned and what my mother earned I got myself ready to start to Hampton 27, September. I had had never traveled any before, came down with some students who had been to Hampton before.
[p. 5] It cost me $7.80 to reach Hampton. I had never seen the Atlantic Ocean nor any water except the James River before. It was a great sight for me to see the Luray and the beautiful broad sheet of water which I saw at Norfolk. I got on the Luray at Norfolk and reached the Normal School in a short time at half past four in the afternoon. When I got in sight of the school I could see the students coming down to meet the Luray. I saw a beautiful green lawn and the [p. 6] large Virginia Hall. Everything looked so pretty. I thought never want to go home again. I have been here now two years and five months. I have been here now two years and five months. I was in the Night School my first year here. This is my second term in the Day School.
I study geography, grammar, arithmetic, spelling, writing, physiology, drawing, singing and the Story of the Bible. This is my second year in the junior class. I am sure I have gain-ed a great deal since I have been here. One of my reasons is this, when I first came here I could not iron a shirt bosom. Now I can iron a [p. 7] very nice looking shirt and collars too. I work every Wednesday in the Students’ Laundry.
I stayed here all the summer last year. I waited in Students’ Dinning-room, worked eight hours in the laundry every week and took care of a teacher’s room. I went to the Night School through the summer, as I did not feel tired. I thought it would help me the more for the next term when I should go back to Day School. [p. 8] All of the girls here are divided up into “Tens.” Last summer the teachers carried us down to Buck Row Beach to have a picnic. We went to every Saturday afternoon by two tens until every -en had been. It was fine sport for me because I saw the waves which rolled and dashed against the shore from the Atlantic Ocean. My mother has never seen all of these things. When I go home I can tell her about them.
I remember so well how Miss Allen wrote the different names of Mr. Longfellow’s poems upon the board last term and had us to repeat them and to write them in our topics books. [p. 9] One poem was called. The Children's Hour, This was the verse.
From my study I see in the lamplight,
Desending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.
I read it then, but I never did think I should write to either of them as being my scholarship lady. This teaches me to think more and to try to see the real picture of [p. 10] anything which I may read hereafter.
I have tried to make my letter letter [sic] as intertaining [sic] as I able to do.
Yours gratefully,
Kate V. Hunter.

• Keywords: long archives; document; alice m. longfellow papers (long 16173); education; hampton institute; correspondence; Manuscripts (1007.001); (LONG-Subcollection); Correspondence (1007.001/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Scholarship Student Correspondence (1007.001/002.003); (LONG-SubseriesName); Letters to Alice Longfellow (1007.001/002.003-001); (LONG-FileUnitName)