WCP1264

[1]

Macon

December 20^th 1844

Dearest Mamma

You will perceive by the date of this that I am in Macon¹ a City 17 miles from our Institute[.]² Miss Sinclair³ and myself have come over to spend [1 word struck through, illeg.] the vacation with M^rs. Price⁴ a Lady with whom we travelled from New York[.] I hope you are all spending your X'mas happily, we are among kind hospitable people who seem [2] pleased to entertain us, people amuse us much here by telling us they would like to have the pleasure and gratification of making our acquaintance, then they call on us & invite us to their houses, they quite quarrel with M^rs. Price because she has so much of our company but she tells them — She is an old acquaintance, there is a great deal of Style and Fashion here, and the houses are elegantly furnished[.] it is a wonderful thing when the Gentlemen tell us when we are admiring their houses and Grounds "Why twenty years ago this place was a thick forest inhabited only by the native Indians."⁵ every one keeps a carriage & horse here, we ride out every day, for the lot owned by M^rs Price is on a Hill a short walk out of this City, but they never walk much here[.] I am almost surprised to find myself with my head & shoulders in their right places as the roads are so bad that we are jolted & thumped every time we go out. The carriages are so light that they are tossed about, I thought at first there was danger of being upset but I have no fear now as no accidents happen[.] The streets even through the City are full of holes & little hillocks that we go jumping up and down & it makes me laugh[.] I keep saying Why do not they attend to the Roads? but they all think there has been wonders done in so short a time, and that all will be right after a bit. The Ladies dress elegantly [3] and go to great expense in their dress, Everything is French[.] There are so many foreigners everywhere now in the civilized parts of America, that the manner of the real Americans I do not think can be seen unless you go quite away from Great Towns. Education is making great strides, and the College at Macon⁶ (for young Ladies) is always full[.] They take 150 and our school at Montpelier would soon be as large if they chose to build rooms to accommodate them. The College here educates the daughters of Dissenters and we are the Episcopallines [Episcopalians]. The Ladies amuse me by making use of such fine words, they do not like plain English at the same time they do not speak correctly[.] They use the two negations constantly and they do everything good, and anything that is nice to eat is Elegant. We have been to the College several times because we had the Professor⁷ and his Wife & family on board the "Exact"⁸ with us. They are very superior people[.] M^r Darby gives lectures at the College on the Sciences every day, he said he was not satisfied with the education at Montpelier because there was no Professor to instruct the Pupils in Chymistry [sic] Natural Philosophy Mathematics &c, I said do the Ladies in America generally learn these things? He replied "They have been much neglected, but they [4] are now being introduced in all schools, "Why a woman does not know how to make bread unless she understands the study of Chymistry [sic]"[.] So I suppose we must have a Master who can take a part in the education of the girls as Bishop Elliott⁹likes his school to be the top in Georgia if not in the whole United States, the Boys School at Chase Hall¹⁰ is quite given up people at Macon are very sorry for it as it was a convenient distance & the place is healthy.

I have got a book called "Georgian Scenes"¹¹ it is very droll[.] I will send it over to you & one for Alfred also when Miss Buss¹² goes to England in May. There are many good shops here, but if the merchants are out of goods you must wait till more can be sent for from the North. They go to N[ew] Y[ork] once a year & lay in a stock of merchandize to last the year, so if there is a great demand of course the articles are very dear, but now things are cheap as the demand is small. I have bought some black Silk to match my dress so you need not send me that[.] Indeed I want nothing but what I can get here if I should be in need of a dress in the summer I can get it by sending to M^rs Price. I have seen the most splendid Silks and delaines¹³ here. I hope my brothers¹⁴ [5] are all well give my love to them[.] I wish them a merry Christmas and ^a happy new year, on Wednesday 25^th I am sure they will be thinking and speaking of me & I shall think of you all & hope some of them will be with you. I will write William next time, he ought to marry if he would come out here and live, he would get a good living, a clever industrious person would soon make a fortune in any line of business or profession, who would then go on year after year living a single lonely life when he could settle down here comfortably & respectably and marry a young lady with money, they all have something here[.] Either money or land[.] There is opening In the South for talent and you might soon introduce yourself by your abilities. Talents are a fortune here — when in England they wish[?] for want of opportunity of Employing them.

Give my kind love to all my friends, let them know I am well and happy as far as I can be, so many miles from Home and all I love, but I have so much attention paid me that I must say I sometimes feel asham'd when I think how I am sometimes ^{have been} treated by ^{some of} my [6] own country women. Here any exertions are thankfully received and the first families who are from the North are pleased to make my acquaintance, no class of persons are so courted here as those who have talents and can devote their time to the education of youth[.] This is as it should be is it not?

M^rs Price is waiting for this so adieu dear Mamma may heaven bless you ^and all of us in whatever country we may be in[.]

Yours affectionately| Fanny [signature]

NB

The bearer of this letter & the small parcel to Alfred is M^r Messiter[.]¹⁵ This gent is going to be married to Miss Cassan¹⁶ the drawing teacher who left Montpelier before we arrived.