University of Virginia Library

Letter from Adelaide E. Case to Charles N. Tenney, 1862 May 16

Who would have thought when I
wrote you last that more than a week would
elapse before I should write you again. But how
fast time does fly. I know you will forgive
me darling for you know how little time a teacher
gets to write especially where they
"board around." I should have written sunday
but I attended church both in the daytime
and evening and between the meetings I wrote
to Hal. I recieved your letter of the 11th
and 22nd of April last evening. Laura forwarded
them from Mecca Had I not heard from
you since then I should be real anxious
for you wrote that you was not well,

but I can hardly conceal my anxiety now
for I have recieved but one letter from you
since I commenced my school with the exception
of the one I read last eve. You are not ill
are you dearest? I feel confident that you would
let me know if you were. (I am writing in
such a hurry this morning as it is almost school
time) I was very thankful for your lettersalthough written
so long ago, besides one from Laurie accompaniament there
Indecent (how correct that is spelled) Dear Charlie
you seem to be quite eloquent in your praises of your
"Ohio girl" I do not blame miss Rice for replying
to you that I was not pretty, for I too think
you must look with a partial eye, for I can
trace no expressions of beauty in my ugly phyg.
although I — don't try much. I dont see how
she could "hate Yankees" after conversing with you,
I would not. Yes darling I am proud of it, I
mean that I am a Yankee, and if you should
ever see her again please tell her "that the Yankee
girls" would not only sacrifice home
friends, dear friends but even lie to protect their country and their flag. Oh Charlie how I should love to
see a regt of ladies armied equipped and
ready for battle, but that we must remain at
home and donate a little to the "Aid society,"
every week while our friends and protectors
fall and die alone with no friend near. Oh it makes
me so indignant. But what could we do? Do!
we could fight, fight like patriots as we are,
but perhaps you will say you guess our patriotism
would cool down by the time we march one or
two thousand miles, strong if it unclear!

After school.

Dear Charlie I did not have time to finish
this this morning; therefore one more day will
pass ere you will recieve it; but I will try
to answer or rather finish this. Do you think
darling that I am dilatory about my writing
to you? If so remember that I can not
always do, as I would were I at home, but
I will write as often as possible.
You wished me to give you my experience in
boarding round. I will give you my experiences

of two evenings by way of contrast I have chosen these.
You must pardon the crude form in which it is expressed
for I wrote it down hastily, in my--what shall I call
it, "Experience Diary" I guess, and copy from that
Tuesdday eve, May 14th, "Really this looks like boarding around!"
I wonder if all teachers have the same form, Emily Buell
told me to day that "her father wanted me to come
to his house to night" I will go was my answer
accompanied with a wonder where her mother was. Started with the girls
Emily and Evaline and — came as I came through the
gate I involuntarily turned partially up to a side door.
"This is the way" the girls said and I followed, around the
through
through house we went till we came to a kind of alley through
which we passed and after going through a shed entered
an underground kitchen, I was introduced to "my sister"
a girl about twenty years of age, and "my grandmother" an
old lady sitting in a straight backed armchair smoking,
on her head was a night ccap and around her head
passing from her chin up was a kind of bandage.
I afterword learned that "my Grandmother's" name was
Mrs. Duelley, and that the reason of her wearing the
bandage was that she was afflicted with a cancer.
Mr. Buell did not enter the house until after tea which
consisted of meat potato beans pork and indian
pudding baked. I sat there by the window (or rather
under it) for I had to stand in under to look
out — vainly endeavoring to draw some one into conversation
with me. At eight oclock I was requested to be shown
my room and went but what a soute to get to a
sleeping apartment; after ascending a narrow flight of
stairs we pass (my "sister" and I) though two rooms
and then ascended another flight of stairs going through a hall
and entered "my room," I turned to ask the unclear
a question but she had sat the candle down and left
there, and here I find my self. and I also find myself
writing my first experience in "boarding around," but of
written till late and must retire alone. I would
willingly accept of one of the the girls for a "bedfellow." but
I suppose they are in that dismal kitchen perhaps conversing
of the new school ma'am and I will not
disturb them"

Darling, I have given my experience while at one
family, or the evening experience nothing of importance
unclear in the morning unclear I was about to
start in the morning for school. I was cooly invited to
brand them "my past" Grief. I will but I have not
time to write my other experience but will soon.