sum. The rules of the school required these to be written on the slate,
submitted to the teacher and then carefully copied by the pupil, so it
is not unusual to find that a letter was five or six days in
preparation. For the same reason it is impossible to tell how much
sincerity there is in the frequent references to the "dear teacher" and
the "most excellent school." The "stilted" style of Susan's letters is
most amusing.[6] A few extracts will illustrate:

I regret that Brothers and Sisters have not the privilege of
attending a school better adapted to their improvement, both in
Science and Morality; surely a District School (unless they have
recently reformed) is not an appropriate place for the cultivation
of the latter, although in the former they may make some partial
progress. Deborah has not determined to relinquish this school,
although she has not yet ascertained whether the income from it
will be equal to the expenditures; but if it should continue I
shall have a wish for Hannah and Mary to attend; as I think another
one can not be named so agreeable on all accounts as is Deborah
Moulson's at Hamilton.

[Autograph:

Much love to all the dear ones
I am your
Lucy Anthony]

One may imagine that Susan got several credit marks when her teacher
corrected this on the slate. The lecturer on philosophy and science
came up from Philadelphia, and Susan tells her parents that "he is
quite an interesting man," and that "his lecture on Philosophy was far
more entertaining than I had dared to anticipate." Of the science
lecture she says:

He had a microscope through which we had the pleasure of viewing
the dust from the wings of a butterfly, each minute particle of
which appeared as large as a common fly. He mentioned several very
interesting circumstances; but I must defer particularizing them
until I can have the privilege of verbally communicating them to my
dear friends at Battenville. Guelma joins with me in wishing love
distributed to all.

Again she writes:

Beloved Parents: The second Seventh day of my short stay in
Hamilton arrives and finds me scarcely capable of informing you how
the intervening moments have been employed; but I hope they have
not passed without some improvement. Indeed, we should all improve,
perceptibly too, were we to attend to the instructions which are
here given, for the advance