USA > Connecticut > Litchfield County > Litchfield > More chronicles of a pioneer school, from 1792 to 1833, being added history on the Litchfield Female Academy kept by Miss Sarah Pierce and her nephew, John Pierce Brace > Part 6
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Elizabeth Dwight has no respect for me at all - The quarrel which I had with her at our little dances last winter and the quarrel with Mrs. Dickinson & of course with all Miss Edward's family completely offended her and made her my enemy. Selfish, implacable & unfor- giving she carries her enmity sometimes to such an extent as to be impertinent to me in school - and I am too much afraid of her father's authority & consequences and his connexion and influence here & at Litchfield to punish her as I ought. Her influence is such as to almost destroy that respect & fear which otherwise my other girls would feel towards me, of course their behaviour is at times very bad.
All this perhaps might have been avoided if I had not quarrelled with - but I then considered it as a matter of little importance but I find the influence of a solitary individual is very great in some sphere or other & that we should never exasperate anyone because we may repent of it in some time or other as I do now - How cautious we should be then of never wounding anyone's feeling for fear of mak- ing them our enemies . that among some of the many recollections of the world they should have it in their power to revenge themselves. The boys of course cannot be governed so easily while the girls continue refractory such are the consequences of the influence of one character.
I trust when I have kept school longer and have acquired more authority & experience that I shall be enabled to preserve better order in my school than I have done this winter & of course to feel better satisfied with my exertion. In the interim I must rest contented with the idea that a few weeks will bear me beyond the influence of North- ampton & restore me to that circle of friends, to those employments that afforded so much pleasure last summer.
Feb. 28th.
Still the same unvaried scene occurs -
Of late we have had some very pleasant weather - It is been however only a smile upon the face of winter & will be succeeded by such cold
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days as to make us almost wish that we could have no spring weather until spring itself advances and we could be certain that no after days would be but a continuation of winter -
Wrote to Ann - Had a letter from Abel - & from Mother Cornelia Van Kleeck is married to a Mr. George W. Somevandyke - W. Lord has entered the navy & gone to Boston - Caroline Stanley is at Litch- field - Julia Stanley is married and Eliza Sampson about to be.
Cornelia Van Kleeck married the last person I should have supposed would have thought herself fit to assume the arduous duties of a wife. Volatile & coquettish, her love of pleasure I should suppose could never permit her to sit quietly down as the mistress of a family and give up the pleasure of vanity & conquest which have so long actuated her. I could not help laughing when I read over some of her letters to me in which she spoke of her love to Davis as triumphing over every obstacle to think that in one year her feelings were so essentially to change as to receive a husband. She possesses warm feelings that receive a quick & vivid impression but which cannot prove lasting.
I cannot conceive how she will behave as a wife when as a girl her feelings & practice were so flighty & thoughtless.
In the course of this month finished College Life except Commence- ment. Note Aug. 29, 1850 Cornelia became a most stirring and ener- getic woman. She had work in life to keep up respectable appear- ances & bring up her family. But she did it the best manner. She is now living with a married daughter at Brooklyn, L. I.
NORTHAMPTON Tuesday March 1, 1814
Spring again crowds unpleasant winter from the earth and opens to us the scene of renovated youthful enjoyment.
Again does the season of the revival of nature occur. Bursting from the tomb of winter it again begins its life - And so will man bursting from the wintry tomb, commence a spring of immortality while around him is heard the songs of angels far more revivifying than the song of the birds of spring that warble on this morning "all hail! to the new born season"
But spring must soon decay, summer must be crowded out by autumn and sterile winter will resume its power. while immortal man will never fade - his spring will exist while life and thought and being last & immortality endures.
March 17, 1814 Thursday.
Not having daily events to record as once when no other thought but love occupied my attention and when each day would furnish revolutions of moment. I cannot be expected to write as often as
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once. And, unless I write in school hours, but few moments occur in which I can write and those few are moments of idleness and fatigue. If I should attempt to write every day what would I say? Nothing The transcript of one day would be the copy for the next.
Since I wrote last I have attended a party at Mr. Theodore Lyman's which showed nothing that all the other parties here do not show - I was very much entertained by a long literary conversation with Mrs. Judge Lyman & Mrs. Barril in which we ran over the merits of the different novel writers, and poets of the present day or as Mr. Eben Hunt said over every article in the Encyclopedia. This kind of con- versation is one I very much delight in and one upon which I have taken much pains to instruct myself. With me - Mrs. Lyman is an admirer of Scott and does not unite with some of the people here in attempting to establish Campbell on his ruins.
I did not dance. Mrs. Deveaux's observations still ring in my ears - Waited upon Miss Leavitt home - I do not know as I ever particularly mentioned Sarah Leavitt. She is a girl with whom I have lately been very much pleased. She is quite small of her age and considerably homely - but possesses such an excellent disposition such good under- standing and such a talent for ready conversation that she is really an estimable pretty girl - In hearing her converse the effect of an or- dinary countenance is lost and you know not but what you are listen- ing to the most beautiful animated countenance you ever beheld. Amid the slights of the titled ladies of the place, amid the sneers of the Intra Mintra society, I have been extremely gratified by the attentions of the young ladies at Mrs. Barril's and the politeness of Miss Leavitt who is one of them.
It is really curious to see the motley collection which is always found in a party here - Some come for amusement of all kinds - to buzz around in every room collecting a little sweet from every flower playing a little whist with the serious trifling a little with the gay - dancing and drinking and running around and talking. Others come with less universal ideas of pleasure determined to seize but one stream of enjoyment and, run it to its source - to make the party either a ball room - a card set - a collection of literary characters or in some instances, a tippling shop. A few come to speculate and philosophise-passing from one room to another with no very sweet feelings against mankind in general - pishing & pshwing at what they call the trifling of the literary conversation - railing against the lightness and frivolity of the young and moralizing as they pass upon the instability of all terrene enjoyment.
I have never seen such a "general meeting" of the Intra Mintra society - such a collection of the finest beauties never were before
THE PARLOR OF DR. SHELDON'S HOUSE His great niece and pupil at Miss Pierce's School, Elizabeth Prince (Mrs. Rochester Childs), sitting there
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together And Christopher Clark and Charles Butler as usual fluttered and figured around them in great snuff" while poor Sir Pedagogue Poetry struck (the character I bear this winter - Oh! how different from the dignified Lord Pedagogue of last summer) must stand at a distance and envy the pleasures he cannot enjoy -
On March 8 Tuesday night we had a ball. I enjoyed myself very much Felt myself perfectly reconciled to the Intra Mintra society and was their chief gallant - was very much entertained with Sally & Harriet & Nancy Butler Sarah Leavitt - Maria Fowle etc. Drew a Miss Wright and a Miss Brewster. Danced with Sally & Nancy Butler and Miss Leavitt - Nancy Barrill & Miss May. No particular belle - Sally Butler appeared very well Her face is very handsome her figure good and her dancing admirable and nothing is wanting but handsome eyes to render her very beautiful. I was very much pleased with Nancy Butler. Tho not handsome yet the intelligence & amiabil- ity of her countenance render her very interesting. She was an excel- lent partner and with the others made the evening very pleasant. Harriet Butler did not appear as well as I have seen her for there was an air of petulance on her countenance which detracted very much from its beauty -retired at 12. The next day would have given considerable to have had an epitaph written for I considered myself as defunct so much did I feel fatigued.
On the next Sunday night 13th I paid a visit to Harriet. Sally Butler had a very pleasant evening. Heard that Sarah Deming was at New Lebanon, N. Y. with the Misses Tryons and that Isaac Shelton was married to Maria T. and that she was expected here soon - Wrote to Sarah & to Abel. In the last week had a letter from Aunt - Nothing very new.
Since February have read. Home-Matrimony & Hungarian brothers the last a very good work - the others wretched. And am now em- ployed in reading Stephen's Wars that originated from the French revolution.
Monday - as usual played a game of whist in the evening.
Tuesday - At Mrs. Barril's
Three weeks from to-night. I shall reach home - How joyful, how reviving is anticipation! I then shall be relieved from the un- pleasantness of my present condition and reinstated in the smiles of those friends who have some feeling of affection.
Wednesday 18 Nothing particular. Read in the evening.
Thursday 17 I had a letter from Ann - Marcia Averill is to be married in May Ann had received a letter from Corey. M. Clark is sick - the reason I suppose of her not writing.
Maria Tryon came in town to day, I called in the evening to see
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her - nothing new - Employed the week as usual and when such "usual employments" occur nothing particular can be noted.
I have derived considerable entertainment from Stephen's Wars. Of the history of the last twenty years I have known nothing for I have never read old newspapers - Of course this history afforded me both truth and novelty & I was very much delighted by its perusal - tho the style is considerably faulty & the historian not altogether impartial.
Perhaps no event has transpired since the eruption of the Goths and Vandals upon Europe that has been productive of such important & wide spreading consequences as the French Revolution. Not con- tent with changing the nature & destroying the institutions of one nation, it has spread its baneful influence among all its neighbors & has created such a fermentation as is hardly allowed at the present time. It shows to politicians that however despotic a government may be still the ultimate power is in the hands of the people and can easily be exercised by them. It likewise shows the capricious and unstable nature of a popular government that passion rather than reason will be the governing principle and that designing demagogues can always rule the populace. It shows how much to be preferred is that limited government which partakes alike of monarchy & republicanism where despotic power & popular fury are alike shunned and where the governing principle is the good of the whole.
March 31, 1814 Thursday.
The last weeks spent in Northampton were employed in preparing for my departure which will take place on the second of next month. On Thursday last I had a letter from Mary Clark nothing extraor- dinary new - Caroline Stanley is in Litchfield.
Spent the evenings at home or at Judds occasionally at Mr. Shepard's to see M. Tryon or Mrs. Sheldon as she now is.
On Sunday last dined at Mr. Dwight's My scholars have not behaved very well this week and I have been obliged to whip several. The girls are rather better than common.
To day had two letters one from Sarah Deming Utica long & friendly the other from H. Holmes at Hartford. Dined this noon at Judge Lyman's. I shall not begin April until I reach home. So farewell Northampton. I have been pleased with my winter's jaunt except in my school - but in that I have learnt experience. The people of this place have treated me with politeness but not with that affection my enthusiasm wished. I have met with a number of very pleasant acquaintances and have been highly entertained by the style the dash & the show of the winter. "But soul is wanting here" They
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have no enthusiasm or sensibility & I sported mine to no purpose. Upon the whole I have been treated with as much attention & have enjoyed myself as well as I expected.
NO LVIII PRIVATE JOURNAL 1814 NO IV
"Home is the resort of love, of joy Of peace and plenty, where, supporting And supported, polished friends & near Relations mingle into bliss"
Thompson from memory.
LITCHFIELD
April 6, 1814. Wednesday.
On the first of April I spent my leisure hours in collecting bills & preparing for my departure, bidding the last farewell to a place that would have peculiarly pleased me had I been in any other situation. Northampton in point of locality is a terrestrial paradise - but dis- content will shroud with gloom even an earthly Eden. In the evening called at Mrs. Barril's heard them recite & bade them a last farewell. On the 2 Saturday I collected my school for the last time & after deciding the prizes I dismissed them with a short address. The three candidates were Elizabeth Dwight, Louisa Henshaw & Abby Price. The majority of the votes had been given for Abby owing to the caprice of the boys but she was the poorest scholar of the three. I gave therefore the first prize to Elizabeth, the second to Louisa & the prize for improvement to Alfred Edwards. I bid them goodbye with a short sigh and left them with but one pang. In the after- noon about 5 I bade adieu to the place and arrived at Suffield about 11 - from which I started on Sunday morning about 5 & arrived at Hartford about 9. The road was very unpleasant, the river was very high - more so than has been known for a great while. The scenery was nothing to be compared to what it commonly is & I was very happy to reach Hartford where I was received with pleasure by my old friend Henry Holmes and I spent Sunday & Monday very agreeably with him. I saw Ralph Wells Esq. who is practising law there. We had a long talk about the times of 1813 -
On Tuesday morning I came out of Hartford. It rained very hard and we had a most terrible time. We got stuck in the mud & were two hours in extricating ourselves. We finally reached Litchfield about dark. Happy was I to be once more in those streets. I found all well & without much alteration - Mary Clark, M. & C. Leonard, B. Bellamy & C. Stanley are here - our boarders are E. Dobbins, S.
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Everitt, P. Harwood, Misses Halsey & Presby nothing particular in them. The office not much altered. Loring, Sprague, Low, Ber Greene, Head King, Nathan Leavenworth, Ogden Scudder, Ward-etc are the greatest beaux - Ann, Charlotte & Fanny are learning French of Loring who is their beau - of course, as usual, full of sentiment and enthusiasm - Sprague is Aunt Mary's beau and is still dis- tinguished for that firm good sense that marked him last summer. Low, Greene & Cambreling visit Ann - Perkins & Tabor occasion- ally at Aunt's Sir Basilina Bullfrog is rather below par. No new matches indeed love is out of the question indeed it expired with the reign of Levi - The girls are more given to study than anything else.
Wednesday 6
Ran around town to see everyone and deliver letters. I find that Mrs. Judge Lyman has spoken very well of me in consequence of that literary conversation I had with her.
Thursday 7
Walked with Mary Clark. It is really gratifying to be among those friends again whose affection springs from the heart & does not appear, like that of N-n to be the result of politeness & good breeding alone. Called in the evening at Judge Reeve's
Friday 8 fast day - Attended meeting & conference came in with Mary Clark.
Saturday 9
Employed the day in reading Lady M. W. Montague's letters wrote to Mosely Wright.
Sunday 10
Was too unwell to attend meeting -went to Conference -went home with no one.
In the evening read history to the young ladies at Aunt's - Mary C. told me that Mary Ann Lewis told her that when she was in Farming- ton a young lady from Sheffield said that Huldah was continually talking about Mr. Brace and it was concluded she was in love with him. Such kind of evidence is not very good but "Straws show which the winds blows"
Tuesday 12
Wrote to Sarah Deming. In the evening Cornelia, Mary C. & Betsey Bellamy went up to Mrs. Bull's 1 - I went up in the evening and had a long & entertaining conversation with them - Got com- pletely muddied coming home - Found Tabor with the girls at home . . .
1 On Prospect Street.
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Wednesday 13
Took a long walk early in the morning with Cornelia Mary C. & Betsey. In the evening began to read to the girls; they were called down by company - Perkins & Clarissa Deming Mrs. & Fanny Lord & Sprague Betsey Burr - Enjoyed myself conversing with the well informed Cornelia - went home with Fanny.
Thursday 14
Read to the girls in the evening.
Friday 15
Tabor & myself spent the evening at Aunt's the girls were not down, felt rather dull.
Sunday 17
Waited upon Caroline from Conference. A most vivid Aurora Borealis to night.
Monday 18
Played ball in the afternoon after having returned from fishing - Towards night walked with Mary L. & C. & Caroline. In the evening at Greene's room.
Tuesday 19
Played ball - In the evening Fanny Lord had a dancing party - M. Leonard Mary Clark, Caroline & Bellamy - Ann Charlotte & Mary Deming - Loring, Sprague, Combreling, Greene, Ring, W. Dem- ing, Head, Cook, Crosby, & Boffit. This party was not intended to rival those of N-n It was merely a little dance and as such was destitute of stiffness or regularity those dampers of true enjoyment. The gentlemen however were rather too fatigued to enjoy themselves for they had all been playing ball - I was very dull. Charles Loring was in one of his melancholy fits - King had quarrelled with the girls & of course did not speak to many. I danced with M. Leonard, Fanny & Charlotte, Mary C. & Caroline Mary Deming looked as haughty as usual. waited upon M. Leonard home.
Wednesday 20 Read Southey's Thalaba am very much pleased with it. Tho' extravagant in its plot still it bespeaks that high poetical genius, that exuberant fertility of imagination and those exquisitely fine passages that have marked Southey as one of our best poets.
Thursday 21 Ann had a small quilting party - Aunt's girls Fanny & Charlotte - In the evening gentlemen came in. Loring Sprague King Green Head & Buffit The Evening went off very pleasant and everyone found means of entertainment except Ring who was quite unsociable - Went home with Fanny Lord.
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Friday 22 Nothing new - Had quite of a frolick in the after- noon with Cornelia & Mary C. looking over charts.
Saturday 20
Cornelia & Mary Leonard heard to day of the sudden death of their father. Played ball in the afternoon.
Sunday 24
Wrote to Holmes in the evening.
Monday 25
School out today - Tho' I cannot decide upon the character of the winter's school, having not witnessed its progress still expect it was industrious & orderly - Cornelia Leonard has been marked as the best scholar in the school & deserves to be commended for the strength of her memory & her perseverance in her studies. Not choos- ing to have their journals seen, she & Ann Brace were struck from the number of candidates and the first prize was given to Catherine Beecher who had the next greatest number of credit marks to Cornelia & for a small girl shows great fertility of genius & strength of memory. Cor- nelia had the second prize and Sally Cook & Margaret Dwight the smaller prizes.
In the evening Charlotte had a party - Mary C. Caroline & Betsey Bellamy Ann B. Charlotte Stone & Fanny - Loring, Sprague Lowe Ring, Green, Cambreling Bassit Marsh & myself I enjoyed myself - was the master of ceremonies & arranged every body so they could talk and found no one a bother but Fanny who is so dull & silly that I could not make any gentlemen sit long by her - Waited upon no one home.
Tuesday 26
This is a most beautiful spring day - Before this we had very cold weather but to day was one of the finest days I ever knew. School being out and the girls at liberty - we all started for a walk and a large party of us went to Pine Island - Mary C. Bellamy. Caroline. Fanny. Charlotte Stone and Landon Loring and Sprague. Basset and Chester and myself - I went out with Caroline and came in with C. Stone. Had a delightful walk through that renowned spot and came back sweltering under a broiling sun in the evening Chester and Sprague, C. Stone and C. Landon at Aunt's.
I see by the newspapers that Helen Mumford is married - Wed- nesday 27. In the afternoon started for Catskill in the stage with Aunt and Mary C. who are going to Albany. Mary Riley rode as far as Goshen with us. She has been at school in New Haven. Her face still shows that sweetness and amiability of character that dis- tinguished her. She is a very fine girl. Stayed at Lawrence's.
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Thursday 28
Started for Hudson in the morning. Aunt and Mary for Albany. In the stage with me was a pretty little black eyed girl by the name of Hopkins from Hartford going to Hudson. She had a round face and fine complexion keen black eyes " a little pug nose that became her most prodigiously. I made her talk considerably - breakfasted at Sheffield at Ensign's. When we came near Hudson we passed some most elegant gentlemen's seats. Judge Van Ness's and P. Van Renssellear in par- ticular. After passing through this delightful country we ascended an eminence and the city of Hudson broke upon our view while at its feet the river rolled majectically along bearing on its bosom the riches of New York while on its banks we observed a pleasing variety of villages, elegant houses and well cultivated grounds, while the Catskill range terminated the scenery and seemed by its towering ramparts to stand as a guard over the romantic spot.
Arrived at Catskill at about four - saw no one but Sally Barton. Harriet Butler they say has got to be quite a belle Abbott is here and highly esteemed. . Wright and Polly Bill are married. Maria Van Loan is soon to be married and the rest have either died or run away. Hamilton is studying divinity in Athens - a pious priest!
Friday 6 I started for home with Abel - had a very pleasant drive through a delightful country by the Sheffield road and met with no accident except our horses starting and running away, breaking the waggon and detaining us an hour to repair damages - arrived at Sheffield at sun down.
Saturday 7 Breakfasted at Lawrence's. Arrived at home in the afternoon. Found a letter from Holmes.
Sunday 8 Attended meeting, in the evening wrote. I find Harriet Talmadge has returned - now for a scramble - I understand she has not been a very great belle in Troy - I do not care I shall not be in her way - I wish I could see her about five minutes to talk about C. Dewey.
Tuesday 10 The Governor escorted into town in great parade - in the evening Abel and I attended a party at Fanny Lord's. There, Charlotte, Caroline Mary Ann Lewis and Miss Raymond - Loring Sprague King & Green - Abel and Miss Raymond went away early - party rather dull.
Wednesday 11 rained - Law and Halsted went away.
Thursday 12 Attended a rather wooden party at N. A. Lewis' Clarissa Deming. Hannah and Flora Catlin. Fanny and Charlotte. Ann felt too unwell to go King. Fowles. Taber and myself.
Friday 13 Was informed to my satisfaction that Ann and Loring were engaged Charles is a fine fellow they are to correspond through me -
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Saturday 14 played ball - Loring and Green go home on Monday rather unexpectedly. Had letter from Mason and Moseley Wright. Wednesday 18 Began school and am to go thro' again another tedious six months of regular duty but this will be more pleasant than last for my boys are not so ugly and Aunt will assist me in the govern- mental part of the business had five boys Champion, William Virgil Peck James Gould and Timothy.
Friday 20
Maria Averill was married to Samuel Starkweather Esq. of Coopers- town in the beginning of this month. Ann had a piece of wedding cake by Miss Goodsell a new boarder for that quarter.
Monday 23
School increases fast I shall have employment enough some very pretty looking girls in school Abbey Bradley and Minerva Pardee. Saturday 28 The school now consists of about sixty- Our boarders are Sarah Everit Mary Goodsell Eliza Catlin Abbey Smith Charlotte Rockwell Ruth Benedict, Hannah Fish, Eunice Smith
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