[Cole, Troy, June 24, 1821, page 1]

24.June.21

My Dear Cousin

[Greetings not transcribed]

The description of the school is the first thought that occurs to me, therefore I will give it to you. Our number is 52 boarders. We occupy two different houses. Mrs. Willard has four assistants in the school, they are, Miss Sherril, an adopted daughter of Mrs. Willards, Miss Haywood, Miss Gilbert and Miss Gregs. I am very much pleased with them all. Miss Gilbert is rather singular. She is about 40 years of age. She has been quite a belle of New York in her younger years, but being reduced in affluence as well as increased in age, she does not attract so many admirers as in former years, when about 18 perhaps, this consideration renders her rather petulant. She is the Instructress in Music and French. I cannot say anything more or less of Mrs Willard than that she is the most perfect model of female perfection that I ever beheld. She is well calculated to fill the station she now occupies. Her society is very much courted by every person about her. They are a building a large brick seminary for us. It is not expected to be fitted for our reception until the first of Sept. It will be very pleasant when we get there, for the school is so much crowded now, it is rather unpleasant. I am very much pleased with Troy. I have formed several very pleasant acquaintances in this City. The Miss Warrens and Miss Dickinson I have become more acquainted with than with any of the others. They are very genteel young [end of page 1]

[Cole, Troy, June 24, 1821, page 2]

ladies. [Discussion of friends not transcribed]

My studies are Paley's Moral Philosophy Kames Elements of Criticism and Botany. I do not attend to Music. Larette began to take lessons in Music, but she got tired of it, and has given it up. I shall attend to Dancing when the school commences. I do not know how soon it will commence, or when, probably as soon as they can get a Teacher.

I would say a great deal more but time will not admit of my writing any more I expect every moment to hear the bell ring for us to assemble at the Court House to attend prayers.

[Closing remarks not transcribed]

From your affectionate Cousin

Mary Ann

Female Seminary June 24 1821 [end of letter]

[Cole, Troy, April 7, 1832, page 1]

Mrs Willard & her son and nine of the Young Ladies left here for New York, they expect to be absent ten or twelve days. My studies this term are Euclid, American History, French, Music, Arithmetic, & Writing.

Our examination took place about 5 weeks since and our vacation was two weeks, we passed a very good examination and Mrs Willard was very much pleased with us, it continued several days commenced at 9 o'clock in the morning & we had a recess of a few moments at 11 oclock & closed at 12 1/2 and commenced again at 2 and closed for the day at six or half past six [letter goes on to discuss vacation plans]

Yours Affectionately,

C. H. Cole

[Cole, Troy, Nov. 24, 1832, page 1]

My studies are French Rhetoric, Arithmetic, Writing and Music. How are you pleased with Albion?

[the letter continues about mutual friends]

[Cole, Troy, Nov. 24, 1832, page 2]

[The opening of this letter denies she has any homesickness and concerns mostly mutual friends, especially David Kellogg a student at an academy in Geneva, New York.]

[Cole, Troy, Feb. 22, 1833, page 1]

Troy Female Seminary Feb. 24th 1833

Sabbath eve.

As I have a bad cold which prevented my attending church this afternoon I thought that I would spend it in writing to you my Dear Cousin to answer yours which was rec’d Monday morning. Our Examination closed last Wednesday evening to my great joy, and we have a vacation of two weeks. I came up five times once in French, twice in Euclid, and twice in Paley. The Examination was very well attended, the room was crowded a greater part of the time. Mrs. Willard thought that the classes appeared as well as they ever had before.

[letter continues about friendship and mutual friends] [signed in margin]

Cousin Chloe

[Cole, Troy, Oct. 4, 1833, page 1]

Troy Female Seminary Oct. 4th, 1833

My Dear Cousin,

[letter begins discussing travel on stage and canal boat]

[Cole, Troy, Oct. 4, 1833, page 2]

The Seminary has been very much improved since I left the building has been made higher and longer. But a very few of the old scholars have returned, mostly all new ones, which is not as pleasant until we become acquainted with them. There are 70 Boarders, more than there ever were before at the commencement of a term and as many as at the close of last, about 22 (?). of them are old boarders, it is very encouraging for Mrs. Willard the school will probably be very large. We have a new music teacher and I intend and hope I shall improve very much with it before I return home again. I expect we shall learn to speak the French very well also for Mlle De Coural (?) (our teacher) intends to make us speak to her in French & never in English it will be very improving for us, & I hope she will.

[letter continues about a mutual friend]

My studies are French, Music, Kames Elements of Criticism, & Mechanics, a very pleasant but rather hard course.

[letter continues in all margins and is signed,]

Mifs C. Hyde

Oct 4th, 1833

[Cole, Troy, Feb. 22, 1834, page 1]

Troy Female Seminary Feb. 22nd 1834

My Dear Cousin.

Yours of the 27th was rec’d on the 2nd inst. Our Examination is finished and I am still alive, although I have been obliged to study hard for it for my studies have been more difficult this term than they ever were before. Mrs. W. [Willard] was very much pleased with it and I think myself the classes all did extremely well, a number of very excellent compositions were read, on young lady who had but few studies wrote three---I expect they will be published in Mrs Hale’s Magazine [Godey’s Lady’s Magazine].

[letter continues with family matters]

[signed on flap]

Miss C. Hyde