William Plunkett 1850

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Andover Dec th 1847

Dear Mother

As I am seated by a good fire and have got my lessons finished for today and tomorrow's partly got I reccollected that I promised to write you about this time so I throw away my books not throw them out the windows but on to my table, haul out my portfolio (which is very handy) and write you a letter. As I said that I would tell you if I was homesick any so to keep my word. I will tell you that I have had the blues al [a] little but not enough to hurt me much. It was strange that the first Thursday & Friday after I came here that I should be looking South West so often. I suppose father has told you all about Andover so there is no use of writing you a description of it. But I will tell you what my first impressions were about it I thought it was the [lonesomest?] and most dreary looking place that ever was and my opinion has not altered but little since

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But I think it is a very pleasant place in summer at least it looks as if it would be I suppose that Sleighing is very nice in Pittsburgh and you have sleigh rides in abundance while I dont suppose I must get along as well as I can I suppose you are a little interested about my affair here so I will tell you something about them I get my washing done for three cents an article and the buttons are kept on I saw up my own wood I went down town last night and bought me a saw hatcher and some camphor I am sadly off for boots mine wont mending and I have not got anything to wear while I get them mended If Mr Tinker has sent up my boots I wish that you would send them in that box that is coming to Andover New Years I hope you have not forgot your promise yet I go to walk every evening after school We have a Gymnasium here that belongs to the Theological Students but the Academy boy are admitted by paying One dollar I have paid and am at full liberty to use the privelage to my hearts content. I have very little time

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to spare I can assure you We spend four hours a day at recitations and prayers and rest of the time is taken up in getting my lessons I have no time to read except Sundays & Saturdays and then I dont have anything to read We hav to get two pages in the Grammar so that we can say every word and at recitation you are liable to be called up and say every word in the lesson without any questions at all Besides all this we have to get one half a page in Latin and look out every word + tell all about it so you can judge if I have any thing to do How does Miss Sarah get along with her Latin if she knew the advantage of getting it thorough as well as I am begining to she would get it pretty well I got my wood very handily for one of the boys that boards here had a cord more of wood than he wanted and it saved me the trouble of hunting up my wood There is three boys board here beside myself two from Buffalo in the Middle Class one from Greenfield in the Senior class How is Aunt Louisa and where is Aunt

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Eliza if she is at our house give my love to her and tell her to write me. I anticipate a good deal of pleasure next vacation and I expect to ride horseback some so you must tell him to keep the horse warm and hot and as for the honey I have no fear but that he will take good care of her. I wish that you would send me a Pittsfield paper now and then for I want to hear how the affairs of the world are once in a while As father said one of you would write me every week I wish you would put the letters in the P.O. Thursday and then they would get here Saturday. I went in to hear the proceding of the Philomathean Society. I was quite well pleased with the performances. It is a literary society an has a library they meet every Wednesday evening for debating and declamations. I should like to join if I had time. I have not heard anything about Compositions or Declamations so I do not know whether you will be favored with any or not. They keep the boys or the boys keep themselves the steadiest of any place I ever knew of and there is none of them animals called [scrapes?] out here. as yet, you need not expect so long a letter as this every time but I should expect a good long one from home to counterbalance this

Your affectionate son, William R

PS Love to all

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Andover Jan 5th 1848

My Dear Mother,

Something quite out of the ordinary course of human events must have happened since I left home as I should have received some answer to my letter. What has happened even "conjecture" cannot tell but it is hoped that "time that great revealer of mysteries" will make known the great secret. My appearance for the first time this term was made before the P M Soc in the august character of Editor last Wednesday. As I was confidently expecting some anonymous contributions from home my paper was not as full as it would have otherwise have been. The powers of my genius were called into active play to supply the deficiency which of course did not fully succeed but in some measure compensated for the loss. As I had nothing amusing I read "The effort of Genius," but of course very much remodelled. It created much laughter as I intended it should.

The quiet citizens of Andover were much

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