Bartlett, I. Chapin. Letter to aunt (February 20, 1859)

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Mount Vernon
Feb. 20th 59 [February 20, 1859]

Dear Aunt

For fear you will think by the above mark that Mrs. Green vice [unclear: president?] of the Mt. V [Vernon] Association has sent me on a visit of inspection to the tomb of the "Magnus pater patiae" I will just state that from the extraordinary part Mrs. Green is taking in that work out of respect to her we given the aforesaid cognomen to our abode, which you will recognize under the former name of Science Hill.

Pratt Smith arrived here last night and having enquired for us after supper we went down to the hotel and spent

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a few hours with him. Joe Prague also came with him. He brought no special message from home. Yet the fact of his having left there so recently was sufficient to make it a great pleasure of seeing him. I received a letter from Pa a day or two ago but it did not give me much satisfaction of home affairs any more than the pleasing intelligence that you were all well.

Have not heard from Uncle Virginius since last I wrote him before he went to Washington. The young ladies concert comes off tomorrow night and right glad will I be when it is over as Miss Julia who plays most of their accompaniment is continually drumming on the

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piano which being immediately under our room we have the full benefit of it.

We are still plunging on in our college course and everyday has us still farther toward the end of the journey but many days of hard study are yet before us but I trust the day is still near when we can enjoy the pleasing assurance of knowing that we have run the race and have at last obtained that for which we have been for so long a time striving.

As to anything of interest we are entirely void of that article. One of the students was expelled last week for going over to Lexington and becoming intoxicated. He was expelled once before from West Point and this has added another disgrace to his former one.

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What other reason he had for going over there we know not perhaps none. He was a member of my class and as such we can sympathize more with him then otherwise. The faculty are very strict about such matters as that and woe unto the student who is found bewildered by any of their eagle eyes.

But I have exhausted my scanty store of thoughts that is better thoughts so I shall come to a close.

Write soon to your nephew [I.C.B. scratched out]

Love to all. Wrote Ma last Sunday [I.C. Bartlett scratched out]