Mt. Airy Sem.
Phila Pa.,
Oct. 5, 1900
Dear Mamma:
Your most welcome and interesting letter was received several days ago, during the early part of the week, and was read with pleasure. As I intend to go down town to-morrow, I thought perhaps I had better write you to-night. I suppose you received the picture of my room and incidentally of myself & chum which I sent you the other day or rather which I sent Pearl. I believe I addressed it to her for a change. It wasn’t very good especially my part of it since I seemed to have a gigantic stare on. I was merely looking at a picture on the wall, however. As I
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wear my glasses regularly now perhaps I would have looked more natural with them on. But as it is hard for a photographer not an expert to take glasses, I pulled mine off. We had another side of the room taken also. In these my picture was better but the wall pictures didn’t show up as well. I had 6 taken for 50₵ but have sent them all away. I sent [?] Craig one to-day. I was sadly surprised to learn that he was still laid up with fever. He must be having a hard time of it but I sincerely hope he will pull through. I thought he was well and back in college. He wrote me toward the last of August and I answered his letter Sept. 12 addressing him at Davidson College. To-day I received the letter back again marked ‘Return to Sender’. It is
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strange some of the professors or students didn’t forward it to him. I wrote to him again to-day, explaining matters. I also wrote to Lucius Henderson a day or two ago thanking him for the picture of little “Carroll” and expressing my appreciation of having so handsome a name sake. I think I will have to have some small photos taken by a good artist in order to send the little fellow one. I don’t suppose he will need any pants this year yet. Clarence wrote to me several days ago and I wrote him a long letter and sent him a picture and an arithmetical problem to solve – not a very difficult one but puzzling and amusing. You may judge from these reports that most of my time has been preoccupied apart from theological work and the truth is I
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haven’t done much, having so many other things to do and think about. I’m getting along fairly well tho, I think, even in Dogmengeschichte which is entirely German, I am not lagging far behind. Yesterday we had another holiday – the anniversary celebration (“Jabresfest” it is called) of the Mary J. Drexel Home. The services were in German but were rendered in the most approved liturgical manner. The responses being beautifully intoned and the pastor orientating during all the sacrificial parts of the service. The music furnished by a choir of the “sisters” was excellent. There are some 20 odd of them now and they cut quite a figure in their regalia, black uniform, white head dress and wearing their crosses. To an outsider they might have looked like Catholic nuns but one should not judge by appearance but
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judge righteous judgment. I took Ben and several of the alter boys through the Girard College buildings and grounds. I was all dressed up in my clericals, looking for all the world like a Priest and consequently had a good deal of fun in getting in. They asked me all sorts of questions but I succeeded in bluffing them off in a good natured way and so they let us in and told me if anybody tackled me to tell them I wasn’t ‘consecrated’ yet. But after we were in the Professors treated us with the greatest of courtesy showing us through the buildings and even took us through the dining hall where 1200 of the boys were eating dinner, also showed us their kitchen & private dining rooms. The man in charge said they didn’t usually allow visitors in there but he would show us through. In the Drexel
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Home, quite a number of interesting German & English speeches were made in the afternoon. Last Saturday I went down town and blowed myself so to speak. I bought an overcoat for $8, a suit of clothes for $13.50, a hat for $2.70, a pr. of shoes for $2.45 besides a shirt, sock, suspender and several other things. I needed the things, so I thought I might as well get them in time for the wedding. I think I made a good bargain on my suit of clothes. I got them and the overcoat from Mr. Chambers a wholesale man on Market St. My overcoat is a light fall overcoat – dark color however, but is heavy enough for my use. I’m afraid I will have to get an umbrella yet, as some fellow around here has cabbaged mine since a few days. I sent a present costing $1 to [?]. I thought I could well do that, however since he bought me a pair of
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gloves which I will wear on that occasion, for $1.50. I am going down town to-morrow and from there out to [?] to see Walter and the other N.C. boys. I doubt the propriety of Pearl’s receiving presents except of a very trifling nature from him if she doesn’t care for him and never expects to. I think a great deal of Walter and like him right well, but if she doesn’t she don’t, and there’s an end of it. Love is something that can’t be forced according to the whims or desires of other people. It is not said that there are 3 or 4 but only 2 hearts that beat as one. I hope that Mabel is getting along well with her Graded School work. I always think I will write to her next but never get it done, tho I have tried to do so a time or two. I am sorry [?] spilled the wine, especially since you say it was fine. But I wouldn’t
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think of making him pay for it. I am not surprised tho that he got it broken. He is very awkward and clumsy. The gracefulness and refinement that he will naturally acquire up here in the 3 years of his stay will be a great improvement. I exert all my influence to keep him and especially the room tidy tho not always with glowing success. My first chum was the best one I had in that respect, Valentine of N.Y. tho he didn’t always make up his bed. But he did put things in their place and keep the table nice and clean, free from the accumulation of books, hats, papers and things which my present chum doesn’t always do, notwithstanding I set him a good example in that regard. But he is
improving and I hope by the time he has “bached” it as long as I have, he will be equally aesthetic in his tastes and
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ways. But he is a very nice chum and willing to learn and I think that the little blunders and boorishness that adhere to him will all be worn off within a couple years. Your scripture quotation about “Touch not, taste not, handle not” was rather faulty in its application since it was just against such people who said that that St. Paul was arguing but Ben’s guilt in “handling”, I will not deny since he handled it so roughly. Still that preachers should be circumspect in all things is a truism apt enough. I suppose I would hardly no Leopold in his long pants, talking de profundis or as the Germans would express it mit seiner Bauchreder. But fleeting time rings its changes on us all. I had quite an argument with 6 fellows at once to-night over the election and pertinent questions but I held my own against the all. I hope Bryan
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will pull through this time, the chances are much better for him than before. I intended to vote but owing to the trouble I would have to go to and the little expense I have decided to forego it, especially as a Democratic vote in this rotten Republican hole is thrown away any how. But I will go down town election and see the returns come in, sure. There are no banners up in Phila at all, either Bryan or McKinley. New York on the other hand is full of them, the majority being Bryan banners. It will nearly kill some of the Republican fellows if Bryan should be elected as I hope he will. Since I’m running my letter into politics, I expect I had better close.
With love to you all,
I am
Most sincerely yours,
[signed] Carroll H. Little
