Sept 4, 1899

Ferris Seminary

Sept. 4, 1889

Dear Sol,

Will you believe it? I

am writing to you before

breakfast! Least you should

be alarmed for my sanity.

I will explain that my watch

was twenty minutes fast so I

thought the first bell was the

second and hurried accordingly

and got to the dining room to

find no signs of breakfast

[visible] disgusted- well I should----

say so. It seems to me that

you and I can’t remember

exactly where I begin. Did

I write about our trip to Hokoné

Lake. The two Loomis girls and

I went one morning, the first.

[clear?] morning after a three days

rain. Hakone ^village is about 15 miles

from Gotemba by land and five

by water up on the mountain.

We went on packhorses. There’s

really nothing nice about a

packhorse though. I dare say if you

had been looking at us you

would have gather some amusement

out of the scene. It took us five

hours to reach the Lake and by

that time the mist had settled

down on it and we rowed the

length of it scarcily[sic] able to see

[further?] than the boats length in

any direction but the next day

was beautiful and we had a

delightful time. It is a very

pretty lake, reminded me something

of Long Pond but it is much

larger and the hills surrounding

it are green and not rocky. It

is a very deep lake & the water

very clear. I think I have read

somewhere that it is supposed

to be an old crater.

We stopped at a Japanese house

and slept on the floor but had

a table and chairs for our meals

and very good food. Hakone

is quite a [familiar?] [scene?] + for

foreigners We had forgotten out

passports at Gotemba[?] and [?]

[Wenlly?] had trouble and were

obliged to leave earlier in Sat [morn?]

[ing?] than we had intended so

that we could get to Gotemba in

time to send the passports back by

a messenger that night. We

walked ten miles down [this?]

mountain [? ? ?]

all the way & then took a [slog?]

 & the railroad to get home They

objected to letting us get in the

train [?] and a passport but

finally they said. It’s a very

stressful thing to forget ones

passport.

I climbed part ^of the way up Fuji

Last week but as we heard

That the [herds?] on the path

were all [?] [?] of the cold

and that there was a good deal

of risk in going on. I though

I would rather come down and

try it next summer. It is a very

hard climb much worse than I

expected and I just couldn’t

hurry and it was quick- losts when

we started but I feel sure I

could do it if I had plenty of

time. Next year I will take two

days for it. The view was glorious

from where I turned around.

and was well worth the effort of getting there.

I returned to Yokahama last

Saturday afternoon and found the families all at home at

Dr. Otte and Mr. Lagg [here?].

Dr. Otte left Monday night

But we will have Mr. Lagg with

us for a month yet as Maggie

Gillespie is not expected before

The 22^nd.

Mr. Lagg is [quite?] different from

what I expected Did you ever see

him? He’s very nice. But so

Good natured and simple minded

and kind of docile that I was

surprised. He is handsome.

And if he were a girl we’d say

he was such a sweet girl but

he’s thoroughly manly, ^yet lacking

apparent the masterly element

perhaps he has it though and

If he hasn’t I dare say Maggie

can supply all thats[sic] needed

He’s deeply and desperately

in love and likes very much

to talk about it and be teased

About yet he’s not a bit silly

just nice. Dr. Otte is the

[modern?] [tease?]  as great talker

and very clever and very funny

so we just have a grand good

time. The are both very earnest

in their work.

Yesterday we had a faculty

meeting and today I have to

make out a schedule for the terms

work. I do just hate settling

down to work again. The getting

harnessed is always the hardest

part for me but I feel perfect-

ly well and often I make up

my mind to it I will be all right.

Mr. Lagg has just been and

[?] my flow of ideas

I forsee that he will need

A great deal of entertaining and

sustaining [illegible 3 words]

there trying weeks of waiting so

I will be well employed.

Perhaps I’d better explain that

is no longer before breakfast

but is nearly dinner time

and that I have been went down

town on a shopping expedition

with Mr. Lagg just after breakfast.

Your letter of July 21 came

last mail before last I have no seen

Shimada San since her marriage

but she seems to be a very happy

dutiful wife and likes to [write?]

about her husband ^and the things he says and does just like

All other married women, so

silly. I want to see her very

much. I did not see August

Harper until this week so have

only just read Jupiter Lights

Somehow or other I don’t like

the story very much its

depressing to me and I can’t

bear Eve. I read several

rather poor novels this summer.

And also “Your Santo” by E. H.

House. If you came across

that read it.

I got some moss & lichen

From Fuji and will send you

specimens some time. Are you

making a herbarium? If you

are I can send you some

Japanese flowers

Did not get any letter from

You last mail. Wish you

Could have seen Maggie Gillespie

before she left. Am so sorry

that she did not get up to make

Mother a visit.

I’m afraid you will find this

Letter hard to read the flowers

seem to have something of a

dazzling effect. I am trying

to write a little story for [?]

[?] but whether I will even

finish it I don’t[sic] know.

Do you expect to spend this

winter for Burden? I am

So glad to hear that your mother

Seems to be decidedly improving.

Very sincerely yours.

Mary Deyo

When you see the McIntyres or

Mrs [?] give them my

love.

 

Transcribed by Carrie Allmendinger