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From A Maine Woman Goes South, letters transcribed by Jean F. Hankins in 2003. This installment contains 11 letters. Historical dates appear with each letter; the article retains the original collection’s publication date.
Nellie Pottle to Estelle Pottle, Colby College, April 1, 1926
Source: PDF page 124; printed page 118.
Heading: (Printed) Spelman College, High School; (written), Friday afternoon
Dearest Snooks,
I had a coat sent to you this morning. I don't know whether you will like it or not. If you don't like it be sure to send it back and I will try again. After I sent it I remembered that it is a lot colder up home than it is here and perhaps you would want a heavier one. It hasn't a crepe de chine lining but I liked it better than I liked the coats with the crepe lining. When you are in Lewiston, get you a scarf to go with it or with whatever coat you get and I will give it to you for an Easter present. Be sure to send it b ack if you don't like it. They are wearing them awfully short down here, so anything that I could get was short.
I got a baby card from Miriam Annette [Moult and Winifred Pottle's baby daughter] this morning. I bet that she is a wonder. Ma is pretty proud of a granddaughter. We will have to take a back seat. I should like to see the little snipe.
When you write be sure to tell all about what you are doing this vacation. Have you been to any dances or plays or other shindigs? I bet that you aren't having as much good meat as we had from little piggie last year. The woman who runs our dining room isn't coming back next year, and she's getting slightly careless. She forgot to give us anything but a few creamed peas the other noon. Miss Tapley heard about it, so she has been eating with us lately and conditions have greatly improved.
From the Echo I judge that the fraternity is due for a feed soon with all these various engagements. Is Olive enamoured with anyone?
Ma wrote that True may not be back next year. That is too bad.
There will probably be some glorious Easter costumes at church Sunday. Down here people get one spring hat in January and another at Easter.
I shall not feel hurt if you send the coat back and they will take it back at the store all right. If it isn't what you want be sure to tell me just what you do want when you write again.
Love to the illustrious family. Nellie Sam
Nellie Pottle to Annette K. Pottle, Lee Academy, April 4, 1926 ,
Source: PDF page 125; printed page 119.
Postmark: Atlanta, April 5, 1926
Heading: Spelman, Sunday.
Dearest Marmie,
I don't know whether my long letter has reached you yet or not...
This is the most beautiful Easter I've known. They have a sunrise service here Easter morning at about a quarter to five. When we went to that it was awfully cold-as cold I think as it was Christmas morning, but now it is very warm. It was so hot that we were uncomfortable walking back from church. We went out to the Gordon Street Baptist Church again this morning. I like it there very much. The minister is a preacher of the old style, but he is very earnest and very interesting. The people aren't as aristocratic as the people in the city. They are very cordial and want us to join there. Marjorie and I are thinking of joining. To whom would I write to get my letter?
We are going down to see Mr. and Mrs. Everingham off this afternoon... They get into Savannah tomorrow morning and take the boat for Boston tomorrow night...
I chaperoned at the Morehouse-A.U. game yesterday. At the time we left A.U. was ahead 7 to 2, but Morehouse brought it up to a tie before they had to stop playing. I saw Ruth downstreet the other afternoon.
Leota and Anne went up to Charleston over the weekend. They were running a special train up to see the city in magnolia time, with round fare only eight dollars....
We are going to get our tickets for grand opera on Monday. Won't that be thrilling! I'm not quite sure which one we shall go to.
I'll write again in the middle of the week.
Heaps of love, Your Sammy
Nellie Pottle to Annette K. Pottle, Lee Academy, April 6, 1926
Source: PDF page 126; printed page 120.
Postmark: Atlanta, April 7,1926 Heading: Spelman, Tuesday
Dearest Mother,
With great effort I can hobble from one place to another and that's about all-I'm so lame. I took my biology class on a field trip. I had to go first to look the country over, so it made a six mile hike in all. Six miles is quite a lot, but it seemed to get out into the more country-like parts of the city.
... I enjoyed getting out with the girls and talking with them. Helen Hagood, one of them, is funny as the dickens. She is smart and clever. Today she started off with her sunshade. One of the girls hollared, "What for, you all taking that," and she said, "So that I won't fade." The girls are all wearing light dresses now, and one of the girls said, "See all the colors - blue, pink, and yellow" and someone spoke up, "And black." helen said, "Honey, there's no black on this child. She's pure brown."
Your usual Monday letter came Saturday so I haven't heard from you yet this week. I will Thursday.
Much love to you all, Your Sammy
Nellie Pottle to Annette K. Pottle, Lee Academy, April 8, 1926
Source: PDF page 126; printed page 120.
Heading: Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, April 8, 1926
Dearest Mother,
It seemed good to get your letter today. Your last letter came Saturday- It is hard to realize that you have snow. I supposed that it had all gone by now. The season must be much later than last year. It is later here. The old negro lady over at the laundry told me she thought that the peach crop has been injured because of the frost. The leaves grow several inches every day it seems. The tulip trees are beautiful, with tiny pale green leaves. The thorn hedges are all abloom. A kind of tree like those which Fred told me were magnolias on the Yale campus are blossomed. The real magnolia trees will not blossom for some time.
Can you realize, mother, that two months from today I shall probably be on my way home? The time has gone so quickly and so happily-because I've never been happier although I have missed you all a lot. It's a wonderful sensation to think that you are doing possibly a little bit to help someone else, and are earning your own living. My education means so much more to me, since you have given it to me. I shall try to make good use of it, so that I can in one way or another do as much for you....
We are giving a social for the Morehouse boys Saturday afternoon, and Anne and I are in charge. I wonder what the Lee girls would think if they had the rules these girls do. They can have the same man call on them only once a month and then for only twenty minutes.
I guess that I'll take this down to West End after supper. Wish you were here to amble down with me.
Loads of love, most to you, and to all the rest. Your own, Sammy
Nellie Pottle to Annette K. Pottle, Lee Academy, April 11, 1926
Source: PDF page 127; printed page 121.
Postmark: Atlanta, April 12,1926 Heading: Spelman, Sunday.
Dearest Marmie,
Last night we had a heavy thunder shower and the rain has made the leaves grow about two inches. ...
I have to tell Miss Tapley Monday whether I'm coming back or not. They have a very desirable applicant for my place, and they don't want to lose both her and me. The hard part is that they aren't sure whether there will be a chance for you and Marion, and I have to decide before I know about that. I think that there will be a chance for you to take one of the Morehouses. How would you like that? It is one of the larger halls, but you would have a good bunch of girls, I think. When you write back, tell me whether you would consider it or not.
I think that I'll tell Miss Tapley that I will come back next year and then make arrangements to go into Y.W. work the next year. I've heard so many people say, and I guess that it is true, that if you teach only one year and then later tiy to get a school, your experience counts for very little. My work here would be very easy next year-teaching the same math. And even if you didn't come to work you could come down to stay with me, even stay here on the campus, I think. Write right back whether you would think of taking the Morehouse job or not and then I'll see Miss Tapley about it.
We had a Spelman-Morehouse social yesterday afternoon. I helped chaperone. I was standing with a bunch of the girls and one of the boys came up to me and said, "You're the girl Mr. Wells calls on, aren't you?" He was as much amused as I was when I told him that I was one of the teachers. Allie Allen, a Senior in the High School [is the one he mistook me for]. I imagine [she] does look very much like me except that she has blue eyes.
Tomorrow is Founders' Day-a holiday. It is the Rally Day for money raising. They try to raise about a thousand dollars here on the campus. Every year Miss Tapley has to raise $120,000 to cover expenses besides the $60,000 that these girls pay in, and the Baptist Home Mission pays through its Board less than $2,000. I think that doesn't include new buildings. Our new chapel is going to be magnificent.
... We went to church at the Gordon Street Baptist Church this morning. The church was crowded and the service was good.
You'd better say that you would consider the Morehouse South job anyway. Then you could find out about the salary etc. Just heaps of love to you, Your own Sammy.
Nellie Pottle to Annette K Pottle, April 14, 1926
Source: PDF page 128; printed page 122.
Postmark: Atlanta, April 15, 1926 Heading: Wednesday afternoon
Dearest Marmie,
We are reading our six weeks ranks for the last time before finals. It always takes a long time and I'll improve upon the spare moments.
I have told Miss Tapley that I'll come back next year. I'm quite sure that I have decided to do the best thing. I'm not sure whether I'll get any higher salary than I had this year. If I teach just the same courses I'll have the same. I may get more to teach and in that way get more salary. Maqorie and Leota are both coming back.
I could hardly believe that it is still snowing up home...The men are cutting the grass out on one of the plots here. It had yams on it in the fall. Then they sowed this seed, I guess it is millet or something like that. They are cutting it with sickles. Probably now they will plow the ground up and plant.
We didn't have a very good day Monday for Founders Day. It didn't actually rain but it was damp and cold. By gifts and all they raised about $1500. Anna and I sold ice cream. I talked with two interesting people that day. One was an old old lady who was one of Miss Giles' pupils when she first founded Spelman. She told me how she earned money to go to school. These streets out back were very muddy then; there were no sidewalks. People got their shoes all covered with red clay. At night they would set them outside. She came early in the morning and had them cleaned for the people when they were ready for them. She was a mature woman at that time. She said that it was pretty hard to go to school when you had a family of little ones to look after and a husband to please.
I talked, too, with an old man who works here on the campus. He has been here ever since the Union soldiers camped on this ground. He has some interesting stories to tell about those days. He carried the wood around to the barracks. I think that he must have some education. He was asking me all about my church and wants me to go back to his church sometime. Anna and I are going some Sunday. We want to talk some more with him. He must have been a slave.
I have heard nothing from Stelle about the coat... I guess that I'd better pay attention to my marks now.
Love, Your Sammy
Nellie Pottle to Annette K. Pottle, Lee Academy, April 18, 1926
Source: PDF page 129; printed page 123.
Postmark: Atlanta, April 19, 1926. Heading: Spelman, Sunday.
Dearest Marmie,
We chaperoned our girls-some of the college girls-to the Friendship Baptist Church this morning. They are allowed to go off the campus to church once each month. Friendship is the church in which Spelman first started. The minister is a funny old duffer. He has been there for years and years and years. He has a pretty good opinion of himself and talks about himself a lot but one is amused rather than disgusted with him. They raised money to give him a trip to Europe last summer. Now they have raised enough to send him to California during his vacation, but he said this morning, "I don't want you all to get it into your heads that I'm going to California this summer. I'm going to England." So now the congregation has to raise money enough to send him to England, I suppose.
Anna, Leota, and I went out to Grants Park yesterday afternoon. It was a beautiful day, and the park was full of people. All of the shrubbery and many of the trees are in blossom. There is a beautiful bed of pansies, bordered with some bright flowers, in one place in the park. The little artificial lake is full of fish. It surely would be good fishing. The bathing pool isn't filled yet. It is a big place, big enough for a nice long swim. We are going either there or to Piedmont as soon as they are open.
We spent most of the afternoon looking at the animals. They have a huge elephant, a lot of lions and tigers and leopards...
Anna and I went over to A.U. and had supper with Ruth. The Zimmermans have been away this week and Ruth is keeping house for them and taking care of Sonny. We had waffles - so good! In the evening we went to a minstrel show which the boys gave. It was good. There was nothing crude about it, and the acts were really clever. Ruth had planned a little party afterward. Mr. Atkins, the coach, and his wife, her sister, and Mr. Crosby, one of the young teachers, were there. Mrs. Murphy and the children were there too. Then it was given especially for Mr. Whittiker [sic], the Dean. He has been out raising money for A.U. The says that the condition of some of the negroes in the Southern part of Georgia is awful. It is literally slavery. The negroes live in little huts on the big plantations. Every Saturday night they come up to the plantation house to get their rations. If they try to leave the plantation they are arrested and brought back. The court in that part of the state is simply a farce, he says.
The Senior High school girls gave their play Friday night. It was very good - almost as good as the college play, I think. I had the Murphy children up to go with me.
Marjorie and Winifred and Anne and Prattie have all gone down to Macon for the weekend. I hardly thought that there was enough to see there to pay for going down....
Ida Jones's father and mother and two other of her relatives are here. Marion will remember Ida. She is going to be married this summer....
Just loads of love to you, mother, Your Sammy.
Nellie Pottle to Annette K. Pottle, April 21, 1926
Source: PDF page 130; printed page 124.
Heading: Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, April 21, 1926.
Dearest Marmie,
I walked over to A.U. this afternoon. It's getting pretty hot now. The evenings are beautiful and the days are still cool enough to be enjoyable, but it won't be long before [it] will be sizzling... Have you ever seen wisteria blooming? There is a little arbor in back of Reynolds' cottage which is just covered with it.
I shall hate to think of coming back here next year with neither you nor Marion, if you both decide not to come. I'm sure that if you were here now you would want to come next year. What I hope is that even though you don't decide to come for the whole year you can come down to see me for a while.
...We stayed up until away past midnight last night talking. We got to talking about religion. In spite of the fact that Anna was president of Y.W. at Colby, she has rather weak religious beliefs. She believes in God but that is as far as she goes. She sees no reason why the Mohammedans haven't just as much right to believe in Mohammed, or his followers to believe in Confucius as we have to believe in Christ. It is rather hard to make much headway in talking with a person who can accept nothing on faith but must reason out everything.
The girls who saw Aida. Monday night said that it is wonderful. I'm looking forward to Tannhauser Saturday.
Although it does seem almost as if the last two years at Colby aren't necessary for Stelle, I know that a degree makes a lot of difference — and it would seem almost too bad not to have the last of the illustrious family get a diploma from Colby. Isn't it nice to think that there is another little Pottle?
Hope that I'll get another letter from you tomorrow.
Lots of love, your own, Sammy
Nellie Pottle to Annette K. Pottle, Lee Academy, April 24, 1926
Source: PDF page 131; printed page 125.
Heading: Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, April 24,1926.
Dearest Mother,
I probably won't have more than enough time to start this before the lights go out. I have been to Grand Opera. It is wonderful. Of course it was in German so I couldn't understand the words, but by reading the translation before hand and following the action I got the story all right. Tannhauser is all the time torn between ... [summary of plot follows]. Grand Opera is much more impressive than either the acting or the music could be alone....
We are going out to Gordon Street to church this morning. We speak of going downstreet where all the big stores and the business center are, as going into the city. West End is just as truly a part of the city but in atmosphere it seems more like a little village. The Gordon Street Church is in West End....
We have only four weeks of classes now. The time is pretty full. Something is scheduled for every Friday evening..
Heaps and heaps of love to the dearest mother in the world. Her own, Sammy
Nellie Pottle to Estelle Pottle, April 24, 1926
Source: PDF page 132; printed page 126.
Heading: Atlanta, Georgia, April 24,1926
Dear Punkett,
Nellie Sam has been to Grand Opree this afternoon. It really was wonderful. Of course I couldn't understand a word of it, but by reading the story I could get the action all right. Probably since you take German this year you could understand more. The scenery and gowns and lighting effects were beautiful. You should have seen some of the gowns in the dress circle too!
I suppose that Chi Omega has heard that Elsie has lost her mother. Be sure to see that Resolutions are sent to El. I had a letter from her yesterday. She is wonderful about it.
Is it true that the Deke House has scarlet fever? If it has you may wish that you had stuck to ATO's and Alpha's and Lambda Chi's. I like Dickie Drummond. He's the best of the Deke lot. Of course the Drummonds are the four-hundreds of Waterville's elite, and in spite of that Dickie is all right.
I'm glad that you liked the coat. I liked it, but it's hard work when you are picking out something for somebody else to tell what they want. I almost wish that I had gotten me a sport coat, but I guess that mine will be better for travelling as much as I shall be.
Winifred wrote more about the wonder child [Miriam Annette Pottle]. I sent her some pins from you and mother and me. They are nice ones, so I hope that she is duely appreciating them. Did you know that she has over forty-five aunts and uncles of one kind or another? That's enough to spoil her forty-five different ways.
Who is going to be the commencement speaker this year, and who is going to deliver the Commencement Address? If we come directly home we will get there for Commencement, but we sort of want to go down to Cuba and up from there. It will probably be so hot that we won't care much how we come. It was hot in the opera this afternoon.
Auntie [Betsy Kemp] hasn't been feeling very well lately. You had better write to her when you get a chance.
Did I tell you that one of the Morehouse men mistook me for one of the girls? So you see what you can be expecting me to look like when I come home.
Love to all the Chi Omega folks. Love to you Jumbo. Don't diet until Old Madge won't recognize you. Love, Sambo
P.S. Thought you'd be interested to know what our Atlanta brothers are doing.
Nellie Pottle to Annette K Pottle, April 29, 1926
Source: PDF page 133; printed page 127.
Heading: Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia, April 29, 1926
Dearest Mother,
This has been a pretty busy week so here it is Thursday evening and I haven't written yet. Sunday afternoon Anna and I went out to Druid Hills to see the dogwood. It is beautiful. Have you ever seen any? Unless it is trimmed it grows up into large trees, and at this time of year it is loaded with big floppy white blossoms. Out there in the residential section the trees are trimmed so that they are not very tall and are flat across the top. It gives them a jaunty Japanese air. The roadsides are lined with them. We walked out into a little woods with honeysuckle, but the land being private property, we couldn't pick any of the flowers. From there we went over to A.U. The car which goes out to A.U. is almost entirely colored - the only white people on it being A.U. teachers. When Anna and I got on, the car was fairly crowded, but no women were standing and the men of course would have given us a seat if we had been colored. I was turned around a little so he didn't see me very plainly and a boy up front not noticing that I was white got up and gave me his seat. Anna said that the folks looked pretty surprised when I sat down beside the colored woman. How they can tell who's white and who's colored is more than I can see. Monday afternoon Miss Perry, a lovely colored girl here in the city, took Win and me out into the country for wild flowers. We went way out to the end of the car line and about a mile and a half beyond that. Out there there is the nicest section of houses being built up. Right in back of it in a sort of little woods is a colored community - the white people shut them off from any exit to the outside until they made trouble about it. This community is exactly like Swanee River, My Old Kentucky Home days. Miss Perry went first to this little hut, and an old, old negro woman-chewing tobacco-came out. She was as bright and witty as anyone I've seen for a long time. She let her little grandaughter go with us to get flowers. We got our arms lull of dogwood and honeysuckle and huge bunches of violets. The violets are nearly twice as large as ours and have feathery leaves. They are sweet too. Down back of the houses is a spring. That is the community washing place. All around it are old iron kettles under which they build their fires to heat water. Each one has her own line strung between the trees.
They are having a Better Homes Exhibit here now. Some of the work which the girls have done is very good.
... I must now work out some very crazy examples in arithmetic progression. Just loads and loads of love to you, and Marion and Moult, Your Sammy
Source and transcription
Original complete PDF, transcribed by Jean F. Hankins, 2003. Original spelling, bracketed notes, and omissions marked with dots are retained. This web edition was extracted from the scanned transcription; consult the PDF when an exact reading is important.