From A Maine Woman Goes South, letters transcribed by Jean F. Hankins in 2003. This installment contains 2 letters. Historical dates appear with each letter; the article retains the original collection’s publication date.
Nellie Pottle to Annette K. Pottle, June 1, 1926
Source: PDF page 144; printed page 138.
Postmark: Atlanta, June 2,1926 Heading: Spelman, Tuesday
Dearest Marmie,
I don't blame you for not being especially attracted by the grub part of the Bessie Strong job, I didn't realize that there would be so much difference in the pay. Is it because the board is so much higher here?
You would have charge of planning the meals for that time after the regular dining closes. Miss Tapley does the ordering, and the cook and girl would do the work, but you would have to plan the menus. It wouldn't be very hard work if you didn't plan any more than Miss Miller has planned for us lately. Your crowd wouldn't be at all fussy — the fifteen student nurses wouldn't dare to be, and the few teachers who stay are a dandy bunch and wouldn't think of being. Of course that would be only from the time college closes until we went home, I almost think that if you should tell Miss Tapley that you would get a hundred dollars more at Lee she would give you the same amount to come here.
You would have charge of the girls prayer meeting in your hall once each month. Often the teachers have some of the girls lead, or just let them sing songs. Sometimes they have other teachers come in to help them conduct the meeting. At Bessie Strong I imagine that there wouldn't be a very large number.
I don't want you to feel that you should come on my account. I haven't been at all homesick or anything this year. Though, of course, it would be awfully nice to have you here. I think that it would be easier than the Lee job, except for the summer part of it at least, and 1 don't think that that would be any harder because you don't have to do any of the cooking yourself, and you wouldn't have any larger crowd to plan for. Then, I think that you would enjoy seeing the country. We could do Boston, New York, Washington, and Sesquicentenial at Philadelphia coming down, and go home by way of Niagra [sicj-its cheap that way-or down to Florida and up by boat.
I'd like to be where I can earn the most money for the next few years, but I would be perfectly happy to teach in the North after next year-in fact I think that it's a good idea to change once in a while.
The Commencement exercises were beautiful yesterday. Part of them were out on the campus. Tomorrow the girls all go home and in a week we do too! Will you be glad to see me, Momma? I shall be to see you.
Heaps of love, Sammy.
Nellie Pottle to Annette K. Pottle, c/o Estelle Pottle, Foster House (Colby College), Waterville, Maine, June 6, 1926
Source: PDF page 145; printed page 139.
Postmark: Atlanta, June 7,1926 Heading: Spelman, Sunday.
Dearest Momma,
A week from tomorrow forenoon you see your Nellie Sam! And furthermore, Nellie Sam sees her Ma! I know I must have reckoned wrong someway. It can't be really true, but the calandar [sic] says so... We bought our ticket right through from Atlanta to Waterville, so I can check my trunks right through... I suppose that we will be going home by train from Waterville, and so I can check it on from there.
I'm the only person in Giles Hall, I guess, who hasn't begun packing. Nearly everyone has her trunk and part of her suitcase packed. The trunks don't go until Wednesday morning, so there is all kinds of time.
I have just finished making a dress which looks like a cross between a geometric original and a zebra...
Our Commencement was very impressive-and so was the Commencement at Morehouse. I wish that you could have heard the whole crowd sing "Swing Low Sweet Chariot." The speeches were very good.
I'm sorry about Stella. It was an awful foolish thing to do right as she was ready to graduate. I suppose that she had been under restrictions for so long that she felt like having a spree when she got a chance.
I think that you must be in Waterville now so I'll send this there.
Loads and loads of love, Your Sammy
P.S. I'm too excited to write a real letter!
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.