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From A Maine Woman Goes South, letters transcribed by Jean F. Hankins in 2003. This installment contains 6 letters. Historical dates appear with each letter; the article retains the original collection’s publication date.
Nellie Pottle to Betsy Kemp, Oxford, Maine, November 3, 1926
Source: PDF page 155; printed page 149.
Postmark: Atlanta, Nov. 3,1926 Heading: Spelman, Monday
Dear Auntie,
I didn't get a letter to you written Sunday, so I'll write a little today. We are having a rainy day. Until very lately we haven't had much wet weather.
Friday night we went down to a party which Mrs. Zimmerman gave to her theological students. We had about the best time that I've had since I was in Atlanta. There were a fine group of young people there. There was one, a Mexican, who comes from El Paso, Texas, and knows Uncle Joe Heald very well.
The Zimmermans felt sorry not to get that camp lot beside Z.W.'s [Z. W. Kemp's camp on Thompson Lake, now "Pineda."] Mrs. Jillson wouldn't sell one camp lot. She wants to sell the whole piece. I imagine that she'd get just as much by selling it in small lots, and the Zimmermans are surely nice people.
Stelle said in her last letter that she had heard back from you.
We hear from Stelle twice a week, usually; from Fred, once; and from Winifred once. John and Sarah don't do so well. We haven't heard from them for a long time now. I don't know whether Jane came down to see them or not.
It snowed just a few flakes here one day last week but it's hard to realize that there was four inches at home. It will seem good to me to see a real heavy snowstorm again next winter if I am where the snow blows. The leaves are still on the trees, but they are getting pretty well dried up and brown.
Our first six-week period is over, so the year is one-sixth up. Hope that this finds you all well. Love, Nellie Sam.
Nellie Pottle to Estelle Pottle, November 13, 1926
Source: PDF page 156; printed page 150.
Heading: Spelman, Sunday
Dear Balaam,
Aren't you a lucky snipe to be going home? You and Peg must have had quite an outing. Hope that you got safely back to Waterville.
Friday night Marjorie and I went down to West End to see East Lyme. It's good.
Yesterday afternoon we spent in town. They are decorating all of the stores up with Christmas things and getting in their Christmas stock. Marjorie and Mildred got dresses for their mothers. Are the college girls wearing those little hip skirts much? They wear them quite a bit down here. Ma is fixing up my grey skirt and I guess that I'll get a sweater to go with it. Do you wear your sweater much?
The Echoes all came last week, so we had a big supply of college news. Do you ever see Otto now-a-days? Has he seemed to make any friends?
Georgia Tech and University of Georgia had a big game here yesterday. U. Of Georgia won 14 to 13. Quite a game!
A missionary box of old hats came to one of the teachers last night. We had some fun trying them on and dolling up. Most of them were the craziest old things! But there were one or two very good looking little imported felt sport hats. They get rid of all that junk in rummage sales.
Have you decided where to celebrate your Christmas? I've made one little present for you-just a little one-I don't know whether I'll give you anything else or not.
Write often won't you Scally, Lots of love from Wag.
Nellie Pottle to Estelle Pottle, November 18, 1926
Source: PDF page 156; printed page 150.
Postmark: Atlanta, Nov. 18,1926.
Sweet Child,
Allow us to include a check to cover your fraternity dues. I don't know whom the G.K.A. is this year so I'm sending the money directly to you. Don't spend it for ice cream!
Clem was pretty nice to bring you home. What is he like when you get to know him?
So you and Callahan are acquainted. I like him. He was the one you know, whom I was expecting Dinty Moore to be.
Your idea of a dress is sort of cute I think. Mother and I may make a blue flannel blouse to wear with that.
Is there anyone in the Senior class who would like a job teaching Biology next year? She would have to have majored in it. I can't teach biology here next year because I didn't major in it. If you know of anyone who could fill the place and would like it I imagine that I could get it for her. Three years would count as a major.
J.D. wrote last week offering me the place at Lee. Shall I take it? I expect that it would be an awful come down to teach up there after having good intelligent negroes, don't you? But I could come down to see you occasionally.
Saw my sweet Jeff again Sunday, but I'll probably not see him any more. Oh cruel Fate, thou art unkind!
Winifred sent me a cute picture of Miriam. This is a copy. [Sketch below of child.]
Write often and be a good girl. Love, Nellie Sam
P.S. Got this paper free as a sample for Rumford Baking Powder.
Nellie Pottle to Estelle Pottle, November 22, 1926
Source: PDF page 157; printed page 151.
Postmark: Atlanta, Nov. 22, 1926. Heading: Sunday.
Dear Urchin,
I've just finished my Sunday School class and came back home just in time for it. I've been spreeing this weekend again.
My sweet Jeff called up several times this week and finally succeeded in getting me yesterday afternoon. We need an interpreter who lives on the Mason and Dixon line and understands both Northern and Southern talk. I finally made him understand that I was just starting down to their campus anyway, to stay with Sonny for Mrs. Zimmerman. Maij and I went down. By cutting in through two dark streets we can catch the Stewart Ave. car. Otherwise we have to go away into town and transfer. We had just started down this dark way when two awful white men started following us. They had been drinking and were vicious. We were scared and turned around and hurried back to the car stop, the men after us. A negro man had been going down the street and when he saw what was happening he came back up and stood with us until the car came. Speaking of being afraid of negro men!
We had the best time at the Zimmermans. Jeff and I made candy and it was good too. I think that you'd like him awfully well, even though he is a minister.
I got me a sweater and a plaid fore-in-hnd and I'm quite the hen's hind molars now.
Tell us if the Thanksgiving box doesn't come all right.
Love, Nellie Sam
Nellie Pottle to Estelle Pottle, November 25, 1926
Source: PDF page 158; printed page 152.
Postmark: Atlanta, Nov. 26,1926 Heading: Spelman, Friday
Dear Bum,
Where were you Thanksgiving? Ma and I had a pretty good time here and a lot to eat.
It's too bad that Tweedie couldn't have stuck it out just a little longer. She's given us one deuce of a time from the beginning to the end.
There isn't anything to write about, sweet sister, but I just didn't want you to forget
Your loving Heliotrope
Nellie Pottle to Betsy Kemp, November 28, 1926
Source: PDF page 158; printed page 152.
Postmark: Nov. 29, 1926 Heading: Spelman College, Saturday
Dear Aunt Bet,
I thought of you all on Thanksgiving Day. We had a good old New England dinner, and in the evening Miss Tapley had us over to her cottage to supper. Thursday was warm and rather moist. In the afternoon we were out without our coats and planned to play a game of tennis, but we didn't get time.
We went over through Miss Chadwick's New Orphanage Home. She is a whie woman who has this orphanage for negro girls. They have the dearest little baby over there now. She is about two years old now and has been there ever since she was about a week old.
I suppose that our niece Miriam Annette is quite a youngster now. Winifred says that she can stand up by holding on to things and does pull herself up whenever she gets a chance. I've just finished making her some rompers. They look a lot bigger than she did last summer but I suppose that she has grown considerably since then.
I guess that I told [you] that J.D. has offered me the position at Lee for next year again. I wrote to him today, but I didn't tell him for sure whether I'd take it or not.
They have some men here on the campus this week fixing up our trees. It look as if they were cutting them all to pieces. The holly trees are lovely now. They have a lot more berries on them than they had last year. The girls say that the woods out around is full of it. And mistletoe grows out in the swampy places too.
I suppose that mother will tell you the story of our old bureau.
We hope that you all are well. Love to you, Nellie Sam
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.