Mary Avery correspondence, 1879-1881
28 items
This collection contains 28 letters written by Mary Avery, primarily to her mother, Susan C. Avery, from 1879-1881. Mary described her daily life at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, mainly regarding her social engagements. However, in her letter of November 15, 1880, she discussed her charitable efforts for a school for African Americans in South Carolina, and mentioned her donation toward a scholarship for a potential student. She also mentioned aspects of her recovery from an outbreak of measles that had spread throughout the school, and told of her need for a pair of dark colored glasses (February 22, 1881). Her letters revealed much about her family's life, as well; for example, her father, a clergyman, was temporarily unemployed and her mother suffered from a medical ailment that was causing her vision to decline.