Impressions of the University, faculty, Philadelphia, boarding house.

                                    Mrs. Malvina Gleaves
                                           Buffao Ford
                                           Wythe Cty
                                           Va

Mail

PS
Give [   ] Aunt Nancy & tell her to be sure &
write [   ] she wants anything I can get to
let me [    ]                       SCGleaves

                                                    Philadelphia
                                                    November 10th
Dear Mother
      Yours of the 30^th ? is received which tells me you are all well and thus Dr. Crockett has gotten his pamphlet
     Our regular session commenced last Monday we now have seven lectures per day commencing at 9 ending at 2 PM.  I am very well pleased with the University.  I consider the faculty-as men of high moral character, and possessing in a high degree capacity sufficient for their expected stations.
     It is true Dr. Chapman is old-this [  ] of time "has silvered e’re his locks " but [  ] as yet left unimpaired his mental cap[acity].  For I can believe for originality of thought, [  ] quickness of perception, he stands unpassed [  ] & for kindness he is equally preeminent [  ] something that you rarely find in a cold hearted Northener.     As for Philadelphia I am disappointed not withstanding she is one of our first cities and possesses  anything thus is calculated to capture  the fancy & satisfy the senses- yet there is no sociability existing -no familiarity-in a word.  The social circle has no notaries.

but the shrine of Manners is daily crowded  I am not boarding where I was when I last wrote to you.  I am now at the SE Corner of 8th and Market at Mrs. Lengrey's and all Quakers observing strictly the old style of conversing viz Thee & Thine very kind she is- there are six or eight students boarding with her.  She waits on the table chiefly herself- and when she helps me she always says Samuel will thee have some of this?  Will thee have some tomats (alluding I suppose to tomatoes)  I am giving her $3.50 per week which is as cheap as board can be got.

   She has two daughters one of whom is pretty  [h]andsome but they say they will not have [any]  man that uses tobacco & I believe so [  ] is their aversion for it, that they would [  ] is a question of some consideration  the old Lady tells me I may have one but I believe if there was any chance for it, I would take to chewing tobacco & think I had chosen the better path.

     Mrs. St. Clair is gone & how am I to send Aunt Margaret's braid-I believe I will not get any until I have some opportunity of sending it I was looking at some on Chestnut Street-don't you believe my hair is too light

[           ]
   ago & [    ]
and James  [   ]
the US Hotel where he stops & on [  ]
horses in the North, he told  [   ]
in the parlor, & he would go up &  [  ]
French started & after him it is  [  ]
feelings-at last I got to the Pan [   ]
I looked, here sit a piano  [  ]
an ottoman & several things I did know [   ]
yet, I cast my eyes on the floor & it was covered  with a carpet of the finest quality-one that I  certainly would haven’t walked on  could I have helped myself-at last I ventured on it & took my seat on something that was so elastic, that it nearly threw me off it when I sat down.  (But I held on to it).  Presently in steped Miss Elizabeth & Sarah.  I give them the- Mountain Bow, and after the usual preliminaries I asked them how they were pleased [  ]
and found them very agreeable [   ] David Kent treated me as kind as[  ] been a relation not letting us [  ] we had taken [  ]