File:Coatney S. Arrington to Alice Mary Longfellow, 11 March 1907 (5749ea89-e9b7-4863-981d-1001f242d57b).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1007.001/002.003-001#102

[printed letterhead: Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute / Hampton, Virginia]
Mar. 11, 1907
My dear Miss Longfellow: -
I now have the opportunity of writing to you the long letter which I promised at Christmas time.
Since you have taken so great interest in me, as to pay my scholarship, I am sure that you would like to know a little of me personally. I was born in 1884, in Nash County, North Carolina. It is in the eastern section of the state about fifty miles from Raleigh, and about ten miles from any station.
We live in a two story log house with four rooms, not including [p. 2] the kitchen. There are eleven of us in family. I have a father, step-mother, brother, two sisters, a cousin, a nephew, and my step-mother has two girls and one boy. These make the family eleven in number. I, also, have a sister who is married and living in Burlington New Jersey. Three brothers and five sisters are dead. My mother died on January 18, 1897.
My chance in school has been but little. When I was small I could not go to free school very much, because I was never well. But at about fifteen I had grown to be strong and healthy. All together I have been to graded school eight or nine months These few months were divided into three terms. I spent them at two schools, both of which are in North [p. 3] Carolina.
We own a three horse farm. My work has been out-door work, generally. I like farming very much. It is very pleasant in the spring and summer to watch the different plants from day to day and notice their growth. We grow cotton, corn, tobacco, potatoes, peanuts and various garden vegetables. We have a nice lot of fruit during the summer and fall, such as apples, peaches, grapes and plums.
I can not explain what caused me to come to Hampton. I felt as though I wanted to be of some service in the world and could not without some preparation. By reading one of Hamp-[p. 4] ton's Catalogues I thought it possible for me to get instruction by merely working my way through Hampton. My father did not like the idea of my working my way. But as he was able to pay my through [sic] school, he finally agreed for me to come. As most parents, he thought it would take too long for me to finish.
So, I came here a year ago last October, and went to Night School. I stayed here all the summer. My work was general house-work. During the four summer months I waited in the students’ dining-room. I reported at the dining-room at twenty minutes of six. Six o'clock is our breakfast time. At half past seven I went to my regular work which was sweeping, dusting and sometimes scrubbing.
[p. 5] Most every afternoon I sewed from half past one to four o'clock. I enjoyed my work year very much. At the beginning of this term I had saved eighty dollars with which to pay my board through the term. The school began the first of October. Surely that meant work for us. I entered the Day School Junior class with the intention of being promoted at the end of the term. I am still working to that effect. My studies are Arithmetic English, Geography, Physiology, Science, Reading, Spelling, Vocal Music, Drawing and Manual Training.
All of my studies are very interesting. Our manual training for [p. 6] the girls is cooking and sewing. At the beginning of the term the classes were divided into halves. One half of each class had two cooking lessons a week and the others had sewing lessons. At the end of four months they changed so that those who had been sewing began to cook and those who had been cooking began to sew.
I took cooking first. Now I am sewing. I am making an apron. In the Junior class all of the sewing is done by hand. I am very fond of manual training.
I go to school only four days a week. Monday is the Day School holiday instead of Saturday. Tuesday is my work-day. Each girl is allowed to work one day in a week to help pay her board. This she calls her [p. 7] work-day. We find this to be a very helpful day. On my work-days I have learned to make what is know [sic] as “The Hampton Rag Rugs." They are made on an old fashioned hand loom. Weaving is very interesting work.
The Hampton rugs are very pretty. If at any you [sic] visit the school I hope that you will be able to see some of the rugs. My teacher is an Indian woman. She seems to be pleased with my work. I always try to do the little things which are given me to do the best that I can.
I assure you that I am very grateful to you for paying my scholarship. By your aid I am able to stay in [p. 8] school this term. Without the help of some friend I would be unable to remain. I will ever try to prove worthy of your help.
Yours truly,
Coatney S. Arrington

• Keywords: alice m. longfellow papers (long 16173); long archives; document; education; hampton institute; correspondence; Manuscripts (1007.001); (LONG-Subcollection); Correspondence (1007.001/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Scholarship Student Correspondence (1007.001/002.003); (LONG-SubseriesName); Letters to Alice Longfellow (1007.001/002.003-001); (LONG-FileUnitName)