File:Josephine E. Richards to Alice Mary Longfellow, 19 January 1885 (77dfc9f5-e04a-477f-8f12-1cbf4d60f9d1).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1007.001/002.003-001#007

[printed letterhead: Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute. Name J.G.B. Marshall, Treasurer crossed out and replaced with stamp, F.N. Gilman, Acting Treas'r]
Hampton, Va, Jan. 19th 1885
My dear Miss Longfellow,
Philip [sic] Councillor, your Hampton protegée, having returned last summer to Dakota, I send you in his stead this year Walter Battice a Sac & Fox boy.
We were sorry to have your tall brave of last year leave us so soon, for he was a very eager learner, though slow in acquiring our English tongue. The native pastor at Lower Brule was very anxious to have him return & lend a helping hand in the work out there, & so he went, taking with him the young wife & the chubby boy who had been such a pet at Winona. We have heard of them [p. 2] since in a little home of their own, where some of the Hampton boys were to board with them.
Walter Battice is in the Junior class of the Normal School, where is he doing exceedingly well. He spoke English very perfectly when he came from Indian Territory, & his manners are very gentle & refined. His health is not as robust as we wish, & he thought at one time of returning home, but we now we hope he will remain at the East.
There are temptations in that old life which he knows it would be very hard for him to resist & with the coming of this new year he has seemed more earnest than ever before to lead a manly, Christian life.
With his bright, thoughtful mind, & gentle, amiable character it seems as if a career of great usefulness might lie before him, if only he can have the physical & moral strength to bear the [p. 3] strain for he is a very interesting fellow.
Adding our thanks to his for your kind interest in Hampton & its work believe me
Yours sincerely
(Miss) Josephine E. Richards
Miss Eustis I grieve to say was obliged to return home last year to rest.

• Keywords: long archives; document; alice m. longfellow papers (long 16173); hampton institute; organizations; education; 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)