File:Kate V. Hunter to Alice Mary Longfellow, 26 December 1893 (6064e7e3-2416-4965-9cf6-02ba9bbacdca).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1007.001/002.003-001#050

[printed letterhead: The Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute]
Hampton, Va, Dec 26, 1893.
Kind Friend,-
It has been so long since l have written to you, perhaps you have wondered what I have been doing and where l am.
I was not in school last term. I went to Asbury Park, New Jersey when school closed in June, 1892. I worked for Mrs. Wyckoff as a waitress. There were five more Hampton girls work- [p. 2] ing in the same house with me. We worked there three months, then it was time to come to Hampton, but I knew that if I should pay my fair to Hampton out of that money that I would not have enough to pay my board a whole term. I could only go for half the term and stop. I said that if I could get a place to work, I would stay out a term. Mrs. Wyckoff told me that she knew a lady who she thought would take me. She spoke [p. 3] to her about me. The lady came around to see me. She thought that we could get on alright together, and agreed to take me. I stayed there one year, and I am sure I liked the place very much.
Mrs. Twining had a little girl four years old, and a baby three months old when I there. She kept two girls for help. I used to do the chamber work, wait on the table help with the children, and help with the washing, and and [sic] ironing [p. 4] whenever I was not needed for anything else.
While staying there, I had a chance to visit Philadelphia. I had often heard of Wannamakah’s big store and wished to see it. I went to Philadelphia with Mr. and Mrs. Twining to take care of the children just a week before Christmas, and stayed a week. She was visiting her aunt. They said that they wanted me to see some of the big stores and took me out with them one morning before 9’ o-clock, [p. 5] and stayed until nearly six.
It was quite lonely to me at first as I did not see many colored people as I had been accustom seeing, but every time I thought of coming back to Hampton when that year was out I had a greater courage and more inergy [sic] to do what ever came before me the best that could. While being out of school that year, I found out what a blessing it is to me and my race to have such a place as Hampton. Where we can come and learn the word of God, [p. 6] how to respect ourselves and others. It was a blessing to me to have been to Hampton, because whenever was tempted to do or say anything that would not be right, this thought would come to me that, “You have been a student at Hampton, and if you were there you would not, this or that," and I would not do it.
I am in the middle class now, and I like my studies very much. I wish that could do better in every study than I do.
My work here is the same as when l wrote to you before. [p. 7] I wash dishes three times a day take care of a teacher's room, and work one day in the laundry.
In the General’s last talk to the school he said “Do what you can do well, and do it as well as you can." I have taken that for my motto and try to do each thing better today than I did yesterday to see how much I can gain.
Yours very gratefully
Kate V. Hunter

• Keywords: long archives; document; alice m. longfellow papers (long 16173); 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)