File:Mary Louise Williamson to Alice Mary Longfellow, 27 March 1896 (d671bdd7-8e49-4b5f-aa8b-b11e8f49f10f).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1007.001/002.003-001#067

[printed letterhead: Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute]
[Endorsed: “Ans.”]
Tuskegee, Ala. March 27, 1896,
Dear Miss Longfellow,
I am glad to have the pleasure of writing to you, to tell you something of my school life and my home.
My home is in Columbus Ga, not a very large place but is said to be a very thriving little city. The chief occupations among the people is manufactoring and agriculture.
My home is a very humble one, but I am glad to say a very happy one
My mother is a poor woman and is now growing old and is in very bad health and has been for a long while. I am the youngest of three children, the two older ones are married.
Before my mother's health she supported herself and three children by working very hard. She is a cook, my father died when I was only two weeks old. So you see I know nothing about the care of a loving father. I have only my mother to care for me.
Before I came to Tuskegee. I attended the public school at my home. I could not attend [p. 2] school regularly because I had to work and help my mother.
The school I attended was a graded school I was in the sixth grade.
This is my second term at Tuskegee. I like here very much and hope I can stay here in school untill I finish.
I work in the day and go to school in the evenings from half past seven untill half past eight.
I work in the teachers dinning room. My work is to clean the dinning room after each meal.
I am going to learn the dressmaking trade.
I am indeed thankful to you for what you have done to help me along through school. I hope this letter will interest you.
Yours gratefully
Marry Louise Williamson.

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