Letter, Kate Gleason to James Gleason

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William Gleason,
Manufacturer of Machinists Tools,
Office, Brown’s Race,

Rochester, N.Y., October 9th. 1888

My Dear Boy,-
Do you know I am entertaining serious fears that your
hard study this past summer and the arduous mental labor you are
undergoing at the university is weakening your brain a la Warren
Grube. And following are the facts which give me this dire fore-
boding. You say that at a reception you were introduced to Mrs.
Adams and had a long and interesting conversation with Ex.-Pres.
White’s wife. And Mrs. White has been dead for more than a year.
It behooves you to find out whether honorable personages with whom
you claim an intimacy are in the flesh or not. In a letter last
week you told me of engagements you had made for the remaining even-
ings of the week and said that Saturday night you were invited down
to the Theta Delt block and then you write Mamma that you spent Sat-
urday night playing Whist in your own room. If you don’t keep a
copy of your letters or a memorandum of your lies you will lose your
well-earned title of ‘champion’. Enclosed please find a letter
that Archie wrote me for which we ought to be much obliged and it
seems as though it would be a good idea and save the firm some money
if you should resign from the company for a couple of years. Though
you told me that you were going to be an honorary member without dues
during your absence. If you can’t manage to get a rebate on those
last dues, let me know and I will pay them.
The Lyceum opened last night as per advertisement but at the
last moment I decided not to go. This was the only thing that
made the opening fall short of a brilliant success. All the papers
mentioned it this morning, in fact devoted a couple of columns to
deploring my absence. If you don’t believe it, I will send you the
papers. Emma went though and Mrs. Michel and the latter lady was
something regal. I went over to see the ensemble and as she de-
scended the stairs in her shimmering white silk gown opening over a
lilac satin petticoat, her flashing diamonds and her daintily frescoed
cheeks, my eyes for a moment were blinded.
The Nugent party was postponed until to-night on account of
Emma’s theatre engagement and in the course of a few moments I will
have to go home and array myself in my purple and fine linen for the
feast. The wonderful George Scott is to be there and I am antic-
ipating a picnic in watching him and Emma at their first meeting
after all those years and months.
Will Watters and Louis Smith were
down here this morning, spent an hour of their valuable time and an
unlimted time amt. of their irresistable eloquence on me in behalf of
their dancing class. They want me on a committee no less. I
suppose to give tone to the thing after the style of lady patroness

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at a charitable ball. They have Charlie Norton on the Committee
and Mamie Haskin but they also have Miss Moore and Miss Mc’Cormack.
Louis Smith said with tears in his eyes that Miss Reddington insist-
on having those two girls and he was afriad that others girls would
stay away from the class just because those girls were prominently
mixed up in it.
I had a gorgeous time at the German club Saturday
night. In the first place there was a lot more gentlemen than
ladies and then Henry Bartholomay was back and you know yourself how
much more interesting things are when the object of your affections
is around and then there was a Herr Dr. Satterlee who seemed to
scorn me and my ways considerably so I whiled away considerable of
the evening making life a burden to him until every time I would
make a remark to him, a hunted look would creep into his eyes that
was positively pitiable.
I hear Conrad is gone to New York, possibly
he will stop off to see you on his way back for he spoke of doing
that when he first ^heard you had gone.
With the hope that you will do nothing to tarnish the glorious
name I left at Cornell but on the contrary will do everything in
your power to add several shades of gilt to it, I remain,
Lovingly Yours,
Kate Gleason