Letter from Dr. Alfred E. Stearns to Miss Mary Sun, March 2, 1926
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Dr. Alfred E. Stearns to Miss Mary Sun, March 2, 1926
Subject
Letter from Dr. Alfred E. Stearns to Miss Mary Sun, March 2, 1926
Description
Typed letter sent from Dr. Alfred E. Stearns to Mary Sun. Explains the decision to send her to Whittier was not easy and it was done with her father's wishes and instructions in mind. Will monitor her progress. Questions if Mary should go to college, but believes she should work to meet the entrance requirements. States money for incidentals beyond the monthly allowance will come from Mrs. Russell. Asks Mary to cut back on writing letters to her Abbot friends. States daily letters will distract from school work. Plans to visit when weather permits.
Transcription
March 2, 1926
Miss Mary Sun
The Whittier School
Merrimac, Massachusetts
Dear Mary:
I am very grateful to you for your recent note, and especially happy over the cheerier tone in which it is written. I do hope that you will come to understand that the decision to make the change to the Merrimac, school was anything but a pleasant one for me to reach, and that it was made only after long and careful thought, and in the firm conviction that it would best carry out the definite and compelling instructions received from your father. My interest and desire are now, as they have always been, to do for you and the boys that which your father would feel would most nearly achieve for you all the purposes which prompted him to send you to this far-away land, and at such heavy expense and personal sacrifice. I cannot say that I have not at times made mistakes, but if so, they have been mistakes entirely of judgment and not purpose, for the goal that I have had in mind has never changed.
I shall watch with interest your work and progress under the new surroundings, and can only hope that you will be able to secure there just the kind of preparation you need to enable you to gain admission, at least, to a good college. Frankly I have some questions in my own mind as to whether you ought to go to college, and I have stated them frankly to your father. On the other hand I am sure that it would mean a lot to him, and to you also, if you could at least meet the college entrance requirements, for then you could tell the world that the college doors were open to you, and that in itself would be a source of real satisfaction to you in years to come.
Mrs. Russell will supply you with whatever funds you require for special incidentals over and beyond what can be taken care of by the regular monthly allowances. For the latter I am enclosing the customary chock herewith.
One other thing. You really must curtail your output of letters to your friends. It will be utterly impossible for you to concentrate as you must in your studies if you are writing daily letters to your friends and securing a constant flow of letters from them. Do be reasonable about this. Not for the world would I interfere with good friendships; but I know only too well from experience that good work in studies is utterly impossible for those who are too mush interrupted in this way.
Just as soon as the roads clear up a bit I shall plan to run over and have a look at you and talk things over. In the meantime accept my very best wishes for health, happiness, and real progress on the main job that is now yours.
Always sincerely yours,
Miss Mary Sun
The Whittier School
Merrimac, Massachusetts
Dear Mary:
I am very grateful to you for your recent note, and especially happy over the cheerier tone in which it is written. I do hope that you will come to understand that the decision to make the change to the Merrimac, school was anything but a pleasant one for me to reach, and that it was made only after long and careful thought, and in the firm conviction that it would best carry out the definite and compelling instructions received from your father. My interest and desire are now, as they have always been, to do for you and the boys that which your father would feel would most nearly achieve for you all the purposes which prompted him to send you to this far-away land, and at such heavy expense and personal sacrifice. I cannot say that I have not at times made mistakes, but if so, they have been mistakes entirely of judgment and not purpose, for the goal that I have had in mind has never changed.
I shall watch with interest your work and progress under the new surroundings, and can only hope that you will be able to secure there just the kind of preparation you need to enable you to gain admission, at least, to a good college. Frankly I have some questions in my own mind as to whether you ought to go to college, and I have stated them frankly to your father. On the other hand I am sure that it would mean a lot to him, and to you also, if you could at least meet the college entrance requirements, for then you could tell the world that the college doors were open to you, and that in itself would be a source of real satisfaction to you in years to come.
Mrs. Russell will supply you with whatever funds you require for special incidentals over and beyond what can be taken care of by the regular monthly allowances. For the latter I am enclosing the customary chock herewith.
One other thing. You really must curtail your output of letters to your friends. It will be utterly impossible for you to concentrate as you must in your studies if you are writing daily letters to your friends and securing a constant flow of letters from them. Do be reasonable about this. Not for the world would I interfere with good friendships; but I know only too well from experience that good work in studies is utterly impossible for those who are too mush interrupted in this way.
Just as soon as the roads clear up a bit I shall plan to run over and have a look at you and talk things over. In the meantime accept my very best wishes for health, happiness, and real progress on the main job that is now yours.
Always sincerely yours,
Creator
Dr. Alfred E. Stearns
Publisher
Phillips Academy
Date
March 2, 1926
Rights
All Rights Reserved By Phillips Academy
Language
English
Type
Correspondence