Letter from Charles S. Macfarland to Prin. Alfred E. Stearns, February 4, 1908
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Charles S. Macfarland to Prin. Alfred E. Stearns, February 4, 1908
Subject
Letter from Charles S. Macfarland to Prin. Alfred E. Stearns, February 4, 1908
Description
Typed letter sent from Charles S. Macfarland to Alfred E. Stearns about John J. Ungvary. States Ungvary will have to adjust to the situation, going from a life of luxury to one of poverty. Explains Ungvary was at Mount Hermon, then left for Philadelphia to try working. States Ungvary soon returned to Macfarland. Believed Andover would be a better choice. Asked if a better job is available than the dining hall. Suggests Stearns discuss the situation with Ungvary.
Transcription
South Norwalk, Conn.,
Feb. 4th, 1908.
Prin. Alfred E. Stearns,
Phillips Academy,
Andover, Mass.
Dear Mr. Stearns:-
I thank you for your letter. It confirms my own feeling. It is evident that Ungvary will need to adjust himself to the situation and be willing to pay the price for the prize he is seeking.
At the same time I sympathize with him. I went through his experience myself. I know what it means to give up a life of relative affluence for one of poverty.
Mr. Ungvary had a salary of about $1200.00 a year, all of which he spent in taking care of himself.
As you know I sent him to Mount Hermon. The drudgery there became too much for him. In a moment of despair he left and went to Philadelphia and resumed a business occupation, intending to get together some money and then go back. He soon saw, however, that he had not the time to pursue that course and so he came to me again.
I thought that perhaps if I sent him to Andover the better spirit of things there would sustain him. He is much more enthusiastic over Andover, than he was at Mt. Hermon. Nevertheless he is at the same time under the disadvantage of being associated with boys, who have money to spend.
I do not think he means to make himself an object of charity. His idea is to borrow money, which he no doubt will be able to pay.
[no signature – letterhead of Rev. Charles S. MacFarland, Ph.D.]
He does not sufficiently [sic] realize that if he take-up the ministry, he is entirely unlikely to be able to pay it back.
I have said nothing to him about this matter. I have written him that at the present moment I am unable to obtain further loans, owing to the pressure at the present time resting on me. The fact is that I have too many cases of this kind on my hands. I wrote him, however, to hold on and that I believed we could pull the matter through.
He told me when here that the work in the dining hall, sometimes became almost unbearable. That it absolutely took away his own appetite and unfitted him for his work.
At that time he had in mind some schemes, which he hoped to develope [sic] for making some money in a different way.
I wonder if his aquipment [sic]and ability might not be used in some better way than waiting in the dining hall. As I understand it he is a good stenographer. I had thought that possibly he might get some work of that kind to do. He also hoped to increase his tutoring.
It is a very hard matter concerning which to write him a letter that he would not misunderstand, If I could see him I might be able to straighten him out.
May I suggest that you have a frank talk with him. I know that you can do it in just the right way and I would recommend that you have such a talk with him and have the matter out with him. I think perhaps if you can get him to the point of setting his teeth, he has grit enough to carry the thing through. I suggest this because a personal talk with him will do more than anything, which I can write him.
Later on if the financial situation should get better I might be able to get hold of some man to stand behind him. As it is my constituency here is involved very deeply in the financial situation and I do not dare to press upon my men other than the most urgent cases of this kind.
I thank you for your thoughtful attention to this matter. Sincerely yours,
Dictated.
Feb. 4th, 1908.
Prin. Alfred E. Stearns,
Phillips Academy,
Andover, Mass.
Dear Mr. Stearns:-
I thank you for your letter. It confirms my own feeling. It is evident that Ungvary will need to adjust himself to the situation and be willing to pay the price for the prize he is seeking.
At the same time I sympathize with him. I went through his experience myself. I know what it means to give up a life of relative affluence for one of poverty.
Mr. Ungvary had a salary of about $1200.00 a year, all of which he spent in taking care of himself.
As you know I sent him to Mount Hermon. The drudgery there became too much for him. In a moment of despair he left and went to Philadelphia and resumed a business occupation, intending to get together some money and then go back. He soon saw, however, that he had not the time to pursue that course and so he came to me again.
I thought that perhaps if I sent him to Andover the better spirit of things there would sustain him. He is much more enthusiastic over Andover, than he was at Mt. Hermon. Nevertheless he is at the same time under the disadvantage of being associated with boys, who have money to spend.
I do not think he means to make himself an object of charity. His idea is to borrow money, which he no doubt will be able to pay.
[no signature – letterhead of Rev. Charles S. MacFarland, Ph.D.]
He does not sufficiently [sic] realize that if he take-up the ministry, he is entirely unlikely to be able to pay it back.
I have said nothing to him about this matter. I have written him that at the present moment I am unable to obtain further loans, owing to the pressure at the present time resting on me. The fact is that I have too many cases of this kind on my hands. I wrote him, however, to hold on and that I believed we could pull the matter through.
He told me when here that the work in the dining hall, sometimes became almost unbearable. That it absolutely took away his own appetite and unfitted him for his work.
At that time he had in mind some schemes, which he hoped to develope [sic] for making some money in a different way.
I wonder if his aquipment [sic]and ability might not be used in some better way than waiting in the dining hall. As I understand it he is a good stenographer. I had thought that possibly he might get some work of that kind to do. He also hoped to increase his tutoring.
It is a very hard matter concerning which to write him a letter that he would not misunderstand, If I could see him I might be able to straighten him out.
May I suggest that you have a frank talk with him. I know that you can do it in just the right way and I would recommend that you have such a talk with him and have the matter out with him. I think perhaps if you can get him to the point of setting his teeth, he has grit enough to carry the thing through. I suggest this because a personal talk with him will do more than anything, which I can write him.
Later on if the financial situation should get better I might be able to get hold of some man to stand behind him. As it is my constituency here is involved very deeply in the financial situation and I do not dare to press upon my men other than the most urgent cases of this kind.
I thank you for your thoughtful attention to this matter. Sincerely yours,
Dictated.
Creator
Charles S. Macfarland
Publisher
Phillips Academy
Date
February 4, 1908
Rights
All Rights Reserved By Phillips Academy
Language
English
Type
Correspondence