February 1895

Monday, 18 February 1895

I walked with Ryn to the docks today. Sister Mary Aston fell ill overnight so our lessons were delayed. I met Lily and Doctor Patterson on my way back as they were on their way to Saint Nicholas for Sister Mary Aston. She reminds me of Sister Grace. She is very friendly and smart. She is beautiful as well. I think Ryn would like her very much.

Lily is training to be a nurse for her father. She told me she was learning French to read more about Louis Pasteur to help her father. I felt bad for laughing at her when she tried to tell me something in French. She understands the writing but does not know how to speak French. I hope we have the opportunity to meet again.

Thursday, 21 February 1895

Sister Grace wrote back! I am so happy that she is well, but I wish she was here instead of in Mississippi. Letters take too long. I miss her. Writing is better than nothing though. I don't understand what she means about Georgiana's mother, but I am afraid asking may offend her.

Lily and her father checked in on Sister Mary Aston this morning. Doctor Patterson said the Sister should be better soon. Lily says she will come back Saturday to visit me. I told her I would teach her to speak French. I don’t know if I’m good enough to teach her but I can try. I will need to teach French when I become a governess anyway, so this will be good practice.

February 2nd, 1895

Washington, Mississippi

My dear Friend,

Your letter arrived this morning. It still amazes me how fast letters can travel across the ocean these days. Young Thomas is still sad over the loss of his parents but otherwise is doing well. I have begun teaching him and his friends French. It is not common for French to be taught here so they use it as a secret language. I dare not tell him it is more commonly known just a short trip away in New Orleans.

My parents are still alive and are healthy enough to care for young Thomas as you suggest. However, they did not approve of my brother’s marriage to Georgiana and do not think of him as their grandson. It is fortunate for young Thomas that no others but myself and his grandparents know of Georgiana’s mother. Most in Washington would look very poorly upon young Thomas if they knew of his mother’s mother. Georgiana’s parents are healthy as well but also unwilling to act as young Thomas’ ward. Unlike my parents, they refuse out of love and not spite. Georgiana was ridiculed as a child because of who her mother is. Thomas would be similarly ridiculed if his grandmother were to raise him.

I had not heard of Jules Verne before I read of him in your letter. I know I will not be able to find his stories in Washington, but I will ride over to Natchez soon and check over there. I believe you could have read the French version of his books if you had tried. Your French was very good when I left and it can only have gotten better since.

It brings me great happiness to read your letter. Please continue writing when you are able. My congratulations to your brother, the shipyards are lucky to have him.

I did have a governess. Her name was Miss Young, though she must have been close to fifty at the time. She is the one who taught me French and helped me to better understand my history lessons. She was caring and patient. My brother and I were quite fortunate to have her. I think I would have grown up to be a very different woman if my parents had not hired her.

I am certain that any children you become a governess to will be just as fortunate as I was. You are smarter, kinder, and more patient than you realize.

Bien amicalement,

Grace Collins

Sunday, 24 February 1895

I helped Lily with her French yesterday afternoon. Ryn was working at the shipyard all afternoon and didn’t return until after Lily left. She is going to come back next Saturday to study more. I hope they like each other once they meet. She is nice and I think she would be a good friend to Ryn and me.

She brought books on medicine with her. They were very interesting but hard to understand. I think it went well but she probably spent more time teaching me about microbes than I did teaching her French. I still do not understand how these tiny little creatures that you can’t even see can make you ill. Lily cares a lot about medicine. I enjoyed listening to her talk even though I had trouble understanding.

Monday, 25 February 1895

I had two very strange dreams last night. In my first dream, I was a tiny little insect. I flew into Sister Mary Aston’s head through her ear. It was a big room with two giant windows where her eyes should be. It was full of all sorts of strange contraptions connected with ropes and pulleys. I pulled at one rope and she started to stumble around like she was dizzy. I pulled at another and she groaned and held her head in pain. A third caused a giant fireplace to light up and fill her head with heat. When I pulled a fourth, the fire grew larger. The ropes and contraptions caught fire. It wasn’t long before I woke up.

After laying in bed awake for a while, I managed to fall back asleep and had a second dream. I was a giant being attacked by tiny men. They shot at me with tiny bows. I tried to fight back but that only made them angrier. They rushed at me with torches and set my dress aflame. I wasn’t able to fall asleep again after that.