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Took Delight in Reading German Books

THAT year I finished Arithmetic, reviewed my Latin Grammar and read three chapters of Caesar's "Gallic War." In German I read, partly with my fingers and partly with Miss Sullivan's assistance, Schiller's " Das Lied von der Glöcke" and "Der Taucher," Lessing's "Minna von Barnhelm," Heine's "Die Harzreise," "Aus dem Staat Friedrichs des Grossen" and "Der Fluch der Schönheit," and Goethe's "Aus Meinem Leben." I took the greatest delight in these German books, especially Schiller's wonderful lyrics, the history of Frederick the Great's magnificent achievements and the account of Goethe's life. I was sorry to finish "Die Harzreise," so full of charming descriptions of vine-clad hills, streams that sang and rippled in the sunshine, and wild regions, sacred to tradition and legend, the gray sisters of a long-vanished, imaginative age -- descriptions such as can be given only by those to whom Nature is "a feeling, a love and an appetite."

Mr. Gilman instructed me part of the year in English Literature. We read together "As You Like It," Burke's "Speech on Conciliation with the Colonies," and Macaulay's "Life of Samuel Johnson." Mr. Gilman's broad views of history and literature and his clever explanations made my work easier than it could have been had I only read notes mechanically with the necessarily brief explanations given in the classes.

At the Cambridge school, for the first time in my life, I enjoyed the companionship of seeing and hearing girls of my own age. I lived with several others in one of the pleasant houses connected with the school, the house where Mr. Howells used to live, and we had all the advantages of home life. I joined them in many of their games, even "blind man's buff" and frolics in the snow; I took long walks with them; we discussed our studies and read aloud the things that interested us most. Some of the girls learned the manual alphabet, so that Miss Sullivan did not have to repeat their conversation to me. At Christmas my mother and little sister spent the holidays with me, and Mr. Gilman offered to let my sister Mildred study in his school. Accordingly Mildred came to Cambridge; we helped each other, and for six months we were hardly ever separated.

"Honors" in Preliminary Examinations

I TOOK my preliminary examinations for Radcliffe from the twenty-ninth of June to the third of July in 1897. The subjects I offered were elementary and advanced German, French, Latin, English, and Greek and Roman History, making nine hours in all. I passed in everything, and received "honors" in German and English. Perhaps I had better explain the usual method of admission to Radcliffe College. The student is required to pass in sixteen hours -- twelve hours being called elementary and four advanced. Five hours must be passed at a time to count. The examination papers are given out at Harvard and brought to Radcliffe by a special messenger. Each candidate is known, not by his name, but by a number. I was number 233, but as I had to use a typewriter my identity could not be concealed. It was thought advisable for me to have my examinations in a room by myself, because the noise of the typewriter might disturb the other girls. Mr. Gilman read all the papers to me by means of the manual alphabet.

The first day I had German. Mr. Gilman sat beside me and read the paper through, then he read it sentence by sentence, while I repeated the words aloud, to make sure that I understood him perfectly. The papers were difficult, and I felt very anxious as I wrote out my answers on the typewriter. Mr. Gilman read to me what I had written, and I made such changes as I thought necessary, and he inserted them. I wish to say here that I have not had this advantage since in any of my examinations. At Radcliffe no one reads the papers to me after they are written, and I have no opportunity to correct errors unless I get through before the time is up. In that case I correct such mistakes as I can recall in the few minutes allowed. If I passed the preliminary examinations with higher credit than I did the finals it was because I had the advantage of having the papers read to me. Mr. Gilman sent my written work to the examiners with a certificate that I, Candidate No. 233, had written the papers.

All the other examinations were conducted in the same manner. None of them was so difficult as the first. I remember that the day the Latin paper was brought to us Professor Schilling came in and informed me that I had passed satisfactorily in German. This encouraged me greatly, and I sped on with a light heart and a steady hand.

When I began my second year at the Gilman school I was full of hope and determined to succeed.

But during the first few weeks I was confronted with unforeseen difficulties. Mr. Gilman had agreed that that year I should study Mathematics principally. I had Physics, Algebra, Geometry, Astronomy, Greek and Latin. Unfortunately, many of the books I needed had not been embossed in time for me to begin with the class, and I lacked important apparatus for some of my studies. The classes were large, and it was impossible for the teachers to give me special instruction. Miss Sullivan was obliged to read almost all the books to me and interpret for the instructors, and for the first time in eleven years it seemed as if her dear hand would not be equal to the task.