Plummer Papers

To Father, from William

Emery & Henry College
Oct 1st - 42

Dear Father I have just received your kind and affectionate letter and am now about to answer it. We have been doing well at the College and I like it better than I expected. Aunt Betty was up here last Sabbath and Uncle Haskew preached. Aunt Betty has been here for the last two days but did not favor us with a visit. She left this morning.

I have joined the Hermesian Society and am appointed Essayist for the next Friday week and Conley is appointed declaimer. I like the society very much. It has a small library of about 300 volumes. I was at the public debate of the Calliopean society last night. We heard four very good speeches from Master Winniford, Fulton, Holliday and Levine. The subject was "Should the study of the Clapies be exempted from the college Course" which was argued very well by Master Winniford & Holliday in the affirmative and Fulton and Levine on the negative. Mr. Van Eaton and Mr. Anderson are our roommates both of them very steady and hard students. Both of my roommates belong to the Hermesian Society and also all the students in this end of the college. We declaim and write compositions every three weeks. I have just given a composition to Mr. Stephens, Mr. Wiley has been sick this week but has entirely recovered. Mr. Harris is president of the Hemeican society and delivered his inaugural address last Friday two week which was very good. Answer this as soon as you receive it

Your Affectionate son William
P.S. Direct your letter to Glade Spring

Contributed by Sylvi
Note, the dates are in the 1800's