Date: January 27, 1895
Context: Calvin writes home to report on his academic progress
My Dear Father:-
The last week has gone very quickly as has all the term, it does not seem as if the term was almost a third gone but it is.
Mother wrote me about the books. I did not expect the Scribners would send you any bill. I think the regular price is $4,00. You need not get the “Epoch” as I can get it here just as cheaply as you could do. Of course you will write the Scribners and thank them, commending the work if you like it.
President Andrews spoke to the Political Econemy class on the money question one day last term, he favors bi-mettalism and was of the American delegates to the European convention last year to establish an international money system on a gold and silver basis.
We had a very fine banquet at Northampton Thursday evening. There were four men from Yale, but the chapters at Worcester and Boston Tech. were not able to be represented on account of the mid-year exams. I will try to send mother a menù and toast card. I was not on the card but should have been had I joined the fraternity before the cards were printed. I responded to the toast, however, of “Our Future” and think I must have done fairly well as one of the Seniors from Yale, who has been around to society banquets for four years, told our Toastmaster that it was the best toast he ever heard at a fraternity banquet. Perhaps my dress suit lent me inspiration as it was the first time I ever wore one. I did not know what my subject was to be until I was at the banquet so I did not write my response but got the points before me and put them in the proper words when I was on my feet. There is nothing in the world gives me so much pleasure as to feel I have made a good speech and nothing gives me more pain than to feel I have made a poor one. I think I must stand very well in college now. My growth has been slow but I think it is substantial and must have been made on my own merits as I have not been pushed forward by the influence of some one else, and the almost puritan conservatism of Amherst is rather slow to recognize anything but the prestige of great names or great wealth. I hope I can be able to justify the circumstance that, the fraternity, which I joined, rec’d congratulations quite as much as did I. Still I have been at a disadvantage and have lost much I could have wished to gain, so many points of culture that give a man power to glide gracefully through the world and adjust himself nicely to circumstances of time and place. I am from the country and am glad of it, ‘the men of the mountains always beat the men of the plains’ but I do not always want to remain a rustic in my ideas and in my appearance. I have improved some, and know the untiring self denial of those who have given me the opportunity for culture and education, I hope I may always remember it, to make the most of it.
General Wallace gave us some very good advice and takes a great interest in young men, I liked him very much and hope I may see him again some time
Tell mother I will write her about the reception when I get time
I shall want to get a fraternity pin some time this term, shall not get an expensive one, probably about $20.
My marks for last term and for last spring’s term came last week they were all 3’s and my mark for my course is 3. Probably not three men in the class have four for the course but many surpass me in scholarship.
I have sent you a check as you wrote me about, I put it in the bank with my name on the back, the bank will send it to Boston probably, and then it will go to Mr. Davies and he will punch a hole in it and some day send it up to you.
How does the new store at the Union get along?
The weather here has been rather changeable for the past few days
I hope your teeth are not troubling you any more now.
I will try to write to mother on the day of prayer next Thursday.
I will not write any more now if you cannot remember it for two weeks.
With love
J Calvin Coolidge
Citation: Your Son, Calvin Coolidge
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