Miss Lyon,

You have doubtless wished to receive some report from me long before this concerning the young ladies in my charge - but the truth is I have found my time so fully occupied that it had seemed an impossibility for me to be alone long enough to do so. Our half Quarter closed last Sat. and perhaps the fairest representation of what each young lady has done may be made by giving her average mark for recitations during that last half term. I should say, perhaps, that 10 is considered by us in marking a perfect recitations our highest mark. They stand on the general average as follows -

Miss Alling 9.60/100 Miss Crane 9.60 Miss Riggs 9.45 Miss Kirby 9.20 Miss Richards 9.10 in class No. 1 or among those whose number is 9 & above. Miss Hinman 8. or class No. 2. Miss Hill 7. Miss Smith 7.80 - Twenty six of our Scholars stand above Miss Alling, & 90 above Miss Hill.

Miss Alling & Miss Crane are about on an equality both good Scholars & very faithful & will have accomplished all that could be expected in the time. Miss Riggs has been very studious & made considerable progress but needs to review considerably before she will be prepared for examination. All of them except Miss Alling &Miss Crane are exceedingly deficient in Arithmetic.

Miss Kirby has been studious but does not learn as easily as the three just named. She will go over the ground, but will not retain what she learns as well. Miss Smith has tried to do too much. She went thru Simple Equations in October but was obliged to leave it last week. She has made a beginning in Latin also. Miss S. is ambitious to do much, but does not strike quite so deep as she ought - inclines to be superficial. Miss Hill does as well as she can but is slow to comprehend & finds it difficult to express what she knows-is well disposed. I hardly think you will be disposed to receive her at the close of our Term. Miss Richard - ahem - what shall I say - She is unique! A good scholar & a poor one - a good disposition sometimes, sometimes not so good, but at all times needs a watchful eye - We found very soon it was necessary to tell her in plain New England language (i.e. with much decision & kindness) what must & what must not be done. I cannot begin to describe the course she pursued until her track was marked out. Now however I am happy to say she appears to be very well disposed - is much more even in her temperment - studies quite well & on the whole doing well. She rooms with Miss Kimball which is all in Sarah's favor -

Miss Hinman - for whom you expressed considerable anxiety-is the most hopeless of the whole. She seems so decidedly opposed to everything that appears like effort either bodily or mentally that I think we have reason to expect little from her. She went on with the Arith. class a little farther than she had been before & then quit & said she wd. do anything but study Arith. What I shall do with her I hardly know. She says she intends to go home with her father who is to be here in 2 or 3 weeks. Says she did not want to go to S.H. in the first place - & much less now. I asked her if there was anything in particular that she disliked there - She replied "there was more work required than she expected." She is a young lady of pretty good mind naturally but needs exceedingly the very exercise & discipline she so much dislikes. I have just written her father stating the circumstances of her case & asking him to advise me immediately what course it will be best to adopt. I slid. have written you first-but with her present feelings I knew it wd. do no good, as you could do no more than write her father.

The young Ladies are very faithful in their studies, but are very much concerned lest they shall be rejected on another examination.

Our School is quite full & very laborious to me but pleasant - Shall we not see you here while the young Ladies are here. Shd. I hear from Mr. Hinman I will inform you.

I am yours truly -
A Parish