GREEN MOUNT ~ ADVERTISING FOR STUDENTS

The flyer pictured above, found here at the house has survived beautifully after all these years. There are others as well, but this one is near the date of the journals. Mrs. Fleet, no doubt, wrote up this description of the school and I find her artistry with words amazing. I wish that I could have been a student here...and maybe in some ways that is partially the role assumed by us now as together we read these notes and put together pieces of the past. Although we are not actually students, it seems as though we are learning something from these women and young girls.

The young college student who visited here yesterday, Kelly Weber is beautiful, polite, brilliant and so sincere in her quest for understanding the educational choices during the Reconstruction Period. She and Page McLemore of Walkerton and I plowed through boxes of letters, photos, journals, etc., trying to find previously unpublished information as to how families survived financially and also what their reasons were their educational choices. Page knows so much about the county, the families, their connections with one another, and is the President of the King and Queen Historical Society. Her input was tremendous. She dug into an old ledger to reveal means by which Dr. Fleet during the war, and Mrs. Fleet after the war, were able to support their family. One interesting find is that Mrs. Fleet sold a lot of wine! I believe some of it may have been dandelion wine. It seems that somewhere I've read that. I know she sent wine to General Wise (Fred's commanding officer)during the war and he became a lifelong friend of hers and visited here more than once after 1865. Kelly promises to share with us a copy of her thesis when all is said and done. Page took a picture of Kelly and I holding up Mrs. Fleet's dress that was found here a few years ago when were working on the house. I'll try to get that picture from Page and add it to the blog. For now, here are more of the minutes...

Green Mount
Feb. 11th 1880

Opened exercises by reading the 12th Psalm. Lucy played "The Last Rose of Summer" a little tremuls (tremulous?). She played it very sweetly. Jinnie read "Mabell's Secret" very well. It is a lovely little piece and I think it would be very well if we all could do as little Mabell resolved to do, and always give a soft answer when anyone else speaks cross. Lou read a very sweet little scrap. Sallie played "Home Sweet Home." We had two little visitors this evening, Nellie & Lizzie Rice. Each contributed to our entertainment by reading a piece for us. The exercises closed with some little pieces of music, which we enjoyed very much. Mattie Kate read "The Road to Slumber-land" very well. Little Mattie repeated two very sweet little verses beginning, If ever you incline to do, & This world is full of beauty.

Green Mount
Feb. 18th 1880

Opened exercises by reading thirteenth Psalm. Cousin Lou read "Horatius at the Bridge" by Lord Macaulay. It is a grand piece and it was read splendidly. Vir played "Russian Grand March" very sweetly. Mattie repeated some poetry that was very sweet. Mattie Kate played "Mountain Stream" beautifully. Sallie read "Shoo Fly" It is very funny. Lou played Wild Ash Dur. Lucy read ____(left blank in the journal). It is real sweet.

February 25th, 1880

Opened by reading the 14th Psalm. Lucie played "Blue Bells of Scotland," very well indeed. It was one of my favorite pieces three years ago, and it brought back old times very vividly. We excused Mattie this evening as she did not have her piece ready. Lou read "Wishing.' It is a very good little piece. It had not occured to me before that nearly every thought and sentence contained a wish in it. Mattie Kate read "Home Letters" very well. Jinnie read a piece very much like it called "Write Them a Letter Tonight." Both teach us our duty of letter writing. Sallie played "Yitania". The society clsed with a piece from Miss Lou called "Adelaida", (Adelaide? Beethoven) which we enjoyed exceedingly.