An American Girl in the Hawaiian Islands: Letters of Carrie Prudence Winter, 1890-1893

9. Riding Mattie May 1–June 26, 1892

187 9 Riding Mattie May 1–June 26, 1892 May 1, 1892, Kawaiahao Seminary Dearest Carl, My horse is back. You can’t think how badly I felt over it. I said to myself “I don’t quite think Carl approves of your getting that horse and now if you have lost her out right he won’t love you anymore and he will say ‘I’ll not give her a chance to lose $60 for me.’” But she is back, Carl. She had wandered 6 or 7 miles to Manoloa into a native man’s place. He saw the advertisement in the paper and brought her back. I paid him $5. Carrie P. Winter on her horse, Mattie, Kamehameha School for Boys, December 1892. Photo by George Babb. 188 AN AMERICAN GIRL Perhaps, dearie, you don’t like these details but they are a part of my life— my horse life. I haven’t had such a good time in a long time as on that ride yesterday . We were off about four and went up Nuuanu Valley. The road is good all the way. You know that is the road to the Pali. We stopped at Luikalia, 5 miles up, where the Athertons have a cottage and ate our lunch and enjoyed the waterfalls music and the mountains about us and came down in the dark of the evening reaching home about 7. I am afraid Mr. Anderson rather likes Miss Knapp which doesn’t agree with my plans, for I want him to like Miss Harris. I’ve got a hard month before me and I guess everyone else has. I must begin my fan drill of the little ones, increase my rehearsals of “wands” and labor to bring all my work in sewing class to completion at the proper time. I am going to work up an English exercise with an ear of corn as the object for closing day and get my second division if possible to do some rapid work in fractions. May 4—We had a big thunder-storm last night which flooded our pasture and the open portions of the house. Our poor little horses had a wretched time out in it. My horse is especially miserable. The girdle sore that I told you about seems to have spread and she was so cold and stiff this morning. I had one of the girls give her a good rubbing down. Mr. Anderson told me to put kerosene on the sore and it seems to do it good. I am very tired now and so irritable. The girls make me nearly frantic at times. I am longing for the vacation. I need the change very much. I am in good health except as regards to my temper and I love you very much— Carrie May 5, 1892, Kawaiahao Dear Charlie, I can watch my girls at work and write to you at the same time. They need watching for this last month brings out all the latent meanness they possess though it don’t have much chance to lie latent. The girls are getting up a big dinner today, luaued fish, water-melon and coconut pudding for tonight is Charlotte Ioba’s wedding, as sweet and obedient a girl as was ever in this seminary. I wish we were a little surer that the young man she is marrying were worthy of her. I gave her some coarse linen kitchen towels and she thanked me as prettily as though they had been something showy. I have changed my position to dormitory where my poor little rogue Eunice Puni is struggling with step-ladder, beds, and rag in an effort to wash the ceiling all to expiate the conversation she indulged in this morning. If you don’t believe it is hard work just try washing a ceiling and see. We sometimes feel like criticizing Miss Pope and feel that she sometimes does not say and do the right thing at the right time but if the President1 of one of the very largest institutions can so offend the feelings and common sense of good people at large and still hold his position, I think we can well cherish a forgiving spirit toward dear Miss Pope. I’d like to see how a nice face-to-face compliment from you would affect me. I might not feel uncomfortable but...