| Description | In this letter Elizabeth tells her mother about a recent incident when she had been disciplined by one of the school's principals, Miss Trinks, who had accused Elizabeth of doing a number of things which Elizabeth felt she was not guilty of. The worst accusation had been that Elizabeth had laughed at the Bible whilst reading it to the other girls at the school on Sundays. Elizabeth had denied this but had refused to tell Miss Trinks which girl had been laughing. Elizabeth had also been accused her of not saying her prayers regularly and laughing when she did pray.
Writing to her mother, Elizabeth insists that she 'never, never' went to bed without praying and always read the gospel for the day. Elizabeth notes that she had laughed only twice at Bible reading or prayer, firstly because one of the girls had 'made such a face', making her laugh, and the second time because of an incident with a hot lamp which had made her jump, causing Elizabeth and another girl to laugh. Elizabeth pleads with her mother to believe that she would never laugh at the Bible and asks whether Miss Trinks had written to her parents about the incidents. Elizabeth had also been scolded for writing notes to other girls. She asks her mother to forgive her, remarking that she was trying so hard to 'be better'.
This letter relates directly to a letter which Elizabeth wrote to her father also dated 10th November 1872. |