The following letter refers to the Graduation of Mary Swaim (O. Henry's mother). The original letter, Bettie Caldwell to Mr. Alphonso Smith, can be located in the "Ancestry -- Correspondence" Folder of the Greensboro Public Library's O. Henry Collection.
March 25th 1914
Dear Mr. Smith
I find from our file of Greensboro Patriots Miss Mary Swaim of Greensboro graduated from G. F. College June 6th 1850 and that her graduating essay was upon that topic – “Influence of Misfortune Upon the Gifted”[.]
I wonder if knowledge of her father’s temperance career did not influence her? It certainly sounds queer after the life we know of her son.
These old programs are all tremendously interesting to me. I hope to get them all into print some day if I ever have time. Belle wanted you to have these today to go with data she sent you. There is nearly [a] column of newspaper comment on their commencement (called “examination”). It does not refer especially to Miss Swaim but speaks of all in complimentary terms of the day. If Dr.[?] Phon cared for it, of course we would gladly have article copied for him.
Yours affectionately, Bettie D. Caldwell
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