From the Diary of Almira Penniman, Margaret's close childhood friend

July 17th, 1825

…Now, regarding dearest Margaret: I fear that she is going through a stage of terrible social awkwardness. In fall of last year, when she was 14, her papa, Mr. Fuller, sent her to Miss Susan Prescott’s Young Ladies Seminary in Groton, Massachusetts. There, she received training in piano, singing, dancing, and drawing. I believe that he may have begun to fear that Margaret’s character was growing worse for the boyish education he had administered to her. Unfortunately, although Margaret works hard enough at these new, more feminine endeavors; there is no removing from her mind the powerful seed of curiosity that has been planted there.

It is true that she seems to have become rather too intelligent; and, indeed, in the eyes of strangers wherever she goes, she is rather pretentious and overbearing. Once Margaret has engaged one in a conversation, she will passionately express her opinions on every thing: philosophy, politics, literature, mythology; and she grows impatient when her partner cannot understand her, or disagrees. Women her mother’s age and older eye her with disapproval; young men her age – especially scholarly ones – are both fascinated and frightened by her.

I try always to listen to sweet M., and many other do, as well. She is loved by those who know her well enough; but I fear that, to those of less understanding dispositions, she will continue to be an arrogant child…