Stanford Student Letters and Memoirs

[written] 8

[typed] Saturday after luncheon Feb. 6 - 917

My dear darling, Nannie

Have just read your letters and of course must talk back right straight off. I wish to goodness I had made a record but the only reason people are so lovely to me is because they all have such a lovely recollection of Mamma, even Mrs. Baker who never knew her.

Yesterday afternoon Marylya Main and I went to call on the Judsons Jordans - Mrs. Jordan did look so pretty and Edith always appears well in her own home. Dr. Jordan came in before we left and he told us all about his writing the poem that I send you in the Sequoia, it is a beautiful thing, and he wrote it in the dreary little cabin of a British man o' war. He said it had been a dark cloudy day and just before night, a rift came in the clouds and snt a ray of light with into his little cabin. it fell on the picture of Mrs. Jordan on his wall and inspired himm with the poem he wrote a couple of days after. He said he thought it was a "good poem and he guessed he liked it better than anyone else would." He is so in love with Mrs. Jordan and her with him that no wonder all the world loves such two lovers.

In the evening we met them again at the Roble Faculty reception and Dr. Jordan is such an old dear when he wants to be, after he has made the prettiest kind of a complement he says "I can't do any better then that".

Today Helen and Alice Colt have gone into the city to do a little shopping and to see N.....in Marie Stuart. Next Saturday Theodora wants me to go with her which I am more than tickled to do tho' I don't know what she is going to get. This some evening some of the Sigma Rho Eta are coming here and we are going to have a little dance. Yesterday Mrs. Anderson was up in the quadrangele she was looking quite I thought, but her mothers life is really a question of days. she feels more resigned I think as her mother looked very philosophically upon death which is a great comfort to Mrs. Anderson. Theodora I think is very well and very busy - full of golf and making plans for making shirtwaists. I was glad to hear from Mrs. Start. Our week of rain is over as today is a lovely one. Am so delighted with the Shelley and the ribbon and the envelops and the four dollars.

Bye Bye your Toodles.

[written] 13

[typed] March 2, '97 Tuesday afternoon

My dearest Nannie

Am ever and ever so sorry I have been so long about getting this letter off; but this Friday and Saturday have been so full I didn't have time - with an examination today in Art History.

I did not go tto San Jose to the Glee Club concert and party as Helen and I had an invitation from Prof. Allardice to an informal little evening at the bachelor professor's house. We felt ourselves so honored that we wouldn't have refused for worlds. Only a few of the girls were asked, with Dr. and Mrs. Fairclough and Mr. and Mrs. Hodges as chaperones. Prof. Allardice, Prof. Campbell, Prof. Kellog and Prof. Young are ther four bachelors and the evening was in honor of a brother bachelor from San Francisco and a Mr. Snow who has just joined the faculty in the botany department. It was about the loveliest time I ever had on the campus. At first we played cards - hearts - and later foot-ball with an empty egg in the dining room table to be blown from one goal to the other - the most laughable thing in the world to see the professors blowing in the excited intervals when they were not roaring with laughter. The guest Mr. Stadweller was a very finelooking young man with very polished manners. The house was delightful with its bohemian collections from all parts of the world and its great roaring fires. I tell you it takes a lot of men to entertain well.

Saturday Theodora wanted me to into the city with her so I did and such a good time as we had. Mr. Stadweller went down in the bus with me to the train and there I found Mr. Pitcher - Sigma Rho Eta who was very anxious that I go to the baseball game in the city played by Stanford and some northern players but of course I didn't care to. He made a very pleasant escort however as far as Burlingame where Theodora got on. We looked at spring tings till we were tired to death - and I took my organdies for Miss Strander to make the high necked waist and Theodora got here some peach alpaca for an everyday skirt which she also took to Miss S. We saw some very pretty plaid greens silk at .50 a yard that Theodora got for me fo a shirt waist; and we bothe of us got 8 yds of linen for skirts instead of duch skirts. The silk shirt and the skirt makes a lovely combination. We waited till the 6:30 train so as to have dinner at the Palace Grill - I never enjoyed anything so much - such a delisious steak and coffee! It made me realize what poor stuff we lived on here.

Theodora came back here with me and went Sunday afternoon. Sunday morning weAlice Colt and I went to church and there I so Helen Lathrop and Eidith Cullen with Mrs. Gilman. I went home with them for dinner and a plum pudding and Helen drove me back in the little dog cart in time to see Theodora before she went.

Helen and Edith are coming to stay Wednesday night with me. Possibly we will have an invitation initiations at Miriam's house next Friday night and I shall take my new shirt waist and skirt down to Miss Smead(Ithink) to make up.

The summer things are so pretty, such lovely plaid linen skirt waists and dresses and beautiful organdies but not one so pretty as mine.

Yesterday I had to study for this art history examination which passed off easily this morning - by way of letting you know what we have been doing I'll enclose the questions. So far I have not been able to get ahold of the desired Sequoia but still have hopes - I never can catch the editor. The rain has begun against but we cant complain after this beautiful winter. I am so sorry my Nannie has the ...(I can't spell it but you know what I mean. Helen Lathrop sent ever so much love to my sweet aunt.

Very loving Toodles

We have hopes of having the dining room in entire charge of a very excellent lady who will make it dainty and pretty beside furnishing good things to eat...at present it is very poor.