Stanford Student Letters and Memoirs

[written] 3

[typed] Saturday Jan 9-'97

My dearest Nannie -

My dearest Nannie - I forgot I called you that once and absent mindedly have written it over again but I mean it a whole page full. Your letter came just about an hour ago and I have been grinning over it since and reading parts of it about the pictures to the girls. Helen Younger has been moving down from the 4th to the 2nd floor so we are near neighbors. She has been fixing up her room and I have been helping her. Her room-mate - Mary Caldwell a freshman & relative of Marguerite Sabler - has almost as many pretty things as Helen has, & their room has assumed already a very Bohemian & artistic air, it has been great fun, & we have fixed pretty studies by burning the edges into rich brown odd shapes - a trick I picked up from one of the boys at the Rho Eta House. This is such a glorious day. We certainly are having a heavenly winter! Last Monday I started out to make calls in Palo Alto in my new suit that I like immensely. I found Mr. Teggart was sick in bed, I suspect she is on the verge of enlarging her family. Mrs. Angel, Dr. Angel told me was in Boston and as he said had gone shortly after the ("Opera" or card party they gave. Mrs. Gilman - Mrs. Cullen's sister - was not at home neither was Miss Darrah the excellent Education teacher. In the evening Alice Colt and I called on Dr. & Mrs. Stillman & of all my list they were the only ones home. Tuesday we registered & made out our programs for this next semester and Wednesday lectures began again. We are beginning Hamlet. It is so far now most difficult & thorough Shakespere study. I am not going on with Hudson's class as it makes too many hours and though it is deserted devoted to Tennyson I think I can make a study of it myself some time. Otherwise my course is almost the same except that I take Renaissance Art History under Prof. Krieber instead of 18th cent. Hist. We begin with Giotto. The girls feel very sad at the thought of leaving this semester and I am happy in the thought that It is not my last quite yet. Mrs. Baker our new matron is lovely she knows so many people we know - the Cullens & the Lathrops & knew of Mama thru some of the faculty ladies here. Did I tell you of the lovely call I had on Mrs. Jordan. She inquired about you, & wished to be most warmly . Did I tell you about Mr. Delamater's death just before Christmas. It was the end of quite a long illness & feebleness. What do you think Theodora is doing! She wants & must have the 400 paid Louise as soon as possible and in order to do so we couldn't draw on our allowance. So Theodora is sending me 30.00 out of the 40.00 she earns each month, of course when I earn or get the money I shall repay her, but think of my sister sending me thro' college! My last letter from her said she was having a happy time with her little "tads" coming back. She is really fond of her work and got some useful hints from Miss Darrah & the teacher's institute. Oh the Sohrab & Rustum paper is not worth sending. It was written at the end of the term in a great rush & my main ideas was to get off my hands. Helen took more pains with hers, and if I can persuade her to let me send it I shall. Am going to call on Mrs. Fairclough this afternoon.

Bye-bye Your loving Toodles.

[written] May 31 '97 31

[typed] abroad and at home or books. Mr. Teggart asked me to join the faculty book club just started - which I am delighted to do as it is a very good one besides being quite a compliment to be a member as none of the students are asked. I must finish this in the morning as I am going to get a clear water bath this evening and mustn't be late about it.

Tuesday morning

You don't know how unmanageable my pen is - now that I don't have to use it it insists upon all over the paper. The Taggarts inquired about you and said they often thought of you and your sweet ways. There were one of two other little bui dinners and things during commencement - one at the Hodges the architects family where Mr. March the new librarian is always to be found. The best of all was having the girls mothers come. Mrs. Morrison - Marylyns Main's mother - and Mrs and Miss Colt, beside the San Jose mothers - Mrs. Maclaren, Mrs. Park and Mrs. Phillips, It was so lovely to see some older people in the Hall - all there are so young. Laura, Miriam, Alice, Charlotte, and Helen took their degreesI will send the programme and then you must imagine how pretty the girls looked in these fresh organdies and grass linens. You don't know how much good I have gotten from my dear little organdie that is so Frenchy with the pretty hat - by the way the little pink and blue striped shirt waists are too dear for anything - they go so prettily with my blue suit[illegible] Theodora's silk, and the stockings, handkercheifs, and things came over a week ago and I am duly mortified to think their receipt is not acknowledged - how pretty the silk is! Just like a waist Miss Wickerham had on at the Jordan reception. You know how acceptable all the other things are, especially the stockings as I was just on the point of buying some. You must have heard me swearing at the dearth of pins clear across the continent but let me assure you my exclamations have vastly improved since I have all kinds in plenty.

Oh I forgot to tell you about the Jordan reception to the seniors - a number of upper classmen helped to serve - Marylyn, Kitty and I among the number and it was great fun - everyone was there from far and near. I had such a pleasant visit with the Breners who came down from San Mateo and Mrs. Stanford was very cordial - she has already rem always remembered the call we girls made and appreciated it so much. The music was beautiful - a S.F. Orchestra and Mrs. Jordan looked very pretty in a new black brown and red gown. Of course the faculty senior baseball game was great fun and the faculty were beaten by almost 20-10 - the seniors all came on the field in a chinese trot and dressed in chinese clothes with long ques hanging down their backs. The faculty has a beautiful new baseball ground but it doesn't seem to improve their playing.

Yesterday afternoon I spent in getting clean - Gertrude shampooed my hair and manicured my nails and in the evening I had such a good bath - Miriam came in a little while after dinner with a cardinal neck-tie and it seemed so good to see a Stanford person even if it is only three days since I left there. Today I go up to Mrs. Myricks and stop off at the university to get my things and do some errands. Carrie is going to leave the Hall this vacation and I have been writing a recommendation for her and have been helping her off a little.

I must also call on Mrs. Gilman and Mrs. Teggart before I go away. When I am in the city I am going to see the Fishes in Martinez and also Mrs. Frymribille who lives quite near Mrs. Myrick. I don't know just what I'll do the last two months of vacation but guess something will turn up.