Stanford Student Letters and Memoirs

[written] p. 24 19

[typed] Stanford University, Cal. Sept. 4, 1896

My dearest Nannie -

How I wish you could see my pretty new room - every one exclaims "What a typical college room" who enters; you know I am rooming on the second floor with Miriam Maclaren; it is a corner room and very large sunny and airy. Every morning I wake up ecstaticly happy in my sweet cosy little bed; and every night I think I am about the most fortunate little girl in the world. My course is going to be the most delightful one I ever had in the university as for once in my life my hours do not conflict. Tuesday and Thursdays at half past eight I have German - (Faust), on the same days at half past nine I have a course in history which is European history from the Peace of Westphalia to the beginning of the French Revolution, I have this under Prof. Spencer whom Theodora liked very much last year. At half past ten I have a course in practical politics under Dr. Powers - it is a course consisting of the platforms of the present campaign considered from a historical stand point and their present issues. Wednesdays Thursdays and Fridays at half past nine I have Shakespere under Prof. Anderson (bless him!) nineteenth century poets Keats, Rossetti, Mathew Arnold & Tennyson under Mr. Hudson, and at half past eleven, Wordsworth, Byron, Shelly and Browning under Anderson. Friday afternoon I have Chaucer. This makes a program of sixteen hours a week for one semester - not heavy work. Please don`t worry about me, if you knew how exuberant, jolly and happy I am every second of the day you couldn't worry if you tried. It seems so good to see everyone & this is such a dear old place anyway that one couldn't but be happy at "Mr. Jordan's school". Our new matron is quite a different type from Miss Thompson, she is an old Californian and a friend of Mrs. Stanfords, we miss Miss Thompson ever so much but we might have some one worse that Mrs.M. Redding-Clements. This morning Dr. Peet called. He is such a dear little old man, I shall be so glad to go back to his little church when I feel so much at home. The professors are all perfectly lovely - so cordial and helpful.

[Drawing of a room with parts written in: window, books, window, te atable, Books, screen, door, study table, salon, screen, dress box, window, wardrobe, bed, bed]

A very rough diagram of the room but is very artistic and Bohemian with the rugs Mr. Herme has given me to take care of for him and a beautiful palm on the reading stand. I have the etching that was over the library mirror at home,Hermes[written], and a water color of Lolies on my wall & they show off so well against the (diagram of room) blue plaster. The books and screens and tea table make it look very cosy, and I brought down some jelly to taste good. But it is nearly lunch time and I must say bye-bye.

Your loving, Toodles.

Laura is as pretty as ever - I wear shirt waists my duck or rough skirts & broad brimmed sailor hat - also my heavy tan shoes - round toed. Am going to have my pink underslip made up soon to wear under my white batiste or by itself - maybe next month or as soon as I get money enough - shall save the organdy for some swell occassion.

R.

[written] p. 30 25

[typed] Roble Hall Sunday [written] Nov '96

[typed] My dearest Nannie -

Can't for the life of me think what date this is but it is a week before this letter reaches you at most and five days at least, so I'll leave the mathematical computation to you, as "sich like" isn't in my college course.

Ther is but one fact of particular interest to relate this week that I can at present think of. Lat Wednesday, Mrs. Angel called and invited me to an informal little card party for Friday evening-- with apologies for my being the only student there; of course I was flattered & tickled to death and accepted with utmost pleasure. By Friday it occurred to me I had not earthly means of getting there, and Dr. Angel said two bachelor profs were the only ones going from the campus. But I was pretty sure Dr. and Mrs. Fairclough - the Latin professor - would be going, and as I knew them a little from Episcopal affairs I mustered courage to call and ask if I might go with them. Mrs. Fairclough 5 a chirping little English woman was too lovely for anything and said she knew I was a well bred girl for not going alone and would be very pleased to undertake my chaperonage! So much for your niece! I wore my crêpe waist & broadcloth skirt and did so enjoy the pretty home lighted by candelabra & an enormous great flickering fire in the hallway. Of course they had to go & play six-handed euchre which paralized me as I never played it in my life, and of course I found myself speechless for a second time at the second table with Prof. Smith, Prof. Marx, Prof. Kellog & Campbell & Dr. Fairclough the only girl as all the female partners had progresses. I was in misery & was thankful when at the second bell Dr. Fairclough, Prof. Campbell & I were victorious enough to move on to the head table where we found Dr. Angel, Miss Peet (Dr. Peet's pretty coquetish blue eyed daughter) & a Miss Roberts. Refreshments interrupted our victory there, when Prof. Allardice appeared & we ate delicous fried oysters & sandwiches, black coffee & cake together while having a very jolly time - he is the brilliant Edinburgh mathmatician you know, who is just as nice as he is peculiar. Soon we went home; and Dr. Fairclough is about the loveliest man I ever met (including, I think, Charles) he cheered up my terrified introduction to euchre in the most considerate way & was so thoughtful all evening.

The lights are going out and I have thought of a million things I wanted to say - so shall anyway - I began by not wanting my Sunday letter delayed by procrastination which Wordsworth considered a legitimate excuse but the lights are combining with the clock to present in my good intentions.

The sigma sigma senior & junior inter-fraternity is going to give a dance either the 11th or 18th and Mr. Abbot asked me for it which I accepted as all the girls are going and it is to be a pretty party.

I missed the chance of my life to do the polite by Mrs. Stanford last Saturday by my laziness - she was visiting the Hall & asked to see some of the rooms - Mrs. Clements told her she would show her mine and of course I had just gotten up and it was kicking its heels so that by the time I had thrown things in order Mrs. Stanford was driving off - served me just right, didn't it? I am rooming alone now as Miriam is going to come & go every day for the rest of the term. She has shown a wonderful insight into the depths of her sorrow by her cheerful sameness of dress and manner just a jolly & bright as before a fact in itself which makes you know every minute how keen & deep the experience was.

[written] 15

[typed] Monday evening,March 15,'97

My very dearest Nannie -

I can't quite remember where to begin but last Wednesday is a good place as I went to afternoon service; it was not so very well conducted as a very scared student is left in charge by Dr. Peet for the Wednesday and Friday service. Thursday Mr. Oliver Pitcher and John Daggett both of Pasadena called for Mary Brunton and me to go up to Frenchman's lake for a little walk. We did and found it full of water and wonderfully pretty. The views from the hills were beautiful - for the weather is growing warm. Saturday morning Helen, Marylyn and I took the 7:40 train for the city as Helen and I had shopping to do and Marylyn was going to see a friend. I had my new organdie waist to get and pay for and shoes (patent leather) also some errands for Theodora; you see the conductor forgot to take my ticket the last time I went, which makes the trips cheap as I am very lucky in being overlooked. The New Orleans French grand opera company is at the California and that afternoon were giving Faust. I had never heard grand opera nor seen Faust on the stage so thought it, in spite of Lent, to be too good an opportunity to lose.

We got the best seats in the house by having resold ones presented to us in exchange - the first row in the gallery. I never enjoyed anything so much in my life; every work of it was in French but of course having just been studying it very carefully I knew every scene and it was so grand. I never heard such music. Of course it is not the finest company in the world but the voices were fine and the parts well interpreted besides having very good stage setting. We had a libretto and I am sure the dollar was well spent - the music still rings out in my memory. In the scene where Valentine dies and curses Margaret I found my face wet with tears, the traces of which gave me a grotesque appearance the rest of the play. We had time afterwards to have a sherbet at Maskeys and catch the 5:30 train. I got off at San Mateo and stayed all night with dear Lolie and it was the crowning treat of such a happy day. She looked very well and we had such a jolly talk. You can't imagine how much more human and sensible that dear child is and I am proud to say we have grown very companionable.

The next day Dr. Breuner called and offered us the carriage to ride to San Mateo to church [illegible] and hear arch-bishop Weber. Dr. Brener also officiated but I did not like the service so much even if it was a wonderfully pretty little church for there was something affected about it an air lent by the rather fresh divinity students who also assisted. The whole Brener school marched in in full uniform and white gloves though they were quite overheated by their march from the school. Theodora and I slipped out in time to catch the 12:30 train to Palo Alto where I found myself in time fo dinner.

After dinner Mrs. Baker wanted the girls to go into the parlor and meet Dr. & Adn Mrs Wendt who had preached in the chapel. Prof and Mrs. Hudson were also there. Dr. Wendt impressed me as being a very egotistical kind of a man and I didn't like him at all. Afterward I slept the rest of the afternoon and last night Miriam, Helen and I simply dug with all our might for an examination in Shakespeare this morning. The ex proved the most severe one I ever had in the university The whole class is groaning over it. Twenty two questions on the text of Hamlet - lines or portions of lines being given and we were to tell everything about them that we knew - quote the passage, tell where it came from and explain the words and annotate as if for an edition of our own. Last night your dear letter came. I am so glad you are going to have a change.

[written] 28

[typed] May 2, '97

Nannie dearest

I don't believe there is a thing to write about this week - itiis oozing in upon my consciousness that there is not much more than three weeks of college left and that a large amount of work lies lectures between the now and the then.

We are reading Browning now and it is perfectly facinating. I spend all my spare time and a great deal that isn't spare reading. Mrs. Sutherland Orr's life of Browning. Isn't it delightful? I hve scarcely ever read anything I liked so much. I have been reading Mamma's letters too - was so amused at those I wrote too when I was housekeeper while Mama and you were east. It all brought back those Washburn days ages ago.

This afternoon Helen, Miriam and I went to Prof. Anderson's and had such a good time. The funny part of it was we stayed so longIt was half past six before we started to go home and then we thought the watch must be wrong. We were so interested talking and looking at pictures that it never occurred to any of us that it was getting late. Prof. A. showed us a short cut home cross fields and fences and a stream with Robert as a guide. We met some fierce dogs that Helen was very much afraid of, then in climbing a fence - an accomplishment I have never mastered - I of course got stuck and my major prof. had to come running back to help me over. Before we reached home we had done everything funny even to fallying down in the waisthigh grass. Through the hired generosity of the head waiter we managed to get quite a good dinner.

Next year Miss Gardener is to have charge of the dining room and kitchen and great chnages are hoped for especially in the funrnishings of the dining room and the goodness of the board. The board and room rent together is to be $25. Now it is $22.50. This morning went to church to hear a Brahmin in the chapel. He wore his white robes and was very interesting - was ver exceedingly erudite - seemed to have read everything. To morrow there is to be a reception for Dr. Peet at Palo Alto - I don't know whether I can go or not but shall try.

The pink shirt waist I dressed up in today with my white duck skirt and new hat - the pink roses mathched it exactly - I am very beautiffully dressed since the box cam - the collars and cuffs I like so much.

Bye bye Your loving Rose.