Stanford Student Letters and Memoirs

[written] p. 15 10

[typed] Gertrudes, San Jose May 29 - '96

My dearest Nannie--

I have a letter started to you telling all about the gayety of commencement week, but is is packed and I will finish is as soon as I can get at it, for the present I'll drop you a line to let you know that last night Theodora and I came down to spend the time with Gertrude till we can go home Monday. Our place looks beautiful, but needs a little weeding, and the screen doors painted. It will be so heavenly to be there again, I can scarcely wait till Monday. The Campbells are going to have everything, Monday noon as clean as possible without taking up the carpets. As far as we can tell yet they have been very good tenants. Packing was a diabolical business, with all the things we had. The books and everything that I shall need next year we stored in the dress-box and left in the room. The rest went into the three trunks and two telescopes and Charles is going to drive down to get them & bring them up to the house as soon as we want them. The bookshelves, tea-table, screen, reading stand, etc. we locked up in one of the closets that was at our disposal for the summer. Mr. Herme presented me with a flourishing house-palm that we brought up with us to make the house look pretty. We are resting in these transition days--Theodora putting on a binding to her everyday skirt, and I writing up the letters I owe. Last evening Miss McKimmon drove up with dear old Punch and the phaeton with a fresh coat of paint. Just imagine it! Did you ever hear of such a generous noble woman. It is her way of paying for the use of Punch and the buggy, of course we shall have him and the phaeton as good as new, through the summer, though we haven't quite planned yet how we shall keep him. This morning we drove around and engaged Mrs.Gay to come and wash all our heaps of soiled clothes that we brought up from Stanford. Next Tuesday. Mrs. Mann has moved into a pretty flat on N.First street, but has been very ill, though is better now, I Believe. After dinner I am going down to inquire about her. This morning we got quanities of exquisite pink sweet peas and pale lavendar ones from Gertrude's memorial exercises at school, and took them out to the cemetary, making it look more beautiful than I ever saw it. Mamma's and Papa's places we put great bouquets & crosses of the pink, and grandma's & the children's of the lavendar. We came home rested & at peace with all mankind, and with an enormous appetite too. Everything tastes very good here at Mrs. MacWilliams. Next week we will be making soda biscuits ourselves, Louise and the children come down Tuesday which we think is a very good plan. As dinner is not yet ready and I have extra page I better not wait for the chance of finding my other letter but tell you about Commencement. Friday afternoon (21st May) I cut ice cream at a pretty red trimmed table for the president's reception to the seniors and faculty. I wore my little party dress with laceguimpe & white ribbon collar and red roses. Each table had a certain color--pink or yellow or red, and each set of girls wore corresponding colors. The reception was very pretty & I had a beautiful time with Prof, & Mrs. Anderson, & cribbing icecream for the girls that didn't have the luck I had. Mrs. Anderson looked prettier and better than I ever saw her before. I called little Robert in & stuffed him with ice-cream & cake. In the evening Miriam Maclaren and I called at Prof, & Mrs. Powers and we had a most delightful, inspiring time. Saturday morning was the facultysenior baseball game. Mrs. Myrick came down for it, and Mr. Brunton came over for me to go; he is the champion track athlete, &

[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.