Stanford Student Letters and Memoirs

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[typed] until the day was past! but Rose this morning tumbled the box of delicious nuts into my bed with your good letter and I was made very happy. And the dear little points - just what I have wanted and prettier than any of the girls wear.

O! I have had just the loveliest most unexpected kind of a birthday. In the first place all my lectures were perfectly enjoyable; But at French Revolution I missed Rose, and wondered where whe was, but when I went to our room at noon, I knew the reason. It was sweet with flowers. Two exquisite bunches of violets and ferns - one from Rose and another from Alice Colt,another dear girl. The pictures were decorated with the loveliest red grape leaves - beautifully autumned. Large white chrysanthemums in Rose's pretty vase and a most artistic sprawling bunch of small sun flowers, in the reading room. I was truly overcome - it was so unexpected and so like Rose. In the afternoon Mrs. Ballington Booth the Salvation army woman spoke in the Chapel to an immense audience. I was duly inspired - but always knew their work was a grand one. That was the 3rd treat. Afterwards I went to the library determined to study but my mind was too full of other things and I thot by the time I had had the walk over to the hall I could settle down to work there - but what was my delight to find Gertrude there. Wasn't it lovely of her! And she had made up into the handsomest bag - just as rich as Mrs. McGrens-the canvas she worked for me. The silk is a beautiful quality of heavy black corded silk and the change from the satin is a pleasant one. I was totally h happy with it for I have wondered how I was ever to get it made, and I needed it so much. Rose had gotten in Palo Alto a birthday cake and after dinner 8 of the girls came in and enjoyed it with me. And Mrs. Forte had sent each of us a delicious glass of jam so I dedicated mine to the occasion. When the girls had all gone except Miriam and Helen Younger ( one of the most attractice girls I have ever met)

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[typed] Saxon that nobody did well in and a Milton ex."sprung" on us by Prof. Anderson which was not very hard. Sunday was rainy and I studied. Saturday morning Theodora washed my hair so well and in the afternoon I helped decorate for the reception to the Faculty given by the ladies of Roble Hall. It was a very pretty evening and most of the faculty came. There was music and recitation by imported and home talent and we had an awfully good time with the dear splendid professors. Dr. Howard is grand - that reminds me - do not send the Fr. Rev. Histories for we have access to all the books we need in the library or in the Hall. It is so much fun to get hold of the professors outside of class when we can get even with them a little. Friday night Theodora and I stayed all night with the Braly girls and had an awfully good time. About all I remember of the rest of the week was being rushed by the Kappa Kappa Gamma frat. I contemplated it some because I didn't know but what it might be a good thing for Theodora to be thrown so closely with a number of nice girls, as they certainly all are, but my speculations were in vain because she was carried away by Mrs. Ballington Booth's lecture and paid her initiation fee to join the Salvation army auxiliary. It was funny because it was just to divert her religious tendency that I contemplated the fraternity for her. She is entitled to the Salvation army literature so I am going to turn it to profit and sell her "War Cries" at "Patsy Green's Sporting Palace" in Mayfield. Theodora and I have better and better times to-gether and we are growing nearer than ever before, her religious enthusiasm seems to react on me in inverse ratio but it certainly makes her more lovable and me more loving so I guess it is all right - don't mention it to her or to me be-

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[typed] I have walked to Palo Alto nearly every(day). I was on the refreshment committe for the Roble reception to the boys; rather I was the committee. I thought at the time that I would never act in that capacity again, but as the refreshments were better than they ever had befor, and there was more than enough for everyone and I didn't run them into debt I feel quite repaid for my trouble. We had strawberry icecream and pineapple ice with homemade walnut wafers. The reception was a great success. Theodora wore her lavendar and I my new waist. Next Monday Encina has invited Roble over to eat a Thanksgiving dinner with them. In the history of the University is only the second thing Encina has ever done, and it will be a very nice thing. To-day there are just twenty girls in the hall - two of them had boxes sent from home and they gave a Thanksgiving dinner to us all - chicken, cranberry, cake, nuts, fruit, cocoa and all the pretty dishes and silverware the hall could offer. One of the girls did the decoration with scarlet geraniums and massed in the center and honeysulckle spraying to the corners. The dinner cards were footballs painted on paper. Mr. Peete had service at eight o'clock before the train left, and Ora and I walked over to it. When we got back I curled up and finished Anthony Hope's "Prisoner of Zenda" Have you read it? It seems to me to be a very good blood and thunder fairy tale. Two more hours before we can hear. It is pouring yet. The figures on the museum have almost faded into the mist.

[written] Rose p. 11 6

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

My dearest Nannie--

What an age since I have had a talk with you! I mean, of course, a written talk for of course, mentally we have chatted volumniously. Just at present there is a kind of lull in the second semester gayeties, everyone is studying hard for final exams, and there is no more frivolity[written] till Commencement week, which begins Friday May 22nd. When there is a promenade concert in the quadrangle, which is all illuminated with Chinese lanterns, & in the short arcades are booths. Then there is the Senior hop to which I have promised to go with Mr.Abbott, the one I wanted to go to the Sophomore Hop with. There is to be a choral concert too and then commencement day. I forgot the burying of the the hatchet bet. the Soph. & Freshman classes too.

Last Friday there was the prettiest reception given to the faculty by the Roble girls imaginable. It was a colonial evening, all the girls got as quaint costumes as possible & powdered their hair, and sixteen danced the minuet. I was to have been in it, but Theodora didn't want to see me in it, as she has sneered on such subjects since Said Pasha. After the minuet--professors and everybody danced all the old dances they could think of, Dan Tucker, Sicilian Circle, Sir Roger de Coverly, etc. You should have seen the staid and awesome faculty so thoroughly enjoying capering about. And the joke of it was they stayed till long after the lights went out, before they noticed that the lamps and candles had been brought in; a thing the boys would never dare to do. Dr. Jorden , Prof.Anderson & Mr. Hudson were not there, owing to previous engagements, but Dr.Howard was the last one to leave. The hall was beautifully decorated, & the refreshments of ice-cream and cakes were delicious. The rest of the week has been good solid digging, such as has gone in since the Junior Prom that I lead with Mr. Herme.

Yesterday I went to church and heard a good sermon from dear little old Dr.Peet, I think I shall that little chapel more than anything else when I get back to San Jose. Walking doesn't seem to tire me any more, and I love to go down there, it is so restful & peaceful, and necessary in the active life here.

I suppose Theodora told you of our little glimpse of Gertrude last week--she is such a splendid girl.

The first of June Theodora & I will go down to San Jose and be home again. I am looking forward to it ever so much. The Manns have just moved into a flat on U. first street much pleasanter, roomier and newer than their red house, and Laura and I hope to have a cosy time this summer.

How pretty the sample of blue alpaca is you sent, no doubt you will have a beautiful suit. Don't think of sending me, anything, for we are loaded with things to make up and without buying a single thing, and I think it will be jolly to sew this summer.

Prof, Hudson was telling me the other day of the summer school this year; he is going to repeat his lectures of a year ago, and a good many more of the faculty are going to stay. Prof.Anderson has moved down to Menlo Park--just where, I don't know. He is the dearest man living.

The picture I sent you was of Theodora, so Elsie was right after all, those little photos are the craze now, and it is positively unsafe to go on the quadrangle for you are sure of having one of those snapped. The weather has been most un-May-like. It has rained viciously for a month and even yet is gray and windy. I find my Caillrueh[written] suit & shirtwaist all lined[written], with a felt hat I made for the Junior

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[typed] May 4, 1896

Is it possible I have written a whole letter and not mentioned the maple sugar? A week ago when the expressman drove up, I watched him with a most[written] longing wish that by some strange chance he might have something for me, when lo--he did, and of all things the thing I love most. I took a saucer of it to Miss Thompson who is one of the poor girls in the Hall, and treated our end of the table, and there was enough left to make Theodora and me happy all through the week. It's all gone now but I never enjoyed a thing so much in my life. Thank you so much, my Nannie. And now I must sy bye-bye.

Oh--Miss Thompson is not going to be here next year for a friend of Mrs. Stanford's is going to take her place--a Mrs.Reed whom we are all most curious about. I only hope whe will be as good as Miss Thompson has been. Oh the Junior day Sequoia wasn't much good--this number had two or three of my things in it. So I'll send that if you want, too--They accepted that crazy little thing I wrote on the mountain instead of what I wrote for the occassion, and owing to the fault of the printers & the number of pages it didn't get in, I was happy to say.

Bye-bye Your Toodles.