Stanford Student Letters and Memoirs

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[typed] cause it is a very sensitive point with her. So you see that we escaped joining a fraternity which was rather unpleasant because the Braly girls were so sweetly persuasive and Allis Cowen Alice Cowan was a great inducement as she is pledged. But they have all been just as lovely since we declined as they were before which speaks volumes in their favor and I shall never criticise girl's frats. again. Alice Cowen asked me to go out riding with her Wednesday so "alls well that ends well". Another event that I forgot to mention was...once a week Prof. Anderson in going to read to us from Browning, there is to be no outside work and no credit, he is simply going to read an hour to us. Isn't that lovely? It was so lovely of you to send on the Fr. Rev. syllabus - I will return the compliment as soon as possible. Prof. Anderson asked after you one evening when he came over to read Browning's "Saul" to the Roble girls at Miss Thompson's request. He read it magnificently. I got a beautiful letter from Helen Lathrop a week or less ago- she sent her love to you. She is still at the hospital with her father in St. Helena. She is preparing herself to do slum work - and is taking a course in trained nursing. She is going to enter at St. Luke's hospital in S.F. and take a two years course. At present she is taking a course in chemistry, physiology, massage and nursing. She is such a beautiful noble girl, just such a one that makes you better just to think of and whom it is a great privilege to know. She sent me two pictures of herself, in one she is looking down at her Mother's picture in her hands - it is so sweet and lovely that I am going to send it on to you, the other one I fear she did not intend I should keep, but only chose from. Prof. Heath went down to see about our pictures

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[typed] think he must be a great liberator to his race.

We have been having extremely warm days - Such warm weather for the latter part of November. I have had to take off my flannels which I had put on quite a while ago but have been perfectly miserable until I got out of them. There is a great deal of trepedations for fear this fine weather forbodes rain for the Thanksgiving football game. I think Rose would very much like to see it but it is quite unnecessary and consequently we will not take it in.

Have not had the first fitting to my collarette yet and thinking it about time I had written to Wallace jugging his memory a bit.

Monday

Theodora has left a sheet for me to fill and she claims to have given out of ideas..for my part I am possessed with one and only one and that is that I am reeling with sleep. Perhaps I can bring my mind under sufficient control to recall the one weekly excitement. I accepted an invitation of the Delta Tau Deltas to a dramatic evening and dance. I had such a funny time. I seemed to monopolize all the engaged or at least very devoted men - My first dance with Guy Cochran while Alice C___ sat it out, refreshments with somebody else who is very attentive to one of the girls, and my last dance and one other with another engaged man. The intermin were danced with various and usndry Taus etc. and the whole evening was one of the funniest medly imaginable. The farce was very cute and pretty as well as a dramatic recital by one of the boys. The Browning class is such a treat, never enjoyed anything more - and I love Prof. Anderson. Last Sunday

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[typed] he read the "Confession" "Respectability,and Christina and one or two others, just to give us a taste of the shorter poems, the rest was a talk and sketch of Browning. In French we are just beginning Balzac's Eugenie Grandet. In Anglo-Saxon, MSS from King Alfred's Pastoral care and the Legend of St.Andrew. There are various reports and opinions of the Big Game and the seats are now on sale. Oh, I hope we win. Tomorrow we, Bessie Blossom, Helen Younger make our party call at the S.A.E.'s I have just been assorting our French Rev. syllabi, as soon as I can, I'll forward them.

Yours loving Toodles.

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[typed] Short. By way of finishing touch I went out to see if I couldn't find just one rose to put by Mana' picture and then tried not to feel disappointed when I couldn't find one, but aided my search by making myself go for a walk with a conceited old school m'am who was discouraged over this morning's ex. When I came back what was my astonishment to find in the room a large box from Sherwood nersery directed to me, which upon opening I found contained the daintiest mass of pink roses and maiden hair with Helen Younger's card. I fairly squealed with joy. By that time it was luncheon and after that we went to Browning and had such a "soul cleansing" reading of the Blot of the 'Scuthceon" really- Prof. Anderson is one of the grandest characters to so fully interpret so grand a master as Browning and so grand a thing as the poem. He simply told us the history of its stage appearance, quoting the opinion2of various actors among them Brack all of who greatly admired it and then he read the interview between Mildred and Lord Tresham, with so much feeling. He said he could not read the curse nor most of it because of its overwhelming pathos. After Browning, I heard of an Anglo-Saxon ex. to-morrow in verbs and hurried home to dig with a feeling in my hear that maybe Gertrude might come on the afternoon train. When who should appear in a surrey but Gertrude and Miss McR..... both laden with suspicious baskets and boxes of which of course I was oblivious. they left their parcels, and went to hunt up Mr. McKinsion and Theodora. by half past four we four were in my room having such a Christmas of a time undoing bags and boxes - in one was the most exquisite birthday cake made by G. by your rule and with Rose in violets on the white frosting - then from Miss McK. basket - red carnations and a a dainty hand painted slender vase for Theodora and most

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[typed] revolution so as to know Milton, and in French Rev. we are just beginning Mirabeau. I haven't found out about Victor Hugo's poems yet but shall soon. I shall leave the rest of this for extra ideasso good night- your loving....

Tuesday - Dec. 17, '95.

I didn't realize this would be a Christmas letter or I should have begun on more Christmasy paper - but I must tell you about"Napoleon's retreat from Moscow". I asked Prof. Andersen about it and he said he had never published it but that he would copy it for me - providing I would never let it get into print as sometime he intended to publish it. Of course, I would not listen to his going to so much trouble and he supplied me with pen, paper and the original to copy it myself. As I did so he glanced over my shoulder and read the whole thing through. He said that he wrote it one night when we was preparing a lecture on Victor Hugo - he wanted some extract of his works to illustrate with and the volume of translations was so poor that he turned to this passage and translated it himself as he said, he thought he could do better than "those fellows"(the volume of translations) The result was the best work he ever did. He said the passage in the original had always been a favorite of his and he had translated it into the heroic meter as that best gave the idea of the rugged system rhythmn of the French verse. He went on to say that this was only a part of the series of Victor Hugo's portrayals of Napoleon's eventful life, and the the Expiation at last came when Napoleon arose from his gorgeous tomb and beheld the debauched reign of his successor according to Hugo's thought. We had a delightful talk, and he took my copy and put his signature to it and date. Wasn't it lovely of him_I was so happy I wanted to hug him. In Browning he read "Strafford" to us and when he came to the last scene, there