Stanford Student Letters and Memoirs

[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] 9

[typed] Roble Hall Sunday - Jan.3-'97

My dearest Nannie -

Last evening I came back from a very pleasant New Year with the Mynicks and now that dear little Lolie has gone to take her bath, I will have time to write. She tells me she forgot to tell you about Christmas day. I don't know whether that included a little impromptu card party the night before or not. But I believe I told you about that in my last letter. At any rate Mrs. Baker who has lived at the Zet Psi fraternity house ever since her son entered asked us to take Christmas dinner with her together with the Haskel girls and their mother, Marylyn Main and Alice Colt. The things did taste so good and it was such a pretty dinner, afterward we danced--three of the boys were home, and the evening went in a twinkling. The Monday afterwards Theodora went to San Jose and I suppose has told you all about that. Thursday I put on my green skirt and waist and went to the city on the noon train, and spent a couple of hours shopping before I went out on Broadway to the Mynicks. I found at Sammuels a blue English serge suit - close fitting- double breasted, small sleeves, velvet collar & tailor finish all exactly what I wanted & made to wear shirt waists with too like this [sketch of a dress as described] all for 23.50 reduced from twenty-seven. I shall like it because it is different from the half-fitted jackets so common and like my last winter black serge. It is very stylish too & has quite a distinguished air I flatter myself. I also invested in four pairs of excellent stockings at Drane & Hueshil woods for a dollar and a black merino petticoat. And in a trice did all my little errands and went up to Mrs. Mynics by five-thirty. We had a very delicious turkey dinner, lighted candalabrae with red berries. Judge Mynick had asked Mr. Pomeroy to dine and is he all enthusiastic about Stanford where he taught law last year, we had a very congenial time. His father is of the law text book fame. In spite of an engagement he had to watch the old year out he stayed to help extole Prof. Anderson with me and before he knew it he stayed the evening too. After he went about eleven o'clock we went to a Presbyterian watch meeting and issued in the New Year singing hymns. The next day I didn't wake up till nearly two O'clock in the afternoon when Couisin Emma called me and then we went out to the Cliff House for a ride. The day was about the most perfect I ever saw in San Francisco so clear that we could see the Farolon Islands. That evening we met Miss Brewer and Mr. Wilcos at the theatre where we saw the Trauley Co. in "The Great Unknown" - a pretty little society comedy with Frank Worthing the most attractive player. The next day Mrs. Mynick went with me while I did some more odds & ends of shopping - getting my dress which I left to be refitted & which I found most satisfactory and then we had such a delicious little luncheon at the University Club. I came home on the four-thirty train finding Marylyn Main and also Prof. Allardice. He is the brilliant Edinburgh professor in Mathematics and exceedingly entertaining. At the Hall had the happiness of finding Mrs. Baker installed as mistress of the Hall. Dr. Jordan had told me that Mrs. Clements was going to go and then Mrs. Baker would be our temporary house-mother--most delightful news and the dear precious man took such pleasure in telling it. It is so good to see him walking past the hall again, when