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] 3

[typed] Saturday Jan 9-'97

My dearest Nannie -

My dearest Nannie - I forgot I called you that once and absent mindedly have written it over again but I mean it a whole page full. Your letter came just about an hour ago and I have been grinning over it since and reading parts of it about the pictures to the girls. Helen Younger has been moving down from the 4th to the 2nd floor so we are near neighbors. She has been fixing up her room and I have been helping her. Her room-mate - Mary Caldwell a freshman & relative of Marguerite Sabler - has almost as many pretty things as Helen has, & their room has assumed already a very Bohemian & artistic air, it has been great fun, & we have fixed pretty studies by burning the edges into rich brown odd shapes - a trick I picked up from one of the boys at the Rho Eta House. This is such a glorious day. We certainly are having a heavenly winter! Last Monday I started out to make calls in Palo Alto in my new suit that I like immensely. I found Mr. Teggart was sick in bed, I suspect she is on the verge of enlarging her family. Mrs. Angel, Dr. Angel told me was in Boston and as he said had gone shortly after the ("Opera" or card party they gave. Mrs. Gilman - Mrs. Cullen's sister - was not at home neither was Miss Darrah the excellent Education teacher. In the evening Alice Colt and I called on Dr. & Mrs. Stillman & of all my list they were the only ones home. Tuesday we registered & made out our programs for this next semester and Wednesday lectures began again. We are beginning Hamlet. It is so far now most difficult & thorough Shakespere study. I am not going on with Hudson's class as it makes too many hours and though it is deserted devoted to Tennyson I think I can make a study of it myself some time. Otherwise my course is almost the same except that I take Renaissance Art History under Prof. Krieber instead of 18th cent. Hist. We begin with Giotto. The girls feel very sad at the thought of leaving this semester and I am happy in the thought that It is not my last quite yet. Mrs. Baker our new matron is lovely she knows so many people we know - the Cullens & the Lathrops & knew of Mama thru some of the faculty ladies here. Did I tell you of the lovely call I had on Mrs. Jordan. She inquired about you, & wished to be most warmly . Did I tell you about Mr. Delamater's death just before Christmas. It was the end of quite a long illness & feebleness. What do you think Theodora is doing! She wants & must have the 400 paid Louise as soon as possible and in order to do so we couldn't draw on our allowance. So Theodora is sending me 30.00 out of the 40.00 she earns each month, of course when I earn or get the money I shall repay her, but think of my sister sending me thro' college! My last letter from her said she was having a happy time with her little "tads" coming back. She is really fond of her work and got some useful hints from Miss Darrah & the teacher's institute. Oh the Sohrab & Rustum paper is not worth sending. It was written at the end of the term in a great rush & my main ideas was to get off my hands. Helen took more pains with hers, and if I can persuade her to let me send it I shall. Am going to call on Mrs. Fairclough this afternoon.

Bye-bye Your loving Toodles.