Stanford Student Letters and Memoirs

[written] 6

[typed] Sunday Morning - Jan. 23 - '97

My dearest Nannie -

There is just a few minutes before the Episcopal Sunday morning bus come and I will have time to begin my letter to my Nannie. After church I am to dine with Mrs. Gilman, Mrs. Cullin's sister in Palo Alto, and afterward Helen and I are going to call at the Anderson's in Menlo Park and then at Mrs. Stanfords. Mrs. Anderson has her paralyzed bedridden mother with her, also Prof. Anderson's mother and uncle. Prof. A. says she gets lonely with so many old people and far away in Menlo.

Oh' the Jordan birthday party was perfectly lovely. Dr. Jordan's 46th birthday. He did look so grand and handsome and for the first time actually appeared in a dress suit. He was a great big courtly gallant. Mrs. Jordan was very sweet and pretty in a becoming dark Washington gown with a good deal of crimson about it. Mrs. Stanford was there, Prof. & Mrs. Anderson, Dr. & Mrs. Brauner, Prof. & Mrs. Hudson, Prof, & Mrs. Murray, Prof & Mrs Smith, Prof. & Mrs. Lenox -the four bachelor profs--Mr. Allardice, Kellog, Campbell & Young. Mrs. Baker and few of the girls & boys - with some of the musical people to play, the Dully family particularly who have wonderful talent - two brothers play on the violin, accompanied by their sister. I felt wonderfully honored to have Dr. Stillman come up to me when I was talking with Prof. Allardice and one or two others and tell me Mrs. Stanford wished to speak with me. She was very lovely & gracious and was very appreciative of the call we made. In the middle of the evening Dr. Jordan ushered Mrs. Stanford into the dining room where there were three immense birthday cakes with forty-six candles ablaze around them. Edith managed the whole affair, and asked me to cut the icecream. Prof. Allardice escorted me home and ended an evening I shall never forget. One of the girls in the Hall had very seriously hurt her eye so I spent the rest of the night till almost three o'clock taking care of her, as her roommate was tired. The next night b was a screeching Pasmore invitation concert, and the evening after Mrs. Baker had the Zete boys & Prof. & Mrs. Hudson to dinner. In the evening we danced and made candy in Helen's chafing dish. Saturday morning there was a meeting of the executive committee of St. Agnes guild at Mrs. Faircloughs, and it was decided to have an informal meeting and tea for all the members there next Saturday. I have forgotten to say that the bus came for me yesterday when I was writing and that now it is Monday immediately after luncheon. After church Mrs. Gilman took me home and such a good dinner as we had! Just a roast beef dinner with best plum pudding I ever at. afterwards wine jelly, fruit, nuts etc - with claret that this Roble chicken greatly enjoyed. Mrs. Gilman has two splendid sons in their teens and soon to enter college - one is 6 4in. tall the other 6. 2+. The girl Mary is a healthy fourteen year old little beef eater. Mrs. Gilman's mother was also there. All are fine looking English people & Mrs. Gilman is lovely. Afterwards I met Helen in Palo Alto & we took a bus to Prof. Andersons. He has a lovely home just entering Menlo Park - a very large green house in the midst of a great field of oak trees and the most beautiful view of both ranges of hills. Mrs. Anderson could not leave her mother so we did not see her. But Prof. Anderson was so lovely. His mother helped him entertain us. She is a very old lady with a wonderfully sweet face & cultured voice and