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] 13

[typed] March 2, '97 Tuesday afternoon

My dearest Nannie

Am ever and ever so sorry I have been so long about getting this letter off; but this Friday and Saturday have been so full I didn't have time - with an examination today in Art History.

I did not go tto San Jose to the Glee Club concert and party as Helen and I had an invitation from Prof. Allardice to an informal little evening at the bachelor professor's house. We felt ourselves so honored that we wouldn't have refused for worlds. Only a few of the girls were asked, with Dr. and Mrs. Fairclough and Mr. and Mrs. Hodges as chaperones. Prof. Allardice, Prof. Campbell, Prof. Kellog and Prof. Young are ther four bachelors and the evening was in honor of a brother bachelor from San Francisco and a Mr. Snow who has just joined the faculty in the botany department. It was about the loveliest time I ever had on the campus. At first we played cards - hearts - and later foot-ball with an empty egg in the dining room table to be blown from one goal to the other - the most laughable thing in the world to see the professors blowing in the excited intervals when they were not roaring with laughter. The guest Mr. Stadweller was a very finelooking young man with very polished manners. The house was delightful with its bohemian collections from all parts of the world and its great roaring fires. I tell you it takes a lot of men to entertain well.

Saturday Theodora wanted me to into the city with her so I did and such a good time as we had. Mr. Stadweller went down in the bus with me to the train and there I found Mr. Pitcher - Sigma Rho Eta who was very anxious that I go to the baseball game in the city played by Stanford and some northern players but of course I didn't care to. He made a very pleasant escort however as far as Burlingame where Theodora got on. We looked at spring tings till we were tired to death - and I took my organdies for Miss Strander to make the high necked waist and Theodora got here some peach alpaca for an everyday skirt which she also took to Miss S. We saw some very pretty plaid greens silk at .50 a yard that Theodora got for me fo a shirt waist; and we bothe of us got 8 yds of linen for skirts instead of duch skirts. The silk shirt and the skirt makes a lovely combination. We waited till the 6:30 train so as to have dinner at the Palace Grill - I never enjoyed anything so much - such a delisious steak and coffee! It made me realize what poor stuff we lived on here.

Theodora came back here with me and went Sunday afternoon. Sunday morning weAlice Colt and I went to church and there I so Helen Lathrop and Eidith Cullen with Mrs. Gilman. I went home with them for dinner and a plum pudding and Helen drove me back in the little dog cart in time to see Theodora before she went.

Helen and Edith are coming to stay Wednesday night with me. Possibly we will have an invitation initiations at Miriam's house next Friday night and I shall take my new shirt waist and skirt down to Miss Smead(Ithink) to make up.

The summer things are so pretty, such lovely plaid linen skirt waists and dresses and beautiful organdies but not one so pretty as mine.

Yesterday I had to study for this art history examination which passed off easily this morning - by way of letting you know what we have been doing I'll enclose the questions. So far I have not been able to get ahold of the desired Sequoia but still have hopes - I never can catch the editor. The rain has begun against but we cant complain after this beautiful winter. I am so sorry my Nannie has the ...(I can't spell it but you know what I mean. Helen Lathrop sent ever so much love to my sweet aunt.

Very loving Toodles

We have hopes of having the dining room in entire charge of a very excellent lady who will make it dainty and pretty beside furnishing good things to eat...at present it is very poor.

[written] 38

[typed] November 27, '997 Sunday night

My dearest Nannie

Am just home from my "Thanksgiving jag" as the football song goes and such a good time I never did have before! In the morning of Thanksgiving day Edith Snow, Kittie Haskell, Mr. and Mrs Pierce (pronounced purse) Prof. Allardice, Prof. Young, Prof. Campbell and Mr. Snow took the special to the city. The coaches were all bedecked with red bunting and after the engine had tooted the Stanford yell, the fourteen cars set off. When we reached the city I found Theodora waiting for me and when the regular Flyer came in we met Helen looking more like a queen than ever. Mr. and Miss Snow,Helen, Theodora and I took luncheon at the University club and then proceded to the game. We had seats in the yelling section which was the most loyal Stanford place. It was certainly a "red" day and the poor Berkeley men could scarcely keep their feet before our invincible line. The brilliant colouring of the cardinal mingling with the blue and gold makes a never to be forgotten scene, with trumpeting, shouting and waving of ribbons and flags. No one was hurt and the score quickly mounted up though the U.C. men did well and they had one good player and runner but our team is the heaviest of any of the Universities in the east, and Brook our coach was sure that it could have defeated Cornell this year.

After the game Helen, Tedora, Mary Brunton, Fred Haskell and I had dinner at the Palace and then went to the vaudeville that is given each year. It was very poor but was redeemed by the speeches of the football team, of Dr. Jordan and the rest of the prominent men. I could have hugged Stuart Cotton our captain, and in fact I am not sure but what I did exchange embraces after the game with Mr. Searles and some of the old men whom I hadn't seen for sometime, not excluding Dr. Jordan who returned from Washington that day. Theodora and I stayed all night at the Myricks and early in the morning Lolie slipped out to catch the seven oclock train for San Jose where she had to see Mr. Gorbey. I found Mr. Young at breakfast and accepted an invitation from him to go thru chinatown with Mr. and Miss Snow and Mrs. Myrick and Mr. and Mrs. Pierce. It was such fun to go thru all the merchants shops and finally up stairs to a swell resturaunt. Tea was served in a long hall very oriental in its black ebony, settes and taberets. The tables were large and Round with tea set for the party and pickled fruits - oranges and plums, ginger and chinese salted almonds that were delicious. The tea was the best I ever had.

Mr. and Miss Snow came home with us to dinner and afterward we went to the theater to see the "Geisha" - a new Japanese opera that has been having a great run. The next morning Mr. Young took us all down to the water front to see the fishing boats and that was indeed a most picturesque sight, with such refreshing drafts of sea air. We all dined at the University club and in the afternoon Mr. Allardice took us to the Loan exhibit at the Hopkin's House. It was of the local artists and we saw many of Keiths and Jorgenson's that we liked. Edith Snow and her brother said goodbye to us there and I do not know when I shall ever see her again. It left me with a very lonely feeling for in her short stay here I have grown very fond of her. Mrs. Myrick soon went home too and Mr. Allardice and I visited Shreves, Vanderdices, etc enjoying the Xmas things so much, especially those with the Stanford seal on them. I went out to the Myricks very weary indeed and had a good nights sleep beginning immediately after