Stanford Student Letters and Memoirs

[written] 3. (Rose) p. 4

[typed] Sunday evening, September 29, '95

My darling Nannie,

Theodora is studying out loud with one of the girls, so if my letter is mixed up with the "tiers Etat" or any other French Revolutionary terms don't be surprised. This week has been a very full one- Sunday Alice Hayes and I went over to Palo Alto to church and had such a good sermon from dear Mr. Peete - He is a grand upholder of the church, and his simple service I already feel I cannot go without. Monday was a day of lectures and Tuesday I was astounded to see Kate Stabler, Edna Bowman, and Rowena Beans in the quadrangle. Kate had stopped off from a visit to San Jose and Edna had come with her. Edna leaves next month for Germany with Meda Bowman. Rowena Beans was as sweet as ever, and Kate was the same old Kate and more could not be said. She took luncheon with us, and regretted not being able to stay over night to hear Dr. Jordan's lecture on"War Times". Rowena brought a Irishman friend to call in the afternoon- a dear little Miss Bessie Blossom of the Beardsley type of girl, and I was delighted to make her acquaintance as I had admired her in the library. S The events of Monday have come back to me. I remember it was a very blue Monday. I had my first examination under Prof. Andersen and felt that I didn't put down all that I knew. A very crushing conviction as I knew anything short of that wasn't worth anything. My new hat came down and was hideous, it lacked just the indescribable air that made the other becoming. Of course, I was disappointed. Now to continue with Wednesday. I was sent to the blackboard in French, and as I had the corrected sentences I quite distinguished myself. That is all I remember of that day. Thursday I got a letter from Marguerite saying that she would come down Friday and stay over till Saturday with me. The whole day was a pleasure. Theodora and I spent the afternoon in studying French Revolution together, and afterward, as it was intensely

[written] 5

[typed] hot, we indulged in some sherbet as "Rices". Friday, I got my Andersen examination paper back, without any very serious corrections. Charlotte Phillips wrote a splendid paper and was very much and very justly lauded by Prof. Andersen. Another time I hope I'll not be so overcome by trepidition as to do myself so little justice. At noon I found Marguerite sitting in our room just where you had sat a week before. She had been waiting only a few minutes but had made herself very much at home in the meantime. She was looking very well in a pale green wool gown, and had laid a very stylish rough jacket and navy blue hat to match on the bed. Her first words were reproaches at not having been warned of your call. She regretted so not seeing you. The afternoon and evening we spent visiting, and the next morning (Saturday) we both took the eight-thirty train to the city. I took back my unsatisfactory hat, and found Mrs. Coughlin all "nods and becks (?) and wreathed smiles" - she showed me about a dozen of her choicest hats, and finally I decided upon a felt with beautiful cock feathers and rich crown. she put some of the black and white ribbon on it and a black and white aiggrette and made it a bit dressier. The result is a hat suitable for the street or evening, of more value that the first and for the same money. I see material in it for hats to come in future generations. Then we went to Mrs. O'Strandrs and I had a fitting. Afterwards we took my cape to be mended and Theodora's plate for another hundred cards, and reached the "Oliver" in time for luncheon. We found Mrs. Stabler and Kate very well. Mrs. S. so delighted at seeing you and Kate so disappointed at missing you. After luncheon we rested, and the Kate and I made another visit to Mrs. O'Stranders and I had a second fitting, very satisfactory as I had a glimpse of how lovely it is going to be when it is done. We had a glimpse of the lovely things in Vickery's window which was a pleasure in itself. I missed not having anyone to get a bunch of violets.for, but then we afterward of a million of people but I had already spent my

[written] 6

[typed] but thought afterward of a number of people but I had spent my extra twenty cents in balloons for Rob. and Gladys. On my way to the Valencia St. station I stopped off at Louise's , had a glimpse of the children- they both seemed well. I got on the train to find Miss Bessie Blossom who had gone down with us in the morning and also dear lovely Mrs. Jerohuan and Prof. Jerohuan. Isn't she beautiful? I told her about you and Aunt Clair and Uncle Lemson's going and she and Prof. Jerohuan asked Theodora and me to come over there, and they would meet us whenever we would let them know. And they promised to see us whenever they came to the university. The ride down was very short and I reached Roble just in time for dinner. Theodora and I accepted a Kappa Kappa Gamma (girl's fraternity) invition to go for a moonlight ride. About twenty girls went in the very long bus. The night was very beautiful and we rode beyond Redwood city and back, stopping at the Braly's for ice-cream and cake on the way home. The poor Braly girls are broken hearted over the loss of their pet dog- Sir Peter. Bertha was devoted to the little thing, and the other day when she was out driving she ran over it and killed. it. The shock has quite unnerved her. She didn't go on the drive nor we didn't see her in the evening. The drive was beautiful, coming home Miss Kitty Hasket (a Vassar girl) and I sat in the drivers seat and enjoyed it so much. The girls sang and made themselves lively.

( page six of letter missing)

....Would you like the syllabi for the course? I can get it for you if you do. Prof. Howard is such an ardent, interesting apeaker. I like Prof. Andersen sever so much but want to do so well under him that I don't do well at all. French is great fun, and Anglo Saxon very dry but highly beneficial. Sometime this week I want to go to San Jose to get the stiffening for my black sleeves, that is out at Mrs. Ballins and get Miss Smead to put it in order. If I were where I had

[written] 30

[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