Stanford Student Letters and Memoirs

[written] p. 23 b XVIII

[typed] I don't know if you know about the collarette that Wallace was to make me. It is a great sucess. I got it yesterday and it certainly is a very rich garment. Your descritoion of your 14 mile walk was delightful. How strong you are.' I should be tired out with such a long tramp - 5 or 6 miles is about as much as I can stand. I have walked to Menlo and back which I thought quite a feat. The Stanford is or has been a gorgeous sight. THe leaves all turned red as the reddest wine. This is the most ideal place and we are so happy here. This morning I had a fit of cleaning though Sunday, but I didn't get back until 7 last night and so I feel it a necessity to get our room in order for the weeks work. Rose was busy yesterday over a dance which the girls had gotten up very suddenly. Rose enjoyed it very much. I am so glad she does. Tomorrow night we the Roble girls are to be given the Thanksgiving dinner at Encina. I would 100,000 times rather dine quietly here but I suppose we won't have anything here in anticipation of the event. O! whom do you think came down on the train with me but Harry Morrison! He gracefully gave his seat beside me to Mr. Wright about half way here and so I had a chance to ask of Mrs. W. She has been very ill. Pleurisy this time I think. She is up now after 3 weeks in bed. My pencil has gottes so dull that I shall resign in favor of Rose She read me the first of her letter which sounded so well that I was quite discouraged ere I began. Love to Aunt Clara and yourself. from Theodora.

[written] p. 20 15

[typed] Sunday - June 28 - '96

called down to me to start the dinner so shall finish this later.

x x x

Sunday July 5th - '96

A trifle later isn't it my dear Nannie? - but actually this is the first time I have sat down since I got our steak dinner just a week ago to-day. I believe I had several topics to wind up with that I shall tell you before this weeks happenings are recorded. Fisrst: Maggie Scott is in New York on her return from Brazil and will be there about six weeks, I told Susie Cory to be sure & let her know your whereabouts. She doesn't know whether she will return to South America or not, and is spending so much time East seeing to educational matters. Second: Charles came in and ina day and a morning put the grounds into such beautiful order that we have been proud of them ever since, & he did do many little odd jobs too. Third: I made a tee-total failure of the Washburn school - my wits & memory & ideas flew every which way & I shook like an aspen leaf till I sat down, having muttered some incoherent sentences that had neither verb nor noun, Laura came next & did better & each improved in turn till Miriam Maclaren carried off the honors. Honestly I never knew what it was to be frightened before but I shall never forget now - Really I didn't like Chauncey Depew when I heard him but I think him & his vocations truly miraculous now that I have had a little experience. Now for this week's news - there is none - it has simple snapped & the week is gone leaving behind it the tracks of an excellent dressmaker & two suit apiece for Theodora & me at the rate of three seventy-five a suit.

x x x

Have just gotten Charles's luncheon - I don't intend to stir till I finish this patch work letter. The shirt waist patter you sent, Laura has used and also Mrs. Wright. Mr. Wright took such a fancy to my blue shirt waist that he carried it off down town to have it exactly copied for Mrs. W. Theodora has gotten expert at making button-holes, and nick by nick I am learning the art of dress making - mean now to make me a little matinee jacket out of my old red striped flannel skirt by the shirt-waist pattern & have a stock collar of red ribbon & full of lace at the neck - then one more shirt waist out of Theordora's old gingham dress, make over my dotted swiss dress, & finish my batiste, then to finish up with my underclothes & I shall be done - oh I forgot my green silk waist, night gowns for every day I shall be most in need of, as at present I have only one besides the little old duds of Mama's that we found in the attic. Friday evening Gilbert & Jessie Russell & Laura came down to get me to go to a little informal, impromptu, dance at the Vendome which was "kind of fun". Felt too tired & indifferent to go out to the Schneider's garden party, especially as we had no way of coming and going without considerable expense, stayed home & finished off my pink crepe waist ready to wear which was more satisfactory. It is like this: - It is a beauty as the crepe draped as only crepe will in the hands of an artist dress maker, I put Ora's pink velvet roses at the sides of the colar which adds the finishing touch.- my sketch isn't very good but it may give an idea. The green broadlcoth skirt made circular is the handsomest thing I ever had, and the blue skirt & silk waist I like

[Sketch to the side of the upper half of a dress, sleeves, and waist] (sketch)