SC0103_2018-046_Lesnett_1947-01-21

January 21, 1947

Dear Mother and Daddy,

This morning I had a most interesting experience. I had to go up to the little elementary school on campus and observe a second grade music class for my education course. It really was the most adorable group of children I had ever seen. They sang several little songs in which one person each time would get to act out the little parts in the songs. They had one little song which was about a postman, and one of the ways got to walk up and down the aisle with a little sack and pretend that he was delivering mail. Other times, when there wasn't anything in particular to act out one of the children would get to be the conductor. The teacher was very young and very stylist looking, but

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she seemed to know just what to do to make the children interested in what they were doing. I found out later that she also gave music lessons to little children after school. I also had an interesting experience. I had to walk past the Duke house, and just as I was walking under a tree a huge spider came down and jumped at me. It turned out to be a fake one that the boys were working with strings from the window - they were all standing there laughing and I must admit it was quite hysterical. Last year they pulled the same trick with an old dead cat - and that was much worse.

I have some sad news in that I have been trying awfully hard to get a music teacher, but there isn't much hope - there is one man in Palo Alto that I havn't tried

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yet, but I am going to try and get in touch with him tomorrow. There doesn't seem to be anyone in the music department here. They have just recently started to enlarge the music department here and all the professors are tied up completely with work and are not taking any outside pupils at all. This man I am going to see tomorrow does nothing but teach privately. There are some younger people around, but I don't feel that they will have had enough experience to have me get anything out of them. However, I do want you to know that I have been practicing quite faithfully every day and my pieces now are much better than they were.

I really had quite a wonderful time last Saturday night. She, Jack and I went up to the party scheduled with Julie and the boy she was going with and another girl named Marky Coleck

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and a boy from Los Angeles named Jack Reynolds who is a friend of Jacks. The party turned out to be loads of fun - everyone was there. Besides there were so many interesting places in the Fairmont, besides the particular place we were in. We went to one room they have there for dining and dancing which is evicet around a swimming pool, and every once in a while they have a big storm when it rains, thunders, and lightenings.

I got a very sweet letter from Mrs. Keys wander that I thought you might like to read. You knew I had suggested to Ruth that she come back a few days early and stay with us before school starts and that I wanted her if she could to be here when I had my announcement party. After reading this letter I almost feel as if I have to have her

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there regardless of the fact that I want her to be there very much. She had always promised each other that if we announced our engagements in school we could hold each others rings. Of course there wouldn't be much point in her holding my ring - but it would be wonderful to have her there. The only thing is that she would probably have to be at home several days - which I, of course, wouldn't object to, but I am just a little afraid that it might be a little hard on you.

I just don't know quite what to do about Shirley's announcing her date at the tea. The only thing that I thought might be a little awkward was that if I didn't announce my engagement at the door, people wouldn't all know at the same time unless they went into the dining room right away - which I didn't expect them to do.