Vassar College,
April 19. 1896.
My dear Lou,--
"On the nineteenth of April in *75,
Hardly a man is now alive"---
(The date Just reminded me of that).
I hope you are not having it so warm In Cleveland as it is
here: - especially as we had It so cool in the Easter vacation we
notice the change more. For we have jumped from winter to the middle
of summer without any spring. A week ago I took off my winter dress and
winter cape, and put on all my summer clothes — a more sudden change
than I ever made before, but it was unbearably hot otherwise. I now have
on my white dress and no more under it than I wear in August. There
were not two days In which a spring Jacket could be worn — at first because
it was too cold and then because it was too hot, so that I found it much
easier than usual to dispense with that luxury. I suppose we may expect
cooler weather pretty soon-— at least I hope so, for 90° in the shade is
not particularly inspiring to studying.
I was glad yesterday that I was not one of those who were play-
ing basketball, we are having match games in that now, every Saturday
till Field Day, which is oa the ninth of May. These match games are about
the most exciting things that occur during the year. We all want our own
class to beat and get the championship. Our class were the champions
last year, so we are doubly anxious to keep the honor for this year. I think
Apr- IP, 1396 - 2
Kd would very much enjoy watching one, but they don't allow men to
be present—-except the professors who wish to come. Our team beat
yesterday the team of '98. Carrie Abbott is Captain of the team of '99.
Ruth Mears is on the team too.
So many things are happening now, and will be till Commencement,
It is very inconvenient that at the same time we should be given special
topics in everything, which take a great deal of extra time. Tutoring
four or five hours a week of :ourse takes time too, but I shall be
through with that about the first of May.
This coming week will be very full. In the first place we are
going to draw for rooms for next year tomorrow, and that always causes
a great deal of excitement. For of course you have no idea whether you
are going to get a very good room or a very poor one. Since I am going
to be in a parlor with Ray and Winifred, we stand a great deal better
chance for a good room than if we were going to take singles, for very
fe^ girls want parlors, and nearly all the class are going in for singles.
Some day this week President Taylor is coming home; we don't
know till the time comes, just when the steamer will arrive. But when he
gets here, we are going to give him some big kind of a celebration -there
is a committee of Faculty and students in charge of it.—I have even heard
rumors of a half-holiday. We shall be so glad to see Prexy again.
Apr- 1396 - 3
I went through his house yesterday afternoon - The frame-
work is all up and the roof on and the chimneys finished, and now they
are at work putting the bricks up on the outside. They are about half
way up now. I had an idea thaA in the brick houses I have seen built at
home, they built up the outside brick wall before they made the frame-
work inside. Is that so?
Next Saturday evening in the chapel there is to be an open
debate between three member? of "Qui Vive", the Senior Debating Society,
and three members of our "T. and M.M Ray is to be the leader on our
side. We have not all of our best debaters on, for some of the best ones
withdrew their names when they were nominated. The subject is come-
thing about the foreign policy of the present administration, but I do not
know just how It is worded. I think the Seniors will beat us, for I think
they debate better than they play basketball.
Our next regular meeting of T. and M. is going to be very
interesting. Instead of a regular debate we are going to have a Republi-
can National Convention, and nominate a President and Vice-president
of the United States. Gertrude Smith is at the head of it, and she together
with the other five girls who would otherwise debate, will run the thing
nominating
and make the-artwMjr speeches. It is impossible, or rather Impracticable to
let the girls represent the state that they really come from, for so large
Ap*. 19, 1&9& - 4
a majority come from New York State, and ao many States are repre-
sented by only one girl. So the corridors have been divided among differ-
ent states in such a way that fourteen states will be represented, (wirich
will be easier than forty-five) aad each state will have a delegation in
proportion to its number of representatives in Ceng res*. Then all the
Republicans who have been talked of for the Presidency will be nomi-
nated by their State delegations, Morton by New York, Reed by Elaine,
McKinley by Ohio, etc. 1 am \ery sorry that L shall not have the pleasure
of supporting McKinley, but I have to be from Pennsylvania and I suppose
will be expected to support Senator Quay. Then we will have the ballots
taken — at first informal ones, and then formal, just as the convention
does- It will be lots o£ fun, I think. This too, will be a sort of prelimi-
nary to the campaign which we will carry on next year. For the Presi-
dential campaign comes once, of course, during every girls1 course, and
is celebrated with a great deal of enthusiasm, and voting booths are arranged
and the whole college votes— I am glad ouiswiU come during our Senior
year, for we will be "in it" match more than if we were Freshmen.
Yesterday 1 sent to Miss Adams the new number of the "Vassar Miscel-
lany"— which is the first one under the new board,— I mean the girls in
our class are now at the head of the board of editors, and so, according to
the usual custom, the contributions for that number are only from the
Apr. 19, X 396 - 5
Junior and Freshmen classes. It is an unusually good number, I think.
The minister this morning was from Auburn Theological
Seminary, and he had not much life to him. hi fact I thought his ser-
mon was quite dry. I hope they are not all like that there. His name
is Dr. Darling, or Dowling. I did not exactly understand which.
Thursday night at the missionary meeting we had one of the
Secretaries of the Student Volunteer Movement, Mr. Pitkin, who was
extremely interesting and earnest. We had one of the other Secretaries
last year, and another one the year before, but I liked this one the best
of the three, by far. He is going out to China in the fall.
I am so glad Edle is going away, if it is only to Portsmouth,
(and I don't know just where that is) - for even that little change will do
her good- I suppose. She simply must go away for a change and rest
this summer.
JLater. I have just come back from prayermeeting and liked Dr.
Dowling very much better in that.
After prayermeeting I stopped in at Miss Leach's and had a
lovely talk with her.
She told me that before Prof. Fuller was appointed at the Women's
College, Pres. Thwing asked her to come and be at the head of the Women's
College and teach the Greek. But she did not know much about him or the
college and thought it was rather an uncertain thing to chance from here
where she is sure of her position.
She also told me something that will be of interest to yon if
you do not already know it. Miss Perry met Mr. Lee while she was
travelling in Europe with Miss Salmon, and at that time Mr. Lee was
engaged to some one else. I do not know what became of the other
person.
I hope Mrs. Handerson and her family are faring better than
at last reports. And that Clarence will get over his whooping cough
easily— There are two cases of measles here-
Love to all the girls at college and love to all the family.
Your sister Adelaide. tClaflin,