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Eldridge, Muriel (Tilden) | to Mother, circa 3 February 1913

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Date
1913-02-03T00:00:01Z-1913-02-03T23:59:59Z
Abstract
VC 1914
Transcript file(s)
Details
Identifier
vassar:56152,Box 49; VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008
Extent
1 item
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: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008_001
Glad’s room.
[Feb. 3, 1913]

Dearest Mother - 
    There’s so much to tell you that I don’t hardly know where to begin. I don’t see why you didn’t understand from my telegram in the first place that I wanted to go to the opera, for I specifically said I wanted to hear Farrar in Madame Butterfly - well, anyway, that’s past and gone, so I’ll start in and tell you my life-history. As I wrote you on the train, I took the 8:20 with Dorothy Conway. I landed in N.Y. at 10:20 and Dorothy Parker met me at the station. We met Gertrude Morrill (Bosfou) there, too, and then Dorothy P. and I went over to Dad’s office while Dot and Gertrude went and bought theater tickets. I tried madly all over town - at the Astor,Knickerbocker, scalper’s offices, and everywhere - to

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008_002
get opera-tickets, but every last thing was gone, which meant standing-room for Muriel. Well, finally I left the bunch on the corner of Broadway and 42nd st. and took a car to 34th - saw about having a corset, bought a pair of short white kid gloves at Altman's and there met Alice Flannery at the Tally-ho for luncheon. We had no sooner given our order and sort of settled back for a good old talk, than I looked up and around to see who-all and what was there.

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008_003
2.
And what do you think? At the very next table there was a lady just taking off her gloves and when she looked up it was Cousin Annie! Well, she came over to our table and lo! she was in town to go to the opera herself.
    About half-past one Alice and I went up to the Metropolitan and even at that hour the line waiting for standing-room stretched from the ticket-office clear down Broadway and around the

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008_004
corner of 40th over 3/4 of the way to Sixth Avenue. We gaily joined on to the end of the line, however, and got in about ten minutes before the curtain went up. At first, we couldn't’ find Dorothy P. and Dot for a long long time although we knew just about where they were. At last we found them and thought we’d go over and stand behind them as long as we had to stand anyway. Well, lo and behold! here were three seats directly

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008_005
3. 
back of them that weren’t taken, so we possessed ourselves of them. They were very poor seats but we didn’t care. I never never never in all my life anything so much before as I did that opera. Geraldine Farrar and the leading-part - Cho-Cho-San [sic], or Butterfly; Rita Fornia was Suzuki, her companion; Scotti was Sharpless and Riccardo

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008_006
Martin was Lieutenant Pinkerton; Toscanini conducted. Oh, dear! it was worse than trying to watch a six-ring circus to try and get the operatic theme, watch Toscanini, get the significance of the play (it was all in Itlaian). Follow the English in the libretto, and above all appreciate the wonderful wonderful music. I never saw such a huge enormous immense audience in all my life!

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008_007
I can’t begin to tell you about the opera - I’ll copy the summary of it that’s in the front of the libretto and send it to you - anyway, believe me, if I ever get a chance to go to opera, I won’t miss it! After the opera, we all started up Fifth Avenue, for Dorothy had to go to the florist’s and get some flowers for the woman she was visiting and then she had

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008_008
A dinner-engagement at six or so, so we abandoned our previous plan of going to Dr. Arnold Ghenty’s studio with her, and instead the three of us, Dot. Conway, Alice and I walked down to Miss Hewitt’s studio on 37th st. She is the one who taught jewelry at camp last summer you know - Well, we stayed there about half an hour and then Dot and I went to Schraft’s for a light

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008_009
5.
Supper and ALice went home. She has been very, very sick for nearly a month - and Thursday was the first day she had been out, so I do hope she won’t suffer for her strenuous afternoon. Dot. and I took the 7:10 for Poughkeepsie, but I’m very much afraid that if you hadn’t said for me to go back Saturday night, sure, I should have stayed. Evelyn Stowe wanted to ever

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008_010
So much and begged me to, but remembering your caution, I refrained like a lady. Dorothy P. was going to Tannhauser in the evening and I wanted very much to go, too, or at least if I couldn’t go to opera, to see Elsie James, Montgomery and Stowe in the “Lady of the Slipper”
    I almost memoried the libretto of Madame Butterfly coming back on the train - now I could

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008_011
6.
Almost recite it, Italian or English. Sunday a.m. I didn’t wake up until half-past eleven, and after I’d taken my bath and dressed, Florence and I went down to Mrs. Murdoch’s for dinner, WE had a most enjoyable afternoon - did you know that old Mrs. Murdock had died? I ate till I almost split, things tasted so good. We helped Mrs. Murdock do the dishes and then Florence

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008_012
had to go for she was due at a tea, but I stayed until half-past five. Mrs. Murdock walked over to the North Side Tea Room with me where I was to have supper with Florence, a couple of other girls and a Chicago guest. Florence knew the guest, so she invited the rest of us to supper to meet her - and again we had grand food. I don’t feel as if I would want anything more to eat for a week or so.

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008_013
7.
    You know yesterday, the first of February, is ground-hog day - well, if the poor animal ventured out he certainly saw his shadow, for it was a wonderful sunny day - and if the old prophecy is true, it’s proving itself today all right for it’s snowing a veritable blizzard this morning - All of which jumbled paragraph is to be interpreted that we have been having regular sprint-weather until today.
    There, I guess I’ve written enough for one time - if there's any I’ve left out - just let me know about it. I wrote to Grandma W. Saturday. Love - 
    Muriel.

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008_014
Babe’s letter received will answer it soon - have classes all day today 
    M.

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008_015
Both of us
I passed my exams. Love from Glad!
    M.

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_008_016
POUGHKEEPSIE
FEB
3 5 30 PM
1913 
N.Y,

Mrs. B.O. Tilden
The Gregorian apt. 710.
Detroit, Michigan

High and Park Sts.