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: Page 1, vcl_Letters_Aaron_Fannie_1920-02_015
February 9, 1920.
Dear Mother, Father, and Pete:
The one nice thing about the washout north of you, Mother, is that I got four letters from you this morning. I gave the maid her Christmas present after I came back, Mother, and the janitor has never been around that I have noticed--besides which, there is no occasion for that. I do not need a check yet. I have over a hundred dollars left, but don't you have to pay the second semester bill?
I did not send the books, Pete, because I did not think it safe to send them in a smashed case. I'll send them Wednesday. It will be time enough for the bulfinch to send it with the laundry. I was fully intending to go to town to buy a telescope Saturday when I met Lucy and she volunteered to have her Mother have their store send me one like hers--she has used hers for several years and it has not broken. It will be sent to the house. The ones Luckey's have are not a bit solid. It ought to be there in time for the next laundry.
I finally found Miss Bourne at home last night, and she certainly was nice to me. She said that she had not realized that I wanted to change so that I would not be so rushed up here the end of the week, that certainly it was a shame to have to miss all the college activities up here, etc., that it was not so very important whether or not I take prose, inasmuch as I have a solid foundation anyhow, and I should come in the morning class. She will give me the prose sentences when the other class have them, and if I have time and feel like doing them she will correct them, but I must not let myself do too much work. She said that she could tell from the little she knew of me that "I was inclined to take life rather seriously" anyway. So she was rubbed the right way. I am glad I changed both for the hour and for the fact that I think any additional prose is useless. She said she had hoped that I would continue Latin next year, that I gave a promise of doing very clear-headed and logical work, in advanced prose, for instance. I am not heading for a job as a high school Latin teacher, but I politely told her that I did not see my way clear to it, that there was so much to take, and that I did want to get Greek in. She was nice as it lies in her power to be. I recited with the morning section this morning. They are quite stupid.
Miss Kitchel did not appear this morning and after three minutes from the time of the bell had passed, the class left. Have you any such regulation that you have to wait for five minutes for a prof, four for an assistant prof, and three for an instructor, and then if he she or it does not appear, you get a cut.
I am still quite messed up in this system of having no textbooks in solid geometry.
Dear Mother, Father, and Pete:
The one nice thing about the washout north of you, Mother, is that I got four letters from you this morning. I gave the maid her Christmas present after I came back, Mother, and the janitor has never been around that I have noticed--besides which, there is no occasion for that. I do not need a check yet. I have over a hundred dollars left, but don't you have to pay the second semester bill?
I did not send the books, Pete, because I did not think it safe to send them in a smashed case. I'll send them Wednesday. It will be time enough for the bulfinch to send it with the laundry. I was fully intending to go to town to buy a telescope Saturday when I met Lucy and she volunteered to have her Mother have their store send me one like hers--she has used hers for several years and it has not broken. It will be sent to the house. The ones Luckey's have are not a bit solid. It ought to be there in time for the next laundry.
I finally found Miss Bourne at home last night, and she certainly was nice to me. She said that she had not realized that I wanted to change so that I would not be so rushed up here the end of the week, that certainly it was a shame to have to miss all the college activities up here, etc., that it was not so very important whether or not I take prose, inasmuch as I have a solid foundation anyhow, and I should come in the morning class. She will give me the prose sentences when the other class have them, and if I have time and feel like doing them she will correct them, but I must not let myself do too much work. She said that she could tell from the little she knew of me that "I was inclined to take life rather seriously" anyway. So she was rubbed the right way. I am glad I changed both for the hour and for the fact that I think any additional prose is useless. She said she had hoped that I would continue Latin next year, that I gave a promise of doing very clear-headed and logical work, in advanced prose, for instance. I am not heading for a job as a high school Latin teacher, but I politely told her that I did not see my way clear to it, that there was so much to take, and that I did want to get Greek in. She was nice as it lies in her power to be. I recited with the morning section this morning. They are quite stupid.
Miss Kitchel did not appear this morning and after three minutes from the time of the bell had passed, the class left. Have you any such regulation that you have to wait for five minutes for a prof, four for an assistant prof, and three for an instructor, and then if he she or it does not appear, you get a cut.
I am still quite messed up in this system of having no textbooks in solid geometry.
: Page 2, vcl_Letters_Aaron_Fannie_1920-02_015
Champy discussed marks with us this morning. She informed us that my B was a very, very, high B, in fact almost an A. Bless her fool heart, what good does she thinks it did the class to hear that. She stopped me on my way out of class to tell me how long she had hesitated before giving me a B instead of an A. She said she was about to give me an A when she was told that an A had to mean almost perfect, and then she decided that inasmuch as this was her first year here she had better not give an A, but if she had been giving A's, I certainly would have received one, and she did hope I would get one this semester. Poor fool! I believe in the closed mark system. What did you say, Mother?
I spent about an hour and a half last night practicing the tryout parts for "the fellow who blacks the bootblack's boots". That is about how important I will be if I make the part. Helen Reid is trying for the Duke. I do hope she makes it. She had the main part in three plays at Packer last year.
I worked for over an hour on Ruth Franklin's stuff last night. I have to finish it up today.
I called on Bess yesterday. A Pittsburgh girl, and advisee of hers from last year, Janet Trimball, brought her mother, and we had to suffer over her tea-cups again. This old lady started hopping off on the question of teachers' salaries. She did think that some of the millionaires in Pittsburgh ought to pitch in and help those poor people out. She was very amusing. And then when she started off on what a shame it is that some women are so fat I began to think of your yarns about kidding Mrs. Cowley and I was glad that I had a tea-cup to keep my facial expression busy with.
It is much warmer now, but the crust of the snow is still so solid that it holds even my weight without caving in. The paths on the walk are very narrow, and we have to trail to classes single file.
Love,
[Fannie]
Did Harold ever make those pictures for me?
There are three girls left in Phyllis' off-campus house. She is not so crazy about it anymore.
I spent about an hour and a half last night practicing the tryout parts for "the fellow who blacks the bootblack's boots". That is about how important I will be if I make the part. Helen Reid is trying for the Duke. I do hope she makes it. She had the main part in three plays at Packer last year.
I worked for over an hour on Ruth Franklin's stuff last night. I have to finish it up today.
I called on Bess yesterday. A Pittsburgh girl, and advisee of hers from last year, Janet Trimball, brought her mother, and we had to suffer over her tea-cups again. This old lady started hopping off on the question of teachers' salaries. She did think that some of the millionaires in Pittsburgh ought to pitch in and help those poor people out. She was very amusing. And then when she started off on what a shame it is that some women are so fat I began to think of your yarns about kidding Mrs. Cowley and I was glad that I had a tea-cup to keep my facial expression busy with.
It is much warmer now, but the crust of the snow is still so solid that it holds even my weight without caving in. The paths on the walk are very narrow, and we have to trail to classes single file.
Love,
[Fannie]
Did Harold ever make those pictures for me?
There are three girls left in Phyllis' off-campus house. She is not so crazy about it anymore.
