Vassar College.
Feb. 17, 1895
My dear Mother, -
We heard from home, in a way, this morning, for
Dr.Upham, of the First Baptist Church, preached for us- We liked
him very much. I think I had heard him Just once at home. Katharine
Dunham had him over to Strong for lunch yesterday. It was very nice
for her. Irene Lawrence, too, goes to his church, you know.
We have had an interesting week this week, with the climax
last night when the "Trig. Ceremonies" came off. Every body said it
was the best thing they had seen since they have been in college. Our
committee, who wrote it, was very bright and put ever so many cute
jokes ha it- Ray was oae of the committee. The grinds on the Faculty
were very good, aad not mean, and the Faculty took them beautifully-
I never saw them laugh so much. Dr. Taylor chuckled right straight
through, and nearly bent double with laughter. They always have the
"Ceremonies" printed, so that you can read it and have the Jokes
explained in the summer time. Trigonometry waa represented by a
witch, Goody Trig, who waa condemned to be burnt at the stake. When
paper
they had Goody Trig, tied to the stake they brought out for fuelAlamp-
shades which the Board of Trustees have jost forbidden us to use any more
oa account of the danger from fire, and Mrs. Kendrick had just put a
notice on the bulletin board to the effect that we must all dispose of our
Feb. 17, 1895 - 2
lampshades immediately.
I represented Mrs. Kendrick, and I had to sit and knit, and
chape rone A.B. - a Puritan maiden with whom f98 was in love, '98,
you see, wae trying to win A.B. The audience was very enthusiastic and
the classes were more hilarious than I ever aaw them. Each class
cheered lor itself, and then they all cheered for Dr. Taylor, and Mrs.
Kendrick, and some of the Professors.—between the acts. I thought
Dr. Upham would think we were a pretty noisy set, but he did not know
that this is the only occasion - the great occasion, in the year, when we
carry on so.
X had a good deal of work in writing the invitations beforehand,
on account of my being Secretary- Z had to write separate invitations
to all the Professors and teachers, and housekeepers and so on. But
still I will not have nearly as much work as Secretary of our class, as
Carrie has as Secretary of the Y.W.C.A.
This week Z was appointed a member of the Devotional Committee
of the Y.W.C.A. Ray is chairman of the missionary committee.
Last night Jo Sleight came and spent the night with us - She waa
here last year, but does not come this year. She lives only three miles
from here, so she comes to see us quite often, and as an ex-student is
entitled to spend one day in the college free. She slept In Carrie's bed.
Feb. IT, 1895 -3
since Carrie was invited over to spend the night with Ellen Hailey at
one of the cottages. Ellen, you know, is the girl with whom I spent
most of my time daring the Christmas vacation - We came back from
Hew York together. She is going to become a doctor and is going to a
too
modiaal hospital first and be a nurse, for she is quiteAyoung to enter a
medical college. She is going to a hospital next year for she can not afford
to go to college any longer- (She is an orphan)- So she is a special this
semester and takes only what she needs for entering medical college.
There are so many who want to come into the college now that all the
Specials are banished to live in the cottages- So poor Ellen had to leave
us and go over to Mr. Wheeler's to live.
Wo have not hoard from Mtry for more than two weeks. The last
we heard she was talking about spending the winter in Boston, where some
friends invited her. But we do not know whether she la there or not. Her
brother ha Princeton Theological Seminary was very sick, so that her
mother had to go there and leave her to keep house.
Friday afternoon I heard a very interesting lecture by Prof. John
Howard White of Harvard- It was, rather, a talk, for it was at the meeting
of the Hellenic Society- composed of girls who take Greek- His subject
was a Greek one. In the evening he lectured before the whole college on
the "Old Greek Comedy". He was a very fluent and pifatished speaker. He
Feb. 17, 1895 - 4
is a famous authority on Greek subjects - a "big bug." He spent eight
months of last year in Athens.
Miss Leach had a reception for him afterwards, to which she
hxvited her Junior and Senior Greek classes, and they had ices and
coffee for refreshments. I suppose Lou is happy now that her exami-
nations are done- Poor girl, 1 am glad she is through with Hall and
Knight.
I am glad to hear that Clarence is over the mumps- How funny
for him to have them at his age.
Love to all, and especially to you, dear mother, from your loving
daughter Adelaide. [Claflin,
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