Vassar Collage. Oct. 11. 1896.
My dear Lou,—
I suppose you are thoroughly settled in college by this time,
and mamma says you like it better than ever. The Junior year is pretty
fine, but I think the Senior year beats it after all, for I think I am going
to enjoy this year even more than last. Perhaps that is a good deal due
to the fact that I have such congenial room mates- we have such good
times together.
There have been so many extra things to do that I have had very
hard work to get my lessons in, especially as most of my studies are
those that take a good deal of time to prepared. I would like to have
some "snaps" but I have none. Ethics comes the nearest to being one-
We have Prexy for Ethics- it seemed so queer at first to be in his class,
but we are used to it now. Last year, while Prexy was in Europe, they
had Prof. French for Ethics! I am glad that did not happen this year,
for Prexy is much more interesting in class.
By the way, Ray and Winifred and I called on Mrs. French the
other day- She is the one who was married last summer- whom Mrs.
Height knew about. Mrs. French is an intimate friend of Miss Sarah
De Wolf - Mrs. Fuller's sister.
Shorter Course German is a very exacting subject - there are
such definite things to learn for every lesson, that you can't slide over
the lessons, or get them in a hurry at all. We have to learn lots of proverbs
and fables and such things, to recite in class.
Oct. 11, 1896 - 2
Greek end History ere just about the same as they were last
year,—but English is the hardest thing I have. When I elected it I
expected to "sail thro* bloody seas" and I am doing it, with a vengeance,
but as I also expected, I am learning a great deal, because I know so
very little in it. Miss Wylie gives us lor each lesson enough work to take
a week, so that I am always behindhand- I wanted to read magaaines and
newspapers a great deal this year, but so far I have not even been to the
Reading Room to read at all.
W e had a great time yesterday beginning the campaign. Ray is
chairman of the Republican campaign committee, and Gertrude Smith is
chairman of the Gold Democrats. The chairman of the Silver Democrats
is Sarah Dudley, who also sits at our table. The committees were just
elected Friday night, but Ray wanted to get ahead of the other two, by
making the first splurge. So she worked all day yesterday getting up
performances for the evening, after chapel. G. Smith got wind of it,
though, and planned a meeting of the gold Democrats before chapel, as
Ray found out. So early in the afternoon Ray had great big posters put
up around In the corridors, announcing the meeting after chapel. If the
gold Dems. had not found out about the meeting, these posters would have
been sprung on them just before dinner. The posters were printed (with
shoeblacking) on immense sheets of brown papers, and ran somewhat as
Oct. 11, 1696 - 3
follows: "Are you a Republican? Do you want a full purse after Nov. 3?
Come to the Republican Rally tonight.* Hear Speaker Reed, Ex-pres.
Harrison, Senator Allison, Senator Sherman, and Mark Hanna. Campaign
songs and speeches and a rousing meeting — in the Lecture Room at eight
oclockj Overflow meetings provided for!"
Some of the girls had made a cloth banner about ten feet long,
which said "Vassar for McKinley and Hobart, Protection and Sound Money,
Peace and Prosperity"-bu*-t*r and stretched it up just inside the front door,
where all the visitors would see it the first thing, but this Prexy made them
take down,- 1 suppose for fear visitors would think it had been put up by the
officials of the College.
To get in one ahead of the Gold Democrats, we Republicans came
out from dinner early, formed in a procession and marched through the
corridors singing a song composed for the occasion, and we came to a
pause ia front of the room where the gold Democrats were just gathering,
and sang for their benefit, and cheered for McKinley.
At half past seven the Lecture room was filled, and very soon
two other rooms, and in those meetings there was lots of fun and noise.
I was in the Lecture Room, where Ray presided, dressed up as Mark Hanna.
A Sophomore, dressed as Speaker Reed, made the chief speech, though she
was not nearly so good as Ray- She had had to get it up - I mean the
Oct* 11, 1896 - 4
Sophomore did -4*t very unexpectedly, so she forgot at nearly every
sentence; bat the audience was very indulgent, and at the end of every
sentence clapped long enough to allow her to look at the next one --
for it was all down on paper on the table. In Ray's speech she said that our
forefathers would turn over in their graves at the present actions of some
of our citiaens— when lo - the shade of George Washington appeared at a
door in the corner, and advanced and made a strong speech in behalf of
Mcftinley and sound money.
We shall have something political going on next Saturday and the
Saturday after - probably — a procession and a debate etc. There are only
five Silverites in our class, and eight or nine gold Democrats, and all the
rest go in for McKinley. In '98 there was not a single Silverite.
W e have a very fine Bible Lecturer now,- Prof. Burton, of
Chicago Univ.—the best one there has been since I have been here-
This morning we had the Episcopal service - Dr. Vibert of N.Y.
City. After church Mrs. Kendrick came to our room and asked if she
might bring the minister to show him our room. We were lounging around
around on the couch, and immediately without saying a word we all jumped up
began to straighten up the room and fix the couch pillows. Mrs.
Kendrick laughed — We had a pleasant time when the minister came in -
he was very jovial. Since we are on the Senior corridor, our room has to be
shown off frequently. Love to all.
Adelaide. |Ciaflin,