Vassar College Digital Library

Eldridge, Muriel (Tilden) | to Mother, circa 19 February 1913

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Date
1913-02-19T00:00:01Z-1913-02-19T23:59:59Z
Abstract
VC 1914
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Details
Identifier
vassar:56156,Box 49; VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_012
Extent
1 item
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: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_012_001
203 Josselyn Hall
Vassar College,
Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
[Feb19, 1913]

Dearest Mother -
How I am ever going to tell you all that has happened during the past week-end is more than I know, but I’ll begin with Friday a.m. and do my best.I arose with the birds and breakfasted, then took my long gloves to Slosh’s to be cleaned and my dress to Wickse’s to be refitted. However, she couldn’t do it for me in short order, so I had to take it to the Accomodation Shop - they are much more expensive than Wickse and if I had had the time I would have made the alterations myself rather than take it there. The woman raised the skirt on to the waist so as to get rid of the big bagginess of the waist and bring the skirt up high enough so that it wouldn’t draw across the hips. Then too it didn’t hang very well so that had to be looked out for. They ripped it and got it ready to try on while I went and had a music lesson - then I went back and had a fitting on it. In the afternoon Glad and I went downtown and I bought some sweet pretty Cuban-heeled round-toed white satin slippers and stockings to match. I also had to have some new ballet slippers and some sneakers. That

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_012_002
Done, we hurried back to a class-meeting. We’ve had a terrible time here with all kinds of meetings, class, mass, and faculty to decide what dances we would be allowed to dance at the Prom.  After we finally thought everything was decided, a message from the faculty came saying that the waltz, Boston and twostep only would be permitted. However, hardly anyone heeded that mandate - everyone dance everything. I feel very proud to be able to say that I kept the law except for half of one dance when it was so everlastingly jammed that we couldn’t do a thing but one-step. Well, to go on: - Friday evening came and the choral club (i.e the choir ) concert assisted by a quartette of 1910 Princeton men. After the concert, I was putting my things on up in one of the Senior’s rooms when some one came tearing up to ask me to please come down to Senior Parlor immediately and play accompaniment for the baritone soloist, Mr. Philip Sidney Walters. I can never never never thank you half enough for making me keep at my music - it has certainly done one whole heap for me. Otherwise I would have been even more overcome than I was to have that man

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_012_003
plunk down the first song in front of me in five sharps and the next one in six flats! I managed to get through them some-how - goodness only knows how. Saturday a.m. I went skating on the new lake. Lots of the girls had their men there and I met some of them and skated with some of them. About noon I stopped for Glad on my way off campus to get my dress and lo and behold! She had had word from the boys that they would be up in time for lunch.. Therefore did we scurry madly around, dress, and go off campus to Miss Ann’s tea-house for lunch. After that we showed the campus to the boys and then chased them off down-town to dress for the dance while we went back to our rooms and did the same. The dance was beyond words - the hall was beautifully decorated with smilax and rose colored lights - the floor was splendid, the music perfect - and the men this year were fine. Last year there was the queerest crowd up you ever saw, but this year nearly every man was, to use the college-expression - “a perfect prince, my dear, a perfect prince!”

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_012_004
You would have liked Mr. Stark ever so much, I’m sure, and Howard Lyall, too. I suppose you want to know alas all about said Mr. Stark. His full name George Harrison Stark Junior - he lives in White Plains, N.Y. and attends Renssalaer[sic] Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. from where he will graduate this June. There! He is quite considerably taller than I, is nice-looking - not handsome - and is slightly deaf, but for all that he is a dear! Howard Lyall is not so good-looking, but I liked him very much, too. Now, here’s a little place of resiprocation[sic] that they have and that that we would like very much to carry out if we may. Mr. Stark belongs to a club of thirty people in White Plains and they give an annual play and dance after. The boys want to have a sort of house-party at his house from Mar. 26th-28th. He has a sister about our age and if Glad and I could go down for it, it would be just great. You see I have no classes at all on Friday so my vacation begins Thursday the 27th and I could easily get a house-party leave so as to get off the 26th. Glad is pretty sure she

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_012_005
can go and she expects to write for permission immediately, though we won’t consider going unless the boys say something more about it again by letter.  I had a note of thanks from Mr. Stark today. Goodness! but he certainly could dance! Whew! - ! Well, so much for that. I did my hair that night just as I always do - and the girls said I looked well - here’s hoping!
    Well, again - Sunday morning I arose in time for choir- rehearsal at 9:30, went to chapel service, and then to Senior Parlor. Marion Lyall came to dinner in Josselyn with me and in the afternoon we all went downtown to Margaret Wood’s - a Poughkeepsie girl whom Glad and Marion know - and had a beautiful time all afternoon with the boys. Thank goodness, again! that you made me keep at the piano. What we would have done if I hadn’t been able to play is beyond me - it broke the ice wonderfully! We didn’t

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_012_006
dare risk going to dinner with the boys even with Marion as chaperone on acc’t of the everlasting college rules - so we left them downtown and came up to Carey’s Tea-House for supper. Marion stayed downtown at the Morgan house for dinner with the boys and my! how we wished we could, too. alas! alack! 
    Sunday night Marion and Glad both came over for the night - Monday a.m. in fact all day I had classes by the quart and Monday night was Ice Carnival. I’ve described those to you before and this year was just the same only nicer than ever - I had a perfectly grand marvelous time. 
    Your letter just arrived - tell Babe I loved her little Valentine - it was the only one I received. About the recital - it is given in Music hall some time soon after Easter vacation and I shall wear plain

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_012_007
white - it isn’t a big affair and as to the dancing, I shall wear my regular dancing costume - short accordeon-pleated[sic] skirt, etc.
    About Easter vacation - we have until the month of April - now if you’re coming home the first, why I won’t come west at all. You see Glad and I will be in White Plains until Saturday and then I can go to Dixie’s and Aunt gert’s until Thursday or so - anything you say goes however - write and tell me what you want. 
    I do hope Evelyn will come out of the sore throat scrape all right - and I’m certainly glad Babe is getting along so famously. Dad has written to me quite a lot recently - I’m sure I don’t know what has struck him. When is he really going west?

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_012_008
I could go on and write quarts more, but I guess I’ll stop for a breathing space. Norma and Glad are rough-housing like time - and it’s difficult to collect my thoughts - 
    I’m enclosing the semester’s bill - the extra laundry charge includes having my suit pressed three times, my long blue coat once, besides my extra laundry.
    I’m terribly sorry not to have written before - I did start this a day or two ago - but couldn’t seem to get time to finish it -
    Loads of love to all -
        Muriel.

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1913-01_1913-02_049_012_009
POUGHKEEPSIE
FEB
19
10 30 AM
1913
N.Y.

Mrs. B.O. Tilden
Gregorian - 710
Detroit, Michigan

High and Park Sts.