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Dearest May Louise,
This afternoon was perfect -- such gorgeous weather to begin with -- and the play, The Taming of the Shrew, given out-doors on a hillside with the trees as background! Oh it was so lovely. It was splendidly given, and the play itself is so lively and full of fun. It wasn’t so beautiful to look at as the moonlight performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream
A night or two ago I’d been working hard on my Shakespeare topic and couldn’t go to sleep, so in bed I composed a Lyric of my own. It began with the sound of the name Kris and for general idea I thought of how “Kris” lets me go on forever in my youthful enthusiasms over things in general and then says with a laugh, Yes, I did so, or thought so “in my palmy days.” Of course she does it just to tease me. Well, here it is:
1.
There’s a lady that I know
Often says -- Yes, I did so
In my palmy days -- But O
Pretty Kris,
Why say this?
2.
An she weren’t so wondrous charming
One might think her plight alarming
Pity her, “Alas” -- no harming --
“What’s amiss
Pretty Kris!”
3.
Surely she cannot believe
That there’s really cause to grieve!
Does she herself deceive?
Pretty Kris
Is it this?
4.
Or would she a way be seizing
For to do a little teasing,
-- Thereby being doubly pleasing!
What of this
Pretty Kris?
5.
Shame on her to tease at all
One who’s far from big and tall, --
So amusing-young, so small!
Cruel Kris
To do this!
6.
But I cannot long abuse her,
-- If I did, ‘twould just amuse her --
Soon, she goes away, I lose her.
Then, ah then how much I’ll miss
My pretty, pretty Kris!
I took it over to her this morning and she was too pleased for anything. She laughed and laughed over it and said it was ever so pretty. She was sort of surprised I think to see how well I knew her amusement sometimes at my infantile ways.
Have I ever told you about how nervous and fussy Miss Reinecke across the hall from us is? Well, she always going round to different one of her neighbors and telling them to be more quiet -- a thing instructors here are not supposed to do. Not long ago, the choral Club was given a song to sing composed by her father and called “Oh, grateful evening silence.” It has become a watchword -- we sing it softly whenever we think we’re likely to incur a visitation from “Charlotte.” She’s really very nice on the whole though and can be exceedingly entertaining when she wants to be.
Bobby French and Betty have just made me some lovely milk toast for supper so I’ll stop and eat it now
Farewell
Slews of love
Peg.
Poem to Chris[Kris]
[Talk] - Miss Reinecke
POUGHKEEPSIE, MAY 16 130PM 1904 N.Y.
Miss May Louise Shipp
1010 North Delaware Street
Indianapolis
Indiana