Vassar College Digital Library

Eldridge, Muriel (Tilden) | to Mother, circa 29 April 1912

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Date
1912-04-29T00:00:01Z-1912-04-29T23:59:59Z
Abstract
VC 1914
Transcript file(s)
Details
Identifier
vassar:56130,Box 49; VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004
Extent
1 item
Format
Type
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: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_001
[Apr. 29, 1912]

101 Main, Vassar College

Dearest Mother - 
    If you please, ma’am, what have I did now? Do you realize that since two weeks ago today when you all came up, that I haven’t heard a single blessed word from a soul? Rollin was up last Sunday and said you were still alive, so I know you arrived home safely. The only thing I can think of is that you’re cross with because I stated college-rules to you Is

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_002
that it? I find that father can come up on Sunday, as college rules forbid only men supposedly our own age from Sunday calls. But it is true that even fathers must be chaperoned, - the girls always have to have faculty along in order to be allowed to take their fathers to their rooms.
    Sophomore Tree Ceremonies came off last night - they were wonderful! A number of the old-timers in the faculty said they were the most beautiful that Vassar has ever seen! You must get Mrs. Watt, Ted Corey’s sister, to tell you about them - she came up for them - please do ask her about them, for she can tell it, much better than I can write it though I’ll do my best.
    The idea was this; the class dressed in long white robes, grecian style- silver hand trimming as per diagram in front - 

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_003
carrying green handles - hair down in Psyche knots with halos made of Christmas-tree rope-tinsel - represented youth in search of a place in the world. They came slowly out from the back of the pines singing to Grieg’s “Morning” from the Peer Gynt Suite - “Out of the heart of the world we come in search of truth, of light, of love. Nature, give us a place in the world.”

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_004
Then Nature, invoked by the class in a union recitation - “We pray thee come, O Nature, give us now thy power, and consecrate this spot to us, they children;” comes out dressed in pale green, and sings also in a union recitation the answer “I hear your prayer, and now I come, my children. I’ll call the

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_005
[urides] and they shall give thee of their power, the fire its strength, the waters calm their mad desire.” And with that she turned toward the tree and from back of it among the evergreens the winds rushed on and danced; then fire entered and danced; then fire entered and danced; then water; then fire and water together, actually quenching one another; then finally, all the dancers, the waters, fire and wind in a grand finale. Then nature stepped forward and raising her hand signalled them all to enter the tree - this they supposedly did and then the class-president sealed the elements with the attributes which they personified into the tree dedicating it to 1914. It

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_006
Really was wonderful everyone said - I didn’t see them do it in costume - I was at the piano during the performance. We had a beautiful night for it - marvelous moon -  and we flashed different colored calcium lights on the dancers. Mr. and Mrs. Haviland, Connie’s parents (Connie was one of the dancers) said that it was like

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_007
a Hippodrome performance only more beautiful, because instead of painted scenery we had the actual background of real pines and a real moon. The waters were dressed in drippy long flowing blue robes, draped with shimmering silver scarfs - hair down and tied

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_008
around with a blue halo; fire was, of course, red - with many little flame-tongues all over it; wind was grey with colored scarfs - hair absolutely loose. It certainly was wonderful. Dorothy Smith was chairman of the committee and my! But wasn’t her mother proud of her! I didn’t serve on the committee, but I helped train the dancers, plan the music, etc - so what do you suppose? That blessed class sent me the most marvelous bunch of lavender sweet peas that I ever hope to see in all my born days. And what was even more make-you-weepy-with-joy still - after the thing was over and they had cheered

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_009
for Dot; they called out the committee and made me come out, too - and then - o Mother! they cheered for me all by myself - such a roar! bless them! I felt so queer - becasue I didn’t deserve half the credit they gave me - but it sure was nice. None of us have quite

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_010
gotten down to plain earth since, but as lessons begin tomorrow again we’ll have to. We had a holiday Friday because it was Founder’s Day with much celebration - you were up here for it last year, do you remember?
    I missed the Senior dancing this year, too, as I was hustling around

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_011
Helping get ready for Tree Ceremonies
    Grace Horney wants me to come and visit her - she lives in Dover, N.J. - from June 18 -23; it’s the time of their High School Commencement - much celebration, etc. What do you think, may I? “Any further particulars you want will be supplied upon request”.
    And, please - is Evelyn coming up Friday? Do let her. Little Martha Murdock is coming out to play with her Saturday, if you’ll let her. I’ll take the best kind of care of her. Please, let her. Saturday is Field Day and she would just love it, I know.
    I can’t decide what to do about mine teeth - I think there’s another filling out now, by the feel-

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_012
would you go to a Poughkeepsie dentist or what?
    I’m going up to Miss McCaleb tomorrow and find out how much work I’ll have to cover this summer and about exams. Etc. Ted Corey, in speaking of camp tonight said she didn’t think Evelyn and I could room together.  Will you ask Mr. Bryant, please? I do hope we can. 
    We had more fun than a goat

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_013
tonight . Ted took my mandolin, I had her violin, Dot had a tissue-paper covered couch, Edna a chafing-dish pan and a buttonhook (supposed to be a drum) and we had a “revival meeting - My! But you should have heard us deliver “Rock of Ages” - as I wrote Dick - it would have wring tears

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_014
from an iron hell (please note pun) Ted’s going to teach me to play the violin (eh, what?) and I’m going to give her further instruction in the art of mandolin-playing sometime. 
    Glad. Lyall and I took a long walk this afternoon - first, Ted, Mabel Watt, Muriel Carbetrry, and I walked down to the Glen and gathered big bunches of bloodroot but I didn’t like to [chint] around as I had on my best bib and tucker - (meaning my white batiste-dress) so I came home and put on a middy and then went for a tramp with Glad. I got a lot more blood-root.
    May 25th about twenty of us are going to hire a barge and drive to Millbrook where Glad. lives, have lunch (probably picnic-fashion)

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_015
at her house and get back in time for chapel. Won’t that be a lark?
    A freshman has just come flying down to my room, scared green because there’s a mouse in her room, so I’ve put her into my bed and she’s scared to sleep alone in a room - so I see where it’s “two in a single bed” for me. Well, I’m very weary and it’s late. The Eagle will probably have an acc’t of Tree Ceremonies in it. Pile of love to all.
    Muriel.

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_016
besides these, there is a whole book of Student Laws passed by the Students’ Assoc, that are much more stringent

The College Laws
Social Laws
The students are not at liberty to receive men, even members of their own family, in their rooms. 
If sophomores or freshmen Wish to drive, a junior or senior must be added to the party. 
Students are not at liberty to remain down town later than seven o’clock nor to leave the campus without permission after nightfall.
No student is allowed to leave College on Sunday unless under exceptional circumstances.
Visits of young men on Sunday are not allowed.
No driving or automobiling on Sunday is permitted.
Students accompanied by men may visit the Vassar Inn without a chaperone, but not with a party numbering altogether more than four. They may not remain later than in time to reach Chapel for evening prayers.
Students are not permitted to take meals outside the College with men and without a chaperone except at the Inn.
    They are not permitted to spend the night in any of the cottages in Arlington except in student houses, or with their family, or by special permission.

Laws Regarding Guests
Only graduates and nongraduates are permitted to stay over night in the rooms of students. The College invites graduates to spend two days and nights a year as guests of the College, and non--graduates one day and night. If they remain longer it must be as guests of the students whose rooms they occupy. 
Non-resident students are not at liberty to take meals in the College dining-rooms except by invitations and at the charge of whoever invites them.

Laws Regarding Rooms
    The authorities hold the students accountable for the unneces-sary defacement of their rooms. They are not at liberty to paint the floors, walls or woodwork nor to drive nails in the walls.
    They are forbidden the use of gasoline, benzine and candles.
They are not at liberty to keep trunks in their rooms nor to take food from the dining-room tables.

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_017
Description of Tree Ceremonies

Tull

POUGHKEEPSIE
APR
29 11 00 AM
1912
N.Y.

Mrs. B.O. Tilden
291 Westminster Road
Brooklyn, N.Y.

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_018
[left edge]

Rules re men!

East

 


: VCL_Letters_Eldridge-Muriel-Tilden_1912-02_1912-05_049_004_019
Tregear
$15

$10    300