Wellesley College - Legenda Yearbook (Wellesley, MA)

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Her Wellesley Experience (Letters froji a Young Girl to Her Mother) Dcajcit Mama: At Wellesley, Se ptember 22, 1899. I am not at all homesick. Of course I am sorry to be awaj from you, but I know that you consider it best for me to make this long visit to my foster mother, and I shall try not to complain And, indeed, I think I shall have no cause to complain. Mater Alma, as everybody here calls her, is charming, and I know I shall grow to love her more and more. Everybody seems glad to see me, and seems to try to make me feel at home ; I think they are probably all impressed because I am so much larger than my age would lead them to expect. You know Mater Alma has several people visiting her, and lots of attendants and servants. I have met nearly all the girls, I think. The one whom they call Christine, I think her last name is A ' Soshashun, met me at the train and gave me a business-like handshake. Then I went up to the house where I met Narcissus Nyntynyn and a girl named Iris something. Narcissus is the grandest thing I ever saw, but I am a little bit afraid of her. She seems old and awfully dignified, and nearly always dresses in black. Iris seems nice and jolly, but too much wrapped up in her own affairs to pay much attention to me. I almost forgot to mention that smart little Carrie Nation ; she is so queer. She is lovely to me one minute and makes fun of me the next. I ' 11 get it back at her ; they say she is slow and can ' t play outdoor games much. I ' 11 show her what I can do in basketball. Her hair looks as if she had just begun to put it up, and all of her skirts are finished at the bottom with broad braid or a piece of bias velvet. Mater Alma has a lovely house and the most beautiful grounds. I have been boating on the lake and have a blister on each thumb. In the house there is a nice big hall with palms in the centre; it is a nice place to give a party in, and the girls say Mater Alma lets them give parties to each other whenever they like. Christine got up one for me last night. Everybody in the house was invited, and they must all be autograph fiends. Everybody asked me to write mj ' name on her card, and Christine told me to do the same, so I did. A lady who is visiting Mater Alma, her name is Mrs. Presydent and she seems to be the guest of honor, got up on the stairs

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v. Now, when ' tis time to leave you, We at last begin to find How mild you were, and kind, And repent that we did grieve you. Now that we leave your gate. The wrong that we did, forgive ! Receive our thanks, though the thanks be late. For making us strong to live. We pass : but other daughters Our well-loved places fill ; And for them the gray lake waters Mirror your beauty still.

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and made such a nice speech that it almost made me cry. When I met her afterward I asked her very politely to write her name on my card ; she did it and I showed it to Christine. She looked scared and said I shouldn ' t have done it. I don ' t see why I should have left her out, do you ? Well, while all these pleasant things were happening, Mater Alma sent me word by her private secretary that she thought it well for me to have a governess for a little while, and for me to come in and meet her. Her name is INIiss Math, and of all tiresome, disagreeable people that ever I met, she is the worst. Carrie Nation seems to like her though, for she is still taking lessons of her. and Mater Alma doesn ' t expect you to, after you have been here as long as Carrie has. And I have other troubles besides the governess. There is an English lady visiting Mater Alma, and she. Mater Alma, thinks I should spend at least an hour a week with the English lady, for awhile, because she is so cultured and will improve my language. My language suits me all right, and that hour a week is going to be a great bore. The English lady is inquisitive be- yond imagination. She actually told me to ivrite out my first impressions of Mater Alma and hand them in to her. I don ' t think hand in is such elegant English, do you, mama ? Well, I ' ve written so much that I will have to pay extra postage, and besides I am sleepy. Good night. From your loving daughter, M. RGUERITE. Dearest Mama: At Welleslev, October 28, 1899. Saturday evening Carrie Nation gave me that reception that she has been talking about ever since I came. It was very nice when I could find my partner — we danced, you know — but most of the time I was flattened up against a pillar letting people step upon my toes, while I waited for the unknown on my card to come and claim me. Altogether, though, it was a very nice part}-, and Carrie was just scrumptious to me ; she sent me almost a dozen carnations and came for me in a carriage. I wore my high school graduating dress ; I ' m afraid I can ' t wear it again until the flounce is mended. Don ' t you think 3 ' ou could send me a box, mama? I know that it is dreadfully impolite to speak of such things when one is visiting, but really I fear I shall never, never, ncvfr learn to eat baked eggs or creamed beef of the kind we have for luncheon.