Wellesley College - Legenda Yearbook (Wellesley, MA)

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Dear Mama: June ii, 1901. I have made a great resolve. The English lady and I have had a final split — excuse me, a severing of relations, and I am going to burn everything that ever passed between us in our enforced friendship. To-day she gave me back all that I had ever given her, and to-night I am going out into the woods to burn them ; I don ' t want to do it here, for fear I should make a scene. I must go to look for a spot now ; I will tell you about it later. The next evening. Well, I did as I said. Only I found that Carrie and Rosie and even little Violet had gotten scent of it and that Rosie, at least, was making arrangements to be present. So I hit upon a plan to deceive them. Wrapping myself in the first thing I picked up, which happened to be a sheet, I seized a few pieces of paper, not at all my notes to the English lady, went across the lawn, pretended to burn them, and came back, humming unconcernedly. At first they all fell into my trap, but later I guess they decided that I couldn ' t have burnt them all so soon, and they began to keep close watch on my movements. I was determined to burn those things before another day broke. And I did it, though I lost my night ' s sleep and wasted some valuable muscle in suppressing Rosie. I am glad no one was present at that scene in the woods, not even you, mama : I shall never divulge what I permitted myself there to do and say. When I returned home weary and footsore, almost too exhausted to sing my joy, I was still happy, for I had begun the day by severing the last cord of my connection with Mater Alma ' s English acquaintance. This was the afternoon of Mater Alma ' s party for little ' iolet, and I had to dress up in a white gown, with flowers, and walk about among the guests, while my feet were remembering the work of the morning. Mater Alma has paid me a great compliment by allowing me to plant some ivy in her wall ; it is not everybody, who, she thinks, has sufficient taste to do that. Mater Alma has been very kind to me since I have been here, and if at the close of y visit she will only pat me on the back and tell me that I have done well, as she did Narcissus and Iris, I shall be happy. There is just one drawback. Mater Alma doesn ' t realize that all of the girls with her now are old enough to have discretion, and should be allowed to regulate their own conduct. We girls have gotten together and talked about it a good deal, and we have finally decided to ask her to allow us to have complete control of our own conduct. You approve, don ' t you ? I suspect you would approve still more if I should stop writing and go to bed. Good night. Your loving daughter. Marguerite. 18

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she saw her erstwhile captive, more than compensated for my anxiety earlier, and I could watch with undivided interest the coming out of little Rosie. She is really a nice child, with a proper sense of her own unwortbiness. As ever your loving daughter. Marguerite. Sept. Well, mother dear, here I am again at Mater Alma ' s, wishing my week with yon had been longer. But if anything could console me, it would be the fact that Mater Alma has said that I shall keep the silver cup that she gave me awhile ago. All the girls, even a little newcomer named Violet Nyntynfor, tried to get it from me, but Mater Alma says that I am the most ath- letic girl here, and that I shall keep it. But, alas ! this is offset by the fact — would you believe it — another English lady, a sister of the last one, is visiting Mater Alma, and of course, making my life miserable. She devotes her- self almost exclusively to me, although she is occasionally patronizing enough to listen to long arguments from Carrie Nation. That is her fad, argumentation, and one other queer one, bread and cakes ; or at least so I suppose, for she told me early in my acquaintance with her that I must, by all means, read Baker ' s Principles and be well up in them. Would that she would stick to that hobby and let me alone, blissful in my ignorance. But no, she involves nie in long arguments, makes me do nearly all the arguing, and finally ends by not agreeing with anything I say. To relieve my mind, I ' ve gone in for dramatics a good deal. I am getting up a play, The Amazons, which is so good that I think I shall invite little Violet to see it. I had al most forgotten to tell you about her. She is the latest arrival, larger and not nearly so meek as Rosie was. Christine A ' Soshashun, who always tells the new girls things you know, says she is learn- ing a great deal from Violet. vSlie is a good looking child, however, and when she gets the corners rubbed off, will be all right. I intend to take her under my wing. Everybody says she is a good deal like me, so of course I know that my attention won ' t be wasted. By the way, I heard the other day that Carrie Nation, and in fact everybody around here, considers me con- ceited. Carrie relieved her mind by writing out her opinion of me. She called it a Legexda and circulated it among the guests here. I cannot understand why they think so. To be sure, I have always gone away ahead of the rest of them in study, in athletics, and in a social way, but I am sure that I have always been modest about it. I think perhaps Carrie was only trying to pay me back, because not long ago, in all innocence, I asked her if she had anj ' relatives in Kansas. I don ' t see why that should make her angry, but it did. Vours lovingly. Marguerite. 17

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Dear Mother: June 22. Mater Alma has made me happy by telling me that soon I shall have a prettj parlor all to myself, where no one else can come unless I wish it. Mater Alma is so good to me now, that it makes me almost sad, for I know that it is because I have not much longer to stay. And as to that other matter, that of doing as we please, Mater Alma has graciously acceded to our wishes. She took me aside, and told me that she hoped that I would make it my business to see that the other girls do as please, and that in particular I am to look out for a new guest that she is soon to have, a young girl named Nyntynefyve. My heart sank when she said that, for I know that there is not room for so many of us, and that when the newcomer is well established, that I must go. I shall be glad to be with you again of course, but oh! I have enjoyed my visit with Mater Alma. One thing I have gained from the visit, which nothing can take away : Mater Alma has made me strong to live — witness my silver cup ! Your loving daughter, Marguerite. 19