[This letter is easily discerned as 1918, since it is shortly after the 1917 fire and Emma's snowshoes were mentioned in another letter in this post-fire series.]Dear Dr. Clapp:-
I wish I could remember when I wrote to you last, but I can't. These are such whirlwind days that I lose my bearings. In the morning I have a neat plan as to what is to be done - of great importance! By ten o'clock it's lost and never gets found. But don't think we're unhappy, for we're not. We just seem to have a plurality of interests.
This is literally a whirlwind. We had a snowstorm this morning and now it is blowing so hard that I borrowed snowshoes to come home with! The wind is mighty down this way and the path was absolutely obliterated - but with snow shoes 'twas fine. Alas, I haven't written to Emma yet that her lovely snowshoes are no more. I can't ever replace them, for that kind doesn't grow in shops.
We have had an English woman here for two days, one Miss Helen Fraser, who comes to the four colleges from England to tell us what English women have done in the war. It's a wonderful story - the kind to make you sit serious but to make you eager to do the same sort of thorough-going work. This woman seems to hobnob with Lord Haldane and the high powers, to make speeches getting folks to contribute to war-savings, to be in everything! Withal she is not stuck up nor dogmatic - indeed she's remarkable. But I'm fairly overpowered by what women must do - agriculture, industry of all sorts, food conservation, nursing both volunteer and trained - oh, so many things are in front of us. The young woman from Amherst who is giving the emergency course in dietetics is very helpful - a Mrs. Smith, whose husband (very stunning man to look at) has just left to go into aviation training. She's the right sort. I've been talking with her today. M.A.C. is to run a short course in intensive lab. practice for Smith & Mt. Holyoke girls next June so that those who have taken these dietetics courses may be prepared (sketchily to be sure) to help in their own or other communities in food conservation - as volunteer or paid workers, next summer.
Well - I get more pangs as I look at Williston now than before. The walls are mostly down, and this snow covers the rubbish piles and etherealizes it all. Tonight I was going to Shattuck to the dietetics lecture thinking about many things when I came plumb up to that front entrance - and looked through to nothing! Helen Hazelton was here a few days ago. She said it made her feel "all gone here" - rubbing her stomach - and I sure got it tonight! I wanted to go in that door and find those things and walk around where every step was familiar! Nothing is familiar any more. We go on - and really it is not bad. The frog's blood circulates as well in 4 Mary Lyon as in Room B, and we have electric lights to see it by. The girls are dear - but Williston was such a friendly place -
There is to be no temporary building on that site. That much is decided. It's too expensive. It got up to $28000 - which surely is too much for a building to be torn down in a few years. We had a fine plan, too! They've found the door plate - I wanted to put it up. But it doesn't make sense. There was a remarkable meeting, Miss Woolley, Mr. Adams, Mr. Skinner, Ann, Miss Stokey & me. Mr. Ranger got called in, also our consulting architect, Mr. Clipston Sturgis! The idea is to put up a building which will be a temporary affair for us (to be ready next fall - no foundations possible now.), and later be a "service building" for carpenter, stores of groceries, perhaps laundry - but the powers differ about it. The idea was Mr. Skinner's first - he put it out by the Plant house. Mr. Adams moved it to the site of part of the Rink. Then the men went to see the site and the women found various amusements. Men came back and all seemed merry, but Mr. Skinner was for "mill-construction", while Sturgis is more elaborate. Oh, 'twas rich! You would have enjoyed it. Ann, Miss Stokey and I say "anything - so long as there is floor space and light." For an hour Ann and I had Clipston Sturgis on our "requirements" - he has his good points - I'm becoming an expert in architects! Next morning we had him some more. Then we learn from Mr. Adams that he is all wrong! Yes, it is rich - but so long as they let us play with them we'll be cheerful. Mr. Adams has held up Mr. Sturgis until he (Mr. A-) can get to Boston. Now Mr. A- can never manage Sturgis in the world. But I'm not sure S- is right myself - I've asked for another appointment with Miss Woolley to find out where we are.
The point is - it's an awful time to build even a hen coop, let alone a building (even temporary) for us. I don't see how we are coming out. The coal situation is so bad that South cottage is closed and other small houses may be - girls just put in with others. S.A.H. closes today - to lessen coal demand. The office people are adding to us who seek friendly shelter. Miss Crowell is still roofless. The Red Cross is partly in the Music Building, partly somewhere else. All you may read in the papers about New England's coal shortage is true. I never saw the like. I wish it were spring - for whether there will be coal to keep my mother warm I don't know. And we aren't suffering as so many are.
Has Ann written you? She's wondering if you couldn't get those worthies to give us their photographs again! I want Loeb's - but you ask him, please! I saved that one of Foster you don't like and the other two (Vesalius & Harvey) in my office, but all the others went. And we want them. I've written Dora Orr Warren (after talking with Ann) that we'd love to have them give us 500.00 and if they agree we'll buy models. We can get some now I think. 'Twas a nice letter. How did you like our little pice in Science? Miss Talbot, Lu and I wrote that back in vacation.
The lights are going in a minute. Good night. Lots more I could say. Haven't told you about "Jennie" the new (?) skeleton - and about the cast of Livingston's arm!
Lights gone - Lots of love - Abby - Jan. 15.