[The year is clearly 1918 - they are still in temporary lab space, and the Great War is still going on.]Mar. 14
Dear Dr. Clapp:-
I've just been taking a little nap, so as to go on a while longer, for the evening is yet relatively young. I've just been taking up internal secretions, and I guess that's the trouble with me. None has been mentioned as a cause for sleepiness but I'll bet there is one!
Trustee meting tomorrow. The rich Mr. Day is staying down here. Our guest room is rather nice, and whatever she may lack our matron is a social success. She's been told she can't come back, poor thing! But she has her good points all the same - and she adores company!
Dr. Welsh stayed here two days. She came to give the sex hygiene lectures - and I wish you had been here. She's great that woman! I like her immensely, and I saw a lot of her. You remember Dr. Underhill has had this show to run heretofore? I thought I'd get in this time, since I really had some personal acquaintance - so I did. Dr. U- and I coöperated most cheerfully. Dr. Welsh is keen. It was rich to hear her size up our situation. We must have bacteriology, and it must not be in the botany department. Dr. Underhill ought to be an instructor in our department. She ought to go off a year and know something and then come back and offer better work. That's the prescription. She said she was going to write the same to Miss Woolley. Kellicott is a thorn in the flesh down there all right. The way he has treated her in indecent. I knew the alumnae were all excited over it, but now understand it better. Why fight? Of course she could be trying, but she has delivered the goods! There's no place where the students have cared more about what they got than down there from her sophomore required course.
Frances Botsford comes back here next year, and probably Bernice Crandall takes her place. Ann gave Bernice a black eye, but Lu and I stood up for her. She has more brains than Frances, and will do quite as good a job in everything except drawing. Dr. Welsh and I agree that we do not want our own girls right after graduation, but she'll give me hers and take mine.
Next, Amy Hewes has a scheme for having us prepare health officers for manufacturing plants here this summer. The gov't is going to put in such in many big war plants - to maintain physical efficiency of women operatives. There's Dr. Christine Mann now in the offing who is head of the gov't dep't for this and I'm to meet her at nine tomorrow. At present I don't know what is involved. We are offering the plant to the gov't to use if there is any need for it. Seems to me this job could be done better at that Tech-Harvard combination, or at any one of several other places, yet even with no labs. except these temporaries my spirit does rise to the job somewhat. Such folks would have to have intensive training - physiology (of course I put it first!)[,] hygiene, the so-to-speak philosophy of physical training, bacteriology, ec. courses - oh, they need quite a bit. Supposably they'd be a selected lot. A Vassar representative, even the dean, speaks here Saturday on their nurses' camp. Oh - I wish you were here to tell us what you think of all these things. I'd like to see Mt. H- useful this summer, but not in anything which looks like competition.
I recollect that your birthday is nigh. This might reach you on it and take you my love. If I were rich I'd go to see you in the vacation, for I miss you awfully. Aren't you coming back soon? It must be getting too hot down there.
Miss Edwards talked wonderfully on Mar. 9, the anniversary of the college charter. Did I write you of that?
Letters from R. Clipston Sturgis relative to height of window sills, location of sinks &c &c come daily. You would howl over them!
And I send you much love - I hope you know about that. Love to your sisters too. Has Miss Mary been well all winter?