[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading]Ely Court
Greenwich
Connecticut
October 22, 1919.My dear Miss Turner,
I have very little more to tell you about the affairs connected with my unfortunate marriage. By chance I met a secret service man who helped me get in touch with the department of justice. They took up the affair in New York and soon turned it over to authorities in
New YorkWashington and I have heard absolutely nothing during the past four weeks. Sometimes the waiting seems hard but I realize that it may have only commenced and will be years before it is cleared. However I know the secret service practically never gives up a case and everything that can be done is being done by them. At present the lawyer advises no action at all. The thing that bothers me most is that I should have to be known as "Mrs. Davis", when I know "Davis" is no more my name than yours. I suppose to express it in slang "it will all come out in the wash."And meanwhile I teach! and such teaching I never thought I would come to. I really should have had more sense than to come to such an institution. I sometimes think it is a crime against civilization that such a place is allowed to exist. Yet on the exterior it is quite a model finishing school, while actually it is only a group of wealthy girls who continue to have their own way about everything. We have been here four weeks, our text-books, note-books and chemical supplies have not yet arrived.
By the way I teach one class in Chemistry, one in Arithmetic and two in general science. They promised me if I taught Chemistry I would not teach arithmetic, but that is only a sample of the way they keep their word. Of course that isn't hard - I have five pupils in the class and they never arrive on time and are at all different stages in the game, moreover their minds are perfectly well made up that they never will learn arithmetic and I secretly doubt it myself. I laugh at them and occasionally persuade them to do a problem and that sort of thing entirely satisfies the authorities but honestly it doesn't satisfy me. The laboratory is what you might call a mess. There are no outside windows, no ventilation and the laboratory serves as a corridor and general wash-room for two bedrooms beyond. Therefore people interrupt all the time. There is no gas supply and we use alcohol lamps in place of it.
However that isn't so bad; it is the narrow spirit of the whole thing that is so disagreeable. We have corridor duty night and morning when we have to inspect rooms for disorder, forbidden eatables, and clothes etc; see that girls are in rooms, in bed, lights out, quiet and obeying a dozen other petty rules. I am supposed to do this only every other day but I've been here four weeks and have had absolutely no assistance except when I actually went away over a week-end. Then there is a lot of petty work of putting out mail packages twice a day and calling the roll and chaperoning and endless things that don't amount to anything. The place is run by three quite elderly ladies - one is just recovering from a serious operation and is easily tired; another has had a shock but being a Christian Scientist she won't give up the third sister has invested a lot of money in the school and I suppose wants to run it her way, but she has a most disagreeable temper and then there is a brother who disagrees with them all! No wonder we feel the lack of system.
You will surely think I'm a confirmed malcontent, but I expected at least to find a cultured set of women for teachers, but it is evident that they have hard work to keep their teachers so the collection is rather choice. We are so far out that the only means of getting into Greenwich is by taxi which costs $.50 each way. We do walk if we have time. It's about three miles. Although in the country there is nothing but one beautiful estate after another for miles in any direction. It's beautiful to look at like our own building here but it's horrible artificial when it comes to living in it. I really think the school lacks depth. I only agreed to stay until Christmas and I haven't decided one way or the other yet. Of course I've very nice friends in Greenwich and they take me driving, and to the theatre in New York and invite me in to supper just as often as I can steal away. Then I'm fairly near home if it is necessary or convenient to go up there.
I really would rather do something other than teaching. I know perfectly well that something else is Cornell Medical College. But Mother and Father are terribly opposed and think I ought not to spend four years without earning any money I realize that these few months have been particularly hard for them and father isn't a bit well. I really ought to be helping them or at least be able to do so if necessary. I think I could spare one year for study somewhere if I knew just what was the next best thing to being a doctor. I suppose with some chemistry and bacteriology I might be a doctor's assistant.
Have you any suggestions? Do you know the present name and address of the organization that was formerly the Intercollegiate Bureau of Occupations in New York City? I might make an appointment with them and go in some Saturday to see what they can offer.
I hope to get up to South Hadley sometime but it is difficult to get away for week-ends.
Since I started this letter they have taken away my only free period by giving me a war bride for special work in reading and writing! She is a multimillionairess who can't read her husbands letter, an hungarian who came over in 1914, inherited a fortune, was married and now wants to know at least her A. B. C.s. The girls on the whole are quite decent but to their minds teachers are not human.
My love to you and your mother, and please give me some advice. I don't seem to know just what to do next, so I suppose I'd better keep on as I am.
Sincerely yours
Cathie.