[Some paragraph breaks added for ease of reading.]
Bessie B. Nesbit
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Mass.Sun. Jan. 13, 1940
Dear Mama & Papa,
Greetings! Thanks for your special which I received this morning and for the stamps. I was glad to hear that your cold is getting better, Mama. My cold is all gone. It has been snowing off and on here for the last few days but is much warmer and sort of rainy to-day.
The concert on Friday night was swell. I didn't like the first part of the program so well because the songs were chosen to show off his voice and the words were sacrificed to the notes. Among those were Thanks be to Thee, and If Thou be Near. As encores and for the second part he sang more enjoyable songs. I liked If It Were so, The Goat (especially) Lord I Want to be Loving, Along the Way to Heaven (swell), I Heard a Forest Praying, Love went a-riding, the song about Burgundy from The Vagabond King. I think I enjoyed it more than any other concert I have heard here. He has a very pleasant personality and smiled so good humoredly when we applauded. He also was awfully nice about encores. He was very good in the two negro spirituals he sang. Just think he is only 28 and such a well-known singer.
Yesterday I didn't waste much time. I waited on table in the morning. Read La Princess de Cleves till ten. Then went to a committee meeting for words of our class song. Stelle and I have decided to compose a poem. Then I argued missionary work with Stelle's roommate against Stelle till 12. After lunch I read until about 4:45 and finished the French novel. Then I washed my clothes had supper made my bed, went down and watched the ice carnival for a while and came back washed my hair and went to bed.
This morning I went to church and heard a mediocre sermon. This week I hope to go to see the only uncensored still pictures of the seige [sic] of Warsaw taken by a man who is going to lecture on Poland and other European centers of disorder.
It has just started to snow quite hard. I am somewhat worried about Sally because I'm afraid she's getting in with a discontented crowd but I suppose one can't do anything about one's friends.
That certainly is funny about Florence Waldron's marriage. Mrs. Hickox will be worried for fear she has corrupted Jean's morals. Ha! Ha!
I had some good luck in Chem last Fri. I didn't feel good & just couldn't think how to do a problem. Then luckily I didn't have to hand my paper in. The Christmas cookies are certainly delicious.
Our menu for dinner today.
Vegetable soup & bread sticks
Roast duck
Baked sweet potato
peas
gravy
Jello salad
vanilla ice cream &
strawberry sauce
coconut cookies
celery & olives
picklesWe had scallops on Friday night.
I will send the lady a get well card on Tuesday. Tomorrow I am going to have a Chem blue book. Please wish me luck. I will also send the perfume to you on Tuesday. Would you please find out whether Howard has evening clothes? I would like to have heard what Papa's watch friend in Shartenbergs said to the other man about the necklace.
Take care of yourselves and try not to get over-tired and chilled. This is a bad time of the year.
Love & kisses,
Your humble child,
Bessie