[Some paragraph breaks added for ease of reading.]
Bessie B. Nesbit
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Mass.Happy Washington's Birthday
Thurs. Feb. 22, 1940
Dear Mama & Papa,
Greetings! Top of the day to you both. The weather today has been simply wonderful. The sidewalks are practically dry but there are large drifts beside them. It's five o'clock & I have just come from my history class. I was so glad to hear how well the Joash drive has been coming along. Considering the weather we have had, I think it is wonderful. Tell Papa to take care of his cold as I want to see a well father next week end.
Thanks ever so much for the 1st day covers of Lowell and Whitman. I simply adore Walt's hat, don't you? By the way, who addressed them?
This week Sally and I picked bad chapels to go to. We picked what we thought were interesting titles but the lectures were simply insipid. The talk yesterday was on prehistoric plants which could easily have been made interesting but wasn't. Firstly, there was a graph which was shown three times & shown sideways so that you had to tilt your head to read it. But the worst part of it was that, after you can [sic] gone to all the trouble to bend your cranium, the graph proved to be one only understandable to the initiated. Not only that, but the teacher wandered away from the microphone & a lot of what she said didn't get beyond her own nose.
The chapel speaker for today was listed as a newspaper man interested in world affairs. The room was packed with rows of us curious students religiously anxious to hear anything on the international situation: The speaker, however, was the business manager of the Holyoke Transcript & he taked [sic] about as uninterestingly as anyone I have ever heard. He told several anecdotes the points of which were obscured in misty haze or something. I was so disgusted I opened my Bible and read some of Proverbs. (I am eating soy beans between sentences. They're delicious)
To return to the pleasant side. I went to the French movie of Amphytrion & enjoyed it a lot. It was awfully funny. I wish you could have seen it. It was really delightful. I went to dinner last night with Justine Krug & had a lot of fun.
My Scherill came today & is O.K. I am so glad to get it. It is a 1940 edition. The Seniors are having their dance this week end & men have already begun to appear on campus. Sometimes I get a little twinge of regret that I am not going to the Soph. Hop, but I know I will have a swell time at home that week end.
In Religion Dr. Adams commented on Job. 19:17 as the only mention of Halitosis in the Bible. He also told your riddle about Bildad the Shuhite. Do you suppose you could spare me a dollar? I expect my N.Y.A. check either the end of this week or the beginning of next. I haven't heard anything from the Board of Education. Should I do something about it? Mr. Grout is expecting the money.
I certainly wouldn't recognize the Davis girl from her portrait in Le Journal. It makes me feel quite old when I think of the kids in high school now. I suppose I will feel the same way when I have graduated from college. Your child is improving in Badminton quite a lot. You just wait & see. I'll be a champion some day.
Mr. Saintonge told us a very interesting thing in Fr. today. He said the Mr. Holmes' father had preached a sermon recently acknowledging his error in favoring communistic Russia and peace.
Love & kisses,
Bessie