[Some paragraph breaks added for ease of reading.]
Bessie B. Nesbit
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Mass.Wed. Feb. 9, 1940
Dear Mama & Papa,
Your most humble child sends her greetings. The new semester has started with a bang & I think that I am going to enjoy it. This week I have had what one might call quite a social existance. [sic] Tues. night I heard Sandburg; Wed. night I went to the History lecture by Mr. Bailey on France's position in the war. Mr. Bailey is no pacifist & I thoroughly enjoyed his talk though I didn't learn a lot.
Wed. night I waited on table in the Private Dining Room. There were several teachers there & a Polish man who was going to speak in Chapel Thurs. morning. Two of the teachers nearly came to blows over America's stand in the present situation. Miss Ellis of the Political Science Dept. & her assistant Mr. Long were the chief disputers. Miss Ellis is against neutrality & said she wished the Germans would camp in the Bermudas & perhaps then the U.S. would do something. Mr. Long was very pro neutrality. Miss Ellis said that it is all right for Americans to say they don't want to get involved or fight for Europe; but when people twist this around so that they say that the U.S. is not needed, it is another matter entirely.
The poor Polish man had to content himself with telling of the Destruction of Cracko (?). Thurs. morning he spoke in Chapel & said that there will be a Poland as long as one Polish man is alive. He showed a true love of his country & spoke about the Poles who had helped us get free. One couldn't help but feel ashamed of America. Such spirit should have been rewarded by strong assistance. He spoke about the danger of the German race & I notice that this feeling is growing at college. Many people now are for a thorough division of Germany to prevent a repetition of this trouble we are having today.
Last evening I saw a French movie called The Cheat. It was about a man who found that crime paid. It was very interesting. It was very French with a lot of hidden subtlities. (?) Remind me to tell you about them sometime. I imagine that quite a bit of the picture was cut by the American censors.
Oh, by the way, as I was going to class yesterday afternoon, I met Dr. Adams. & he said. "Miss Nesbit I liked your poem a lot. Would you mind if I should try & have it published?" I, of course, replied no. He said that of course he was not a very good judge of poetry but that he liked it a great deal. Of course, he may not succeed, but I'm walking on air meanwhile.
This morning in chapel Mr. Ham spoke about peace & how we shouldn't believe in God as a God of war etc. The closing him [sic] ironically enough was "The Son of God Goes Forth to War". Ha! Ha! I think the hymn-picker and Mr. Ham ought to get together. Of course I prefer the hymn-pickers ideas.
My stockings are decreasing in no. & I could use some more. (a Gentle hint) My medicine arrived O.K. this afternoon.
We have started in on Ezekiel in Religion. This morning Dr. Adams in a devilish mood asked one of the kids to explain the passage about the eagles and the vine. Of course, the girl couldn't and we all laughed. Dr. Adams admitted it was a dirty trick. I certainly am glad that all the Bible isn't like Ezekiel. Dr. Adams was quite amused at one girl this year who had told him that she liked Ezekiel better than anyother [sic] book in the Bible. I have been invited to a meeting of the Classical Club this afternoon & I think I shall go. There is a movie to night also but I don't know whether I shall go or not. My money supply is rather low.
I received your letter this morning. It is funny that although one may change one's interests from time to time, letters from home are alway[s] an important part of college life.
Love,
Bessie