[Some paragraph breaks added for ease of reading.]
Bessie B. Nesbit
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Mass.Tues. Feb. 20, 1940
Dear Mama & Papa,
Greetings! Thanks ever so much for the Deodo & hankies which arrived yesterday. Please forgive my failure to write these last few days, I have been quite busy. To go back to last Friday night, we spent that evening in talking & playing cards. Sat morning I washed my hair & borrowed a hair drier from one of the girls and read some for my Mythology. Saturday afternoon I washed my clothes, darned & read Religion. Sat. evening I went to the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta Iolanthe given jointly by Mount Holyoke and Amherst. It was very good. The Lord High Chancellor was the star of the show. His characterization was simply wonderful. Sunday I didn't go to church but did more Religion. Sunday afternoon I studied Chem.
Thanks ever so much for the swell Valentines & everything. I got three on Sat morning. Thanks also for the first day covers. Don't you think we are issuing too many stamps all at once? I don't see how people can keep them separate.
We have had some real winter here the last few days. Last night we had some more snow on that which had already fallen. The sidewalks have been kept clear by having men clearing them both day & night. The drifts however are quite deep if you wander of[f] the sidewalk. No one takes short cuts to class these days. The beaten path is preferable. The walking today is quite slushy as the temperature has risen. I can hear men shoveling now as I write.
I got a letter from Dorothy Calvert written on the day that the snow was so deep. She said they didn't go to classes. We, however, cannot boast anything like that; our sidewalk-cleaners are much too diligent. How is the snow in the "Old Home Town"?
Yesterday I had Chem Lab in the afternoon. They are enforcing the rule that we be out of the Lab. at 5 eactly [sic] now. I like to work slowly but I suppose one should learn to speed up. Well anyway I got thru' this time on time. I asked Miss Stevenson how I made out on my Chem. Midyear. She said it was C+ & that she thought I would improve this semester. She said that she thought that Physics is essentially harder than Chem & that if I can bet B- in Physics I ought to do at least that in Chem. I am going to ask Mr. Saintonge how I can raise my French mark. Tonight I am going to the last of the concert series - a duo-piano team - Pierre Luboskutz and Genia Nemenoff.
I have been looking at the calendar & I think that I had better not come home this week end as I am surely coming home next week end. I don't think it would be good to go home two weeks in succession & also we may celebrate Sally's birthday this week end. Her birthday is on Feb. 26. I think it would be nice if you would send her a card nothing more.
I also have some good news about next week end. I'll be able to leave at 10 o'clock Friday morning because we have been given a cut in French & I can cut Religion & Gym. That will make it quite a long week end. That is the week end of Soph. Hop Sally asked the boy from Boston but hasn't heard from him yet. If he can't come she may ask the boy from Dartmouth.
Stelle & Sally's marks were poorer than mine but that is little consolation. Dr. Adams is so nice to me now, he always speaks to me & is so pleasant. He said he thought your book was very interesting. We are just starting in on Joel now. In French we have finished Madame de Sévigné and are studying Pascal. I am always amazed at Mr. Saintonge's rather mystical religion ideas. They don't seem to fit in with his rather ultra-critical side. Is this French or is it just his own peculiarity? He keeps repeating "Many are called but few are chosen" and is very interested in religious experiences.
I certainly hope that Davis and Nye's can get the history book. I am afraid, however, that they can't because the college book store said that the publisher had sold all the books & they would have to wait for a new edition. Nevertheless we shall await developments. My history reading is coming along rather slowly because I can't decide whether reviewing or keeping up with the class is more important. I can't believe that March is almost here. Time certainly progress in fast measure.
Tomorrow I am going to dinner with Justine Krugg [class of 1943], my Freshman friend. Tomorrow evening I hope to go to "Amphitryon" a French foreign movie. How is your cold, mama? I am going over to the Libe to read now.
Lotions of love,
BessieP.S.
Thanks for the special & the stamps.
B.N.