A Letter Written around Dec 9, 1948

?

Dear Bessie,

I feel so relaxed and straightened out since I got back to D.C. The four days at home did me good. W Rest & good food does wonders. Mother beseeches me in every letter to "please get fatter" but the doctor didn't seem overly concerned so I keep going on my merry way. It started to rain soon after we left Newark (on the way back Dad & I) and rained all the way down. I slept most of the way partly because I was tired and partly trying to discourage Dad who kept reminiscing about our "old home town". He gets furious when I say that G.C. is still my home town.

The dorm was in an uproar with everyone greeting each other profusely as if we hadn't seen each other in years. Now we're facing the grim reality of exams all over again. I'm bursting with pride over the 100 I got in my Statistics midterm. I was scared silly of the course when I first signed up for it. Whenever I get too carefree about that mark, I think of the little flag I got in German. My prof is extremely fair & decent about it. He said that if I show improvement in my next exam he'll disregard the F altogether. So I'm boning like mad.

I thought the chair did very well both Wed. eve and Sun. You really appreciate a lot of things when you're away from them. "The group" here is trying like mad to cheer up Natalie Smith who dislikes Christmas because she always has a terrible time. She came back from Thanksgiving with a black eye & scratches which her sister had given her in an hour of rage. Nat is threatening not to go home because her family means nothing to her. Realization of how lucky I was with family bonds that didn't strangle really hit me with a bang.

With the first of December, Shirl starts celebrating Xmas. Consequently, our room is gradually taking on a holiday touch. She's been bemoaning the fact that its [sic] snowing in Canada and not here. "But Shirl," says I, "who wants snow here?" as I duck out the door.

We're all proud of a girl in the hall who was chosen "Frostbite Queen" of a regatta G.W., U. of Mary. & Georgetown hosted here. Girls from the three schools tried out. but Besides the fact that Jeanne is from G.W, she is also from Stoughton. She's a very attractive girl and a transfer from Russell Sage.

I've joined an informal jam session here at Stoughton. A girl down the hall is an excellent pianist and specializes in folk songs and novelty tunes. I usually follow her in harmony while two other girls take the melody. It's of no particular use but is loads of fun. She worked out a terrific rendition of "Vive l'amour" which we work to death.

Knowing Dad's spur-of-the-moment decisions, I can't say anything definite about whether I'll be home for Christmas. But as far as I know now either Dad or I are driving up. We I get out after our my last class on the Tues. before Xmas so I think I'll be the one who drives it unless Dad decides to take the week off before Xmas. I can always find someone who will share driving with me. There are a few people here from L.I. & we'll probably persuade Natalie to go home to N.Y.C.

The G.W. Players obtained some sort of restriction on the play "John loves Mary" in which they are the only ones who can produce it within a 200-mile radius of D.C. It sounded pretty good so Shirl & I decided to go but it cost 90¢ with our activity books. It was too late to go into the production end of it so we had to find another way to evade the 90¢. Presto a list of usherettes wanted appeared at the dorm. So being real smart collegiates we signed up figuring that we'd fling out a few programs at the patrons & then grab seats. Ha! little did we know that all seats we're [sic] reserved! Neither of us had ushered before but we learned fast out of necessity. Oh, yes, the house was packed so we stood throughout the play. It was worth our new grey hairs though.

One of the girls on third floor has the measles. We all feel itchy & are driving Mrs. Lee crazy. We keep hearing gunshots in the neighborhood. An evening doesn't go by but some gun retorts. Just a few minutes ago, a woman screamed after a gun shot. Our nerves are going razzle-frazzle.

I was down at the Republican headquarters election night watching the returns come in. It was very interesting. One of the group is well versed in politics & took us out campaigning the night before. If my folks could have seen Smith here sitting on the back ledge of a convertible distributing Republican literature, buttons etc, it would have been impressive. Its [sic] a wonder we all didn't get pneumonia. We got ribbons saying "Republican worker" which entitled us to go to headquarters election night. The whole scene was morbid but Jack told us a lot about the goings on. We were all wrecks in class the next day having had two hours sleep. Somehow we got the feeling that we were feeling the pulse of the nation so it was worth the lack of sleep.

One of the girls on our floor is quite melancholy since she can't go home (To Hawaii) for Christmas. She sits and plays "Dear Hawaii" on the piano with tears streaming down here [sic] face. We feel so downhearted when we watch her; its [sic] pitiful.

Barry sounds very qu cute. I'll bet he gets into a lot of mischief.

Ah, well, must hit the books. Every once in awhile I feel so supersaturated that if anyone bumps into me I'll loose some fleck of learning. Then is the time to take a break. We got a big charge out of a recent Post cartoon showing two fellows at their college room debating whether or not to join the army or go on studying for finals. It just happened to strike us at the right time. One girl here did break down. She had to stay in bed for two days after midterms. Poor Mrs. Lee contends with all of us & then trying to mother this girl. She has quite a job but she is a superb woman. I'm fond of her in a housemother sort of way.

Say hello to everyone for me. I'm sorry I didn't see Howard over Thanksgiving. I think you had left when I came out of church.

Til next time. -
Most sincerely,
Verna