Within the Portals
of Judson
WednesdayMy good sister -
I was delighted by your joint epistle from Chambersburg, and then again I was charmed to receive the long recital of Sunday. But what a raconteur thee is:- maintaining that Don said a lot, but never saying what it was; asserting that thee knew his idea of - oh? blush - a good wife, for instance - and then never divulging the slightest detail; and oh - merely mentioning that you talked at length on many subjects, but never stating a single useful item - that is, telling me what Don thought. Peg, thee is, all innocently I know, horrible!
Because why - well, thee remembers when I came in all palpitating after the last Saturday night at home, and thee sat on my bed to listen - to hear thee the details. I said "Oh - it was marvelous." But thee said "Oh, tell me what he said." Do you see?
Now thee use some of the good leisure time thee will have at Salterthwaite's, while Bill is in at Penn, to tell me what Don said, and what he thinks (altho' he's writing some of it). A good manager would know that the more concrete details I knew about Don, the better.
And anyway - oh Peg - do tell me because I like him.
And I wonder - Peg, does thee happen to know why he happened to like me. I think - I can hardly believe that he should like me so much and so soon, and I can't remember that I did anything in particular. Do tell me if thee knows.
Does thee know, I lost my ususal self-assurance, and felt positively shy of Don, every now and then. Thee should have seen me, when Don put me on the train, and was saying goodby. My usual cheerful chatter was gone - I wasn't tongue-tied or anything like that - but I felt as if all my expression was in my eyes.
Don is darling, and I know it. He writes nice letters too; they are very very honest and dear, just like Don himself. - Does thee know when I'm with Don I have the most contented and safe feeling - rather as if I had come out of all nervous and bothersome things, and was all in the sunshine and happiness.
I don't exactly know whether I'm in love with Don or not - Peg, I knew him so suddenly, for one thing, and I'm not as impulsive as thee - but at least I'm skating on the very thin edges of it.
But at least I know Don is just darling, and intelligent, and I never dreamed of anybody so nice. Men just aren't so unselfish - except Bill and El's Sandy - and I could hardly realize it. His letters are dear, I think, and -
Two frantic class mates just came in to buy second hand German books, and the clash and bang of money-changing has ruined my train of tho't.
But concerning Don - I have written to him - twice - and I will some more. It was just that I was terribly tired (of course I was after all the sleep I lost, and dentists and traveling) and busy, and too - I didn't want to write him too rotten a letter. So there - oh Manager.
I want to see him - oh dear.
- Two hours have fallen upon me in the last day. One is house committe [sic] - that is I am sort of a local college police, and aim to promote order, and that sort of thing. I am considered a respectable influence, it would seem - by that!
The second is that I am pledged KKK. Now by that I must explain that only two secret societies exist in this college of 1000 women: they are the KKK's and the QQQ's, each having exactly 9 members, and the two are friendly tho' vigorous rivals. El is KKK by virtue of being so popular and class president. Frat is QQQ by virtue of red hair, popularity, striking type, and her literary ability. One other Soph belongs, who is a tennis star - and then I am the fourth, but why I have no clue. But elated - well!
There comes pledge banquet and initiation (as in Theta Xi, for instance), and all is stirringly ritual and mysterious. There is much ceremony and activity for these are rival societies in fun, and spend their time inventing new wild and amazing pastimes - the one to out do the other. They are the admiration of the coll, which holds its breath and says "did you ever hear the like!" in awe and envious wonder. I enjoyed them last year - but last night when I was mysteriously summoned from my room to a guarded one down the hall, and one of the popular Seniors asked an audience of me - I never in my life expected a bid KKK.
Well of course that's just college, and won't seem so imposing to thee.
But Peg if thee loves me tell me about Don. Thee said he talked about his family - I don't know a thing about them. I can chatter books and less personal (inquisitively so, I mean) things in letters.
Well - I was glad to get thy nice long letter, though, young thing. And please save me alive by writing this second one.
I'll write later about coll and the curriculum, and all about Don that I can that thee wants. And thee tell me all about Lady Ill man's when thee reaches there. But write me this other letter first, if thee has any human pity.
I now hike to bed,
With heaps of love, of course