[Some paragraph marks added for ease of reading.]Sunday 2 P.M.
Well, dearie, our show is over and we now recover. Really, it was great fun. The Glee Club was rich. They followed the customs here - marched in thro' the audience &c. Wore huge bunches of paper violets that many of the girls thought real - swished their trains and smiled &c. Large pompadours. First they sang a group of remodeled Wellesley songs with many hits - each one of which the audience shrieked at. Then the Kinder-Symphonic was performed, and we certainly did look funny. All sorts of children's costumes there were. Imagine Miss Burrell playing a comb, clad in a large-flowered yellowish silkaline gown, but of course, with yellow bows in her hair and all over her. Imagine Miss Mary Caswell in a white dress reaching her knees, barely, and with a child's scared expression & red cheeks (she was really much excited) playing a "quail" whistle. Miss Roberts wore a green velvet suit with red sash & a yellow curly wig. She conducted in a killing fashion - can't read music & so always waved her stick at an instrument after it had played. Miss Müller did the real conducting, and her forefinger was quite potent. Miss Breyfogle was in Scotch plaid & played the drum. Miss Merritt was bewitching as a little girl. Really she is perfectly fascinating tho I haven't a particle of faith in her.
The Glee Club sang a group of sentimental songs - In one Miss Merrill sang the solo & the rest gave a "turn - turn - turn" accompaniment. She pretended to forget the words - a thing that frequently happens, I hear. Miss Pendleton sang a solo verse of "Silver threads among the gold" - and the club languished and adored as they sang the chorus - "Darling, you will ever be, Young & blithe & fair to me". The girls simply went wild. You should have seen the Dean push back her hair & feel of her belt and prance around. The acting was excellent. The version of "where, oh, where are the verdant Freshmen" I guess I can recall in part -
"Where oh where are the blooming maidens
(repeated)
Pale now from their cramming nights" -
Where oh where are thestuff crammedfunds of knowledge
Safe now on the blue-book's page.
Where oh where are the blue-books weighty
Safe now on the rubbish heap -
They've been read (red) till they're blue no longer
Safe now on the rubbish heap -
Where oh where are the gowns academic
Safe now in the orchestra
Where oh where is the faithful proctor
Keen now on the Faculty trail
She's gone out from her early slumbers
Keen now on the Faculty trail -----
Then as encore -
"Where or where is our musical talent"
And for the last line they hummed the melody as they shook their heads. That isn't the whole of it - but gives the idea.
The last was a "Pastorale." The overture was La-ra-ra-ra boom de aye, which we banged. Then the Glee club sang - "There's music in the air" - First line with no accompaniment & then a few selected instruments piped up. The accompaniment was suited ridiculously to the words & we wound up with more overture.
Miss Hazard came as Fran Wagner & I never saw her look so well - really very pretty. Grey hair - parted & waved, a black velvet gown with exquisite lace collar. Miss Bates (who wrote one of the songs) & Miss Cowan were to have been her children but failed to show up. Miss Hazard sat in a "box" with the Barn Swallows president & before the last number she made a German speech & presented medals to Miss Roberts Miss Merrill & Fraulein Müller. She stumbled all over herself in the speech but nobody cared. Everybody liked the way she entered into the fun.
The ushers were fine - two of the fac. with stunning gowns & bows in their hair - took up flowers (huge paper roses & some real ones) &c. I've seldom enjoyed fun any more. I went as a little boy - white suit with lovely trowsers, short skirt & blouse - big red tie - Dutch hair cut (supposably) - and the people seemed to think me presentable.
I tell you I wish I knew how to dance. The girls danced after the show & I had to refuse most all my nicest girls - and didn't like it. I believe I lay that up against my mother more than any other way she ever kept me from having a good time. I'd learn now if I weren't too old. I'm always wishing I knew how.
Well - there's nothing else to write - I've not worked any to speak of this week and my eyes really feel better. Slept this morning, during church - I don't cut Sunday breakfast. It is too much fun.
Your letter didn't get here yesterday. I 'spose maybe there was sleet enough to delay the mails. I hope you aren't sick. We're having a tremendous thaw now, but it will take more than one day to melt all the snow. I do like a winter when the snow stays.
One girl fell in the Barn last night & broke her arm. The girls made an awful rush when the door was opened and I think twenty five must have fallen, as the floor is deadly slippery. We were behind a screen wiring the roses & kept hearing the thuds as they went down.
Well, good-bye - I hope hope there'll be nice lively things at Holyoke next year to divert my mind. I do feel to enjoy these foolish things hugely. One thing - you just have to learn to play cards. There isn't any ban on them now at Holyoke, is there? I'll play anyhow if I can get companions.
Love to my dearie always -
Abbie