My dear Classmates-

Alice and I are getting this letter off to a new start while I am here visiting her. I came out a week ago to put my youngest in Iowa State College at Ames, about 30 miles from here. A year ago, Jessie, Sarah, and I drove out here for a visit, and Sarah liked the college so much, she thought she would enjoy coming here, especially, since they have such a wonderful Home Economics Course, in which she wanted to specialize. I have been here for a week while she is getting adjusted, but will start home again in a day or so. I haven't written a letter for Robin in more than six years, so things have quite changed with my girls. Ruth, the oldest, graduated at Holyoke in 1930, then went down to the John C. Campbell Folk School in southwestern North Carolina, where she was the secretary for three years, and loved her work. We drove down twice to visit her there. A year ago in June, she decided to go to Denmark to study the Folk Schools at first hand. She spent last winter there, then went to Switzerland and Italy for a month. After another month in Denmark, she spent all of the summer in Sweden studying weaving. I am expecting her home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, the first time in four years. My second daughter Jessie, graduated at Beaver College in Jenkintown, Pa. A year ago in June, but could not get a position, so she has had a small private nursery school in our home last winter and is just beginning her new term.

Alice is anxious I should tell you of our class reunion last June. I went back for the first time since 1928. I drove down on Friday and back on Sunday. Much to my surprise I was given a room in Alumnae Lodge, along with Isabel Howell of 1902 and Gertrude Andrews of 1901. We ate our meals in Goucher House.

Friday evening we went to Step Singing at Goucher, then to an Alumnae reception on the lawn of Mardal, which you may not remember is right next door to Alumnae Lodge. It was a warm evening, and we had a very pleasant time out under the Japanese lanterns.

On Saturday morning we attended the Alumnae meeting, which was not very well attended, according to my notion. We had a very interesting talk by the president and one or two members of the faculty on the new curriculum. At one o' clock, we met on the steamer dock and had a lovely boat ride down the Chesapeake. After we had eaten our luncheon, the members of 1903 had an informal meeting. Those present at that time were Edith Powell and her daughter from Ohio Wesleyan; Louise Lawrence and her two daughters; Emilie Doetsch; Millie Benson; Hattie Taylor and her daughter, who graduated last year and has married a Baltimore man; Daisy Murphy; Charlotte Jones; and Clara Robinson. We had a fine time together, and were back in Baltimore all too soon. At night at the hotel, we had a room all to ourselves with a table to seat twelve, for we had then, in addition to those already mentioned, Dr. Shefloe, Lottie Magee and Eda Briggs. Eda had made the most beautiful place cards for each of us and Emilie had a bouquet of white and green to grace the table, so we were very festive and felt very much at home. Many of the girls had brought pictures of their families, which were passed about the table. We also had some very interesting letters, especially those from Marie Abercrombie and Mollie Cullom. So far as I can remember, Mollie is the only one who is a grandmother, any way, the grandmother of twins.

After we had finished dinner, we all went into the big banquet hall, where there was a special celebration for Dr. Thomas and Dr. Bacon, who have just retired. There were a number of fine speeches and both Dr. Thomas and Dr. Bacon were presented with a bundle of letters which had been sent in by alumnae from all over the country for the occasion.

It was unfortunate that we did not all stay in the same college hall this year, as the girls did on 1930, so that after the formal meetings broke up, there was a chance for visiting. Most of the girls were out in the city this time, Louise Lawrence was in Glitner, where she felt like a cat in a strange garret; Lottie Magee was in Mardal and I was at the Lodge.

To come back to my own personal affairs; I am very fortunate in having both my father and mother still living, they celebrated their fifty-fifth wedding anniversary last May. I live only a block from them and so am able to keep close watch over them, and care for them when it is necessary. They lean on me because I am the only one of their children who still lives in Morristown.

Of course, like every one else, we have been very much affected by the trying economic conditions, but not to the terrible extent of many, otherwise I should not be able to send or rather bring Sarah so far away to school.

Iowa is trying to redeem itself of the reputation it gained this summer of being terribly dry, and it has rained most of the week I have been here with Alice. Nevertheless, we have managed to enjoy ourselves. Alice came home after I got here, having been down to Richmond with her youngest daughter, Frances. It seems too bad that Frances and Sallie have gone in such different directions, for they have been great friends ever since they were about seven when they began to correspond. I do not know whether you know that Alice's children and mine are all paired off as to ages. My Ruth is four months older than her Margaret; Jessie is six months younger than Robert and Sallie is nine months younger than Frances. When they first came to visit us, Sallie and Frances seemed to just 'click', and have been particularly intimate ever since. Sallie is going to consider the Flick home, her Iowa home while she is here at college.

Now I must close, otherwise I shall set a bad example and run over on to another sheet.

With best wishes to all the class

I'm looking over the back letters - I find I did write in August 1930 - Ruth loved her work so much at Brasstown that she has given up all idea of going on with her art work - and instead will continue in Educational work. Anna Slease will understand when I say she is a great follower of ***Grundlvig - and just loved Denmark and the Danes. She has lived in folk schools for more than a year - and of course has learned to speak Danish easily - Please excuse mistakes in the typewriting - I was using Alice's Remington and am not accustomed to it.
Mabel -

Handwritten Excerpt (37 KB)