Dear Classmates,

The 'whip-poor-will' sang outside my little bungalow last night as I read your letters through - a romantic setting, and my mind was full of the great romance of our past, our present and our great, boding future. I am older than most of you, I think, not far off from sixty now, and still living for some future, I who have no children to link me to the times to come. But I am so proud to be, along with you and with all whom Goucher has touched, one who can look ahead and can try to build for the future. I enjoyed your letters, I cannot say how much. Many of you leave me breathless with your activities. I merely peg along at teaching and have few other interests aside from that and my church work. It gave me quite a thrill to note how many of you are presidents of missionary societies, for I hold that office, too. We work for the foreign field, but I am trying more and more to see how much our country needs real missionary work. When I find among my own high-school pupils those who have the lowest type of morale I say amen to Mabel's statement that young people today need more training. I am old-fashioned enough to insist that my classes remain in order, pay attention to the lesson, refrain from dishonest practices, and show respectful consideration for one another and for the teacher. If this be treason to modern educational ideals, then I am a traitor.

As to my vacations, well, they have taken me on a cruise of the Mediterranean, two auto trips to Canada, one to Florida, another to Charleston [like another of our number, I loved that charming city] and last summer one of my nieces and I drove my Ford all the way to Colorado Springs where I have relatives and where my brother with his wife and three boys joined us, having driven from their home in California. It was a great reunion, and as the California outfit had a trailer, I was not happy until we had had a real camping trip. Accordingly we drove to Estes Park, nine of us in two cars and the trailer, and camped in one of Uncle Sam's campgrounds. O the thrill of sleeping right out under the stars!

A little over a year ago I rented my home in Aldan to a very fine couple and now I have the pleasure of occasionally seeing my dear house and garden better kept than I ever kept it! I live with a dear friend in Drexel Hill, but summers I have this little place in the woods, six acres of woods, to be exact, and a patch of weeds which I fondly hope to convert into a garden. Come and see me sometime in July or early August when I always plan to be here. Late August I always go somewhere, this year to New England, I think. Day after tomorrow I am driving to Baltimore to spend a week-end with relatives and with Edna Frizzell Thurlow ('04). Shall see Charlotte and Emilie, I hope.

Bess DeBow Thompson is now in the same school with me, doing fine things with the boys and girls in music. I hope I can get in touch with her when I go up to Philadelphia tomorrow.

My best wishes to you all,
Sincerely,
Thyra Crawford Rees