To Cora Hendricks from Bertha – March 2, 1913
Dear Mamma,
I just came back from a ______ to Miss Eilers in Brooklyn and had a delightful time and was most cordially welcomed. Nobody could have been nicer than they were to me. There were a lot of the about five daughters more or less and an older mother and father who will soon celebrate their golden wedding. The father is a gunman and is perfectly lovely. There was evidence of plenty about their old fashioned house and I should say on the whole it is the most luxurious-rich-man’s-sort-of-home I have ever been in. Everything was handsome and spacious. The old lady was huge and German _____ and dressed in black ______ with a sufficient but not over-decoration with pearls and diamonds in the shape of rings, bracelets, etcetera. The daughters were middle age women, all plainly and handsomely dressed. I had a fine time and was taken from the subway for a drive in one of the best looking limousine I ever saw. One of the ladies is an artist and I was very much interested in her pictures.
Anyway, they were all lovely to me and asked me to come often and kissed goodbye which is funny because Mrs. Guthrie and I were not particularly in kissing terms. Well, marvels will never cease and I try to adapt myself to conditions as much as I can. Tomorrow I’m going to have a letter from you I think and I can hardly wait. Last night I went out to see Nell and had supper, such a good one that I was sick after it. We had a thoroughly good time. When I got back, I found a letter from Francis Newcomer. [Note: Read more about Newcomer, who would become Governor of the Panama Canal Zone, here.] He is feeling sad over an inauguration parade which will relieve him from almost no classes at all. His first bit of uniform are being tried on and he has been informed by the instructor in Engineering that this time next year, he will be a first lieutenant which is quite cheering to him. I will also give quite a jump to come other Engineer friends if they have a large increase. His mother is in the hospital again and I must write to her right away though I haven’t time this afternoon, seeing rather for it must be after eight. I feel quite happy and restless tonight, more so than I have lately thought I’ve been having a good time right along. I guess it’s the effect of having been in a town where trees grow and among cordial people who have known somebody I have known. Also, I hope it’s a cheerful promotion that I am going to get some mail tomorrow. I’ve got to mail the _____ Guthrie a little cap a something when I have time. I am also engaged on a _____ _____ ought to be pretty if I ever get it together right now to undo all I have done. It would also be serviceable I think as it is a rather dark colored crepe. It’s hard to do all the things I want to do and read too.
I’m now reading “Venting on the Plains” by Mrs. Custer. Not a work of art but of considerable interest as a picture of the times through woman’s eyes. Also I’m reading the “Blue Bird” by Maeterlinck and have just finished Blackmore’s “Maid of Sker” which is not nearly as good a “Soma Doone.” I tried to read Boswell’s “Life of Johnson” but found it didn’t hold my attention and while I don’t read any trash at all to amount to anything, I am too busy to make myself read anything that doesn’t interest me. Perhaps I’ll grow up to Boswell by and by but in the meanwhile, there are lots of good books that I like to read better. It has turned a lot colder today and seems quite wintery again. I suppose it will keep on doin that for a long time yet.
Last night, Nell sent me home with a bag of tangerines and oranges, sent from Florida by her uncle, there was two girls in my room when I arrived, I gave my tangerine to a girl in the stairs, and the girls in my room ate respectively two and three tangerines and an orange each and I ate a tangerine. There now remains one orange which I think two of us will devour shortly as I see Evelyn Hope has refrained from it while I’ve been gone all day. Well, I hate quantities of her good southern pecans at Christmas time which I like better than oranges so I shall no resent her having the lions’ share this time. One thing I have to be thankful for.
The year has not yet ended but I have gone through five months of it without its lessening my friendship and respect for my roommates and after last year this seems a vision of harmony. Also I do not suffer from insomnia and my nerves are a negligible vanity. This time last year, I thought I was nearly made of nerves. Insomnia and nerves seem to be very closely associated. I never lose sleep when my nerves are all night and my digestion. I guess I told you we’ve been having a good cork. She’s going to leave but for the time being, things have been much better. Now, I must say goodnight as I have clothes to put in _____ and a diary to write into before I go to bed.
Love to all.
From,
Bertha
March 2nd, 1913