Letter from Gertrude Weil to her family, March 18, 1897
College Hall
Mch. 18, 1897
My dear Ones —
I have only a little while to write to-day. Again there is great excitement up here over our second game of Basket-Ball. It is to be at the Savage Gymnasium & nobody but the team & [illegible]-team are going, except a few others who are going to be smuggled in as subs, among whom your humble servant is one. I’d make a pretty substitute in reality without even my suit. The Savage people were awfully mad that we made such close restrictions. They had planned to give us a great reception, & besides Dr. Savage will be minus many
a quarter that he would otherwise have taken in. Study is almost impossible, with the excitement of the approaching game crowding out all else.
I saw Aunt Kala yesterday afternoon & she told me all about her Baltimore trip. On my way down I had the pleasure of seeing a St. Patrick’s Day parade. And it was exciting, I tell you. I never before saw so very many Irish men, women & children together, or, indeed, in all my previous experience put together. Everything wore a gay and festive air & long lips and rolling r’s were the order of the day.
It will seem queer to go to No. 8 now without seeing Uncle Joe. I didn’t tell you about the belt he gave me before he left. It is a perfect
beauty. Green leather & green Russian enameled buckle with amethyst. This is much like the design, but maybe you can tell something from it. It is the prettiest belt I ever saw. I’m waiting for shirt-waist time so I can wear it.
The reason, Mamma, that I didn’t get anything while Uncle Joe was here, is that the Saturday before he left, he was busy with his regular buying. I haven’t gotten anything yet & and I don’t know exactly what to get. I’d like a few shirt waists & that suit and that, I suppose with my old spring dress will do till I get home. Will you select something for light goods as soon as the goods come in, or shall I buy any goods here? I think Mrs. Baker had better not attempt anything for me before I
get home.
The Saturday afternoon Kindergarten work that you asked about, Mamma, is done by a kind of a club, that nine of us girls have formed. It is very little & we don’t do very much – but then, we have just started. There is a Kindergarten room & a gymnasium on Lawrence St. (equivalent to 127 St.) which we have got permission to use. And so we have a free kindergarten for the children around there. There is a class in gymnastics too for the older girls who bring the little kindergarten children. Kitty O’Brien is a characteristic name. There are some awfully cute children that come – as sweet as they can be. Not all the Hall girls go the same day, but arrange it so that there about five go at a time, so we don’t go every week. It lasts from 2 to 4 & the children are perfectly delighted. There are some pretty tough ones among them & some dirty ones too, but it isn’t very bad. Last night the Hall girls had a meeting to decide what to do with some money ($2.00) that was left from a party they gave a long time ago.
Buying a daily paper was mentioned and several other things to spend it, and then somebody arose (I forgot, we were all nearly standing up anyway), & proposed that it be given to our club – and we won by howling majority of votes. Besides that we received a donation of $5 from Alice Fox’s grandmother a few days ago; so we are getting rich. It is funny to see up us planning to spend it. It goes out in installments of quarters & 50 cents, & the like. It goes a wonderfully far way in Lawrence St. Laura has charge of the gym. class & now they all have to have suits, although at first when the “teacher” stepped out of her skirt there was a suppressed snicker & laugh.
It is very interesting work & I love to go up there – the children are so sweet. I suppose it is the novelty, too, that I like. As yet I haven't had charge for the day, nor will I any time soon. I only play in the ring & help them & talk to them. Some of them are so bright, too. I?d like to talk on about them longer & I easily could for several pages, but the ever ringing bell has sounded again —
Good-bye for to-day, with much love for all from
Your ever devoted,
Gertrude
Date / time:
March 18, 1897