Smith College,
Northampton,
Massachusetts,
February 23, 1926.
Dear Janet:
When I received your letter asking me to tell Northrop what her
alumnae at Smith have been doing this year, I had a sudden sinking
sensation, since I felt that the achievements accomplished by some of
us have not been startling. However, upon digging for evidence, I have
discovered that Northrop need not feel ashamed of us after all.
Dorothy Wilson sings in the Junior choir, is a member of the Smith
College glee club, and of the Oriental club--one which is connected
with the Bible department--and has been chosen business manager of the
Smith College Handbook--"Freshman Bible"--for the class of 1930.
"Pete" McCarthy, also a Junior, who vehemently claimed that she had
nothing to tell me about herself, I discover is fire captain of her
house, a member of the French club, and chairman of the spring dance
committee.
On Washington's Birthday, at the annual rally day performance, Mary
Truesdell and Lorraine Long, dressed as sailors, with the
accompaniment of the Mandolin Club, clogged for us in multifarious
rhythms, ways, and manners--or however one does clog--to the
astonishment of all of us, who never before dreamed that professional
talent actually existed in Northampton.
Elizabeth Carpenter is president of her house. As for the rest of us,
Lucy Winton, Eleanor Cook, and me, all I can venture to say--and they
agree with me--is that, like the proverbial green freshman, we have
been plodding along at studies occasionally, and at all other times we
have been eating, sleeping, or amusing ourselves to the nth degree.
I can't wait to see the new _Tatler_ to find out what you have been
doing this year.
Please give my love to everyone.
Very sincerely,
PEG WILLIAMS
* * * * *
South Hadley,
Massachusetts,
February 18, 1926.
Dear Margaret Louise:
If I should attempt to tell you everything we are doing here now, I'm
afraid that I should go far past the limits of my little column, for
our occupations are so multitudinous and varied that there is hardly
an end to them.
Right now, notwithstanding the ever present pursuit of the academic,
the whole college is having the most glorious time hiking over the
countryside on snowshoes, risking its dignity and perhaps its neck in
attempting the ski jump on Pageant Field, and "hooking" rides with the
small village boys on their bob sleds down the long hill on College
Street. South Hadley is such a tiny town, anyway, that it is just like
living in the country with lovely mountains all around.
By now Mount Tom and Mount Holyoke are quite like old friends, for
most of us had a personal interview with one or the other of them when
we hiked one of the ranges last fall on Mountain Day. Mountain Day, by
the way, was a red letter day, for the Freshmen particularly. It was
one of those gorgeous blue October days when we could hardly stand the
thought of having to be inside, and, almost like a gift from Heaven,
Miss Woolley unexpectedly announced in morning chapel that she would
leave it to the students to vote whether they would have their holiday
then, with its incomplete arrangements, or two days later when it was
scheduled, with beautifully laid plans but with possible showers. The
girls were simply bursting with excitement by that time, and the vote
was carried unanimously. Not one class in prospect for that day, but
just a chance to start out with a lunch on your back to "parts
unknown"--oh, it was wonderful!
Another big part of our college social life here in the fall and
spring is college songs and class serenades. During September and
October we had one out by the "College Steps" once a week. I shall
never forget the first time we gathered under a full moon, about nine
o'clock, and our senior song leader started us off by having us sing
all the songs we knew about the moon, with the singing of parts much
encouraged! Even if the harmony was a little doubtful in spots, taken
as a whole the result was "perfectly heavenly"--to one enthusiastic
Freshman. Then a few weeks later the Freshmen were called to their
windows one evening to hear "Sisters, sisters, we sing to you," and
looking down, we saw the whole Junior class assembled underneath the
dormitory windows. Then in due time our turn came to "surprise them,"
but it wasn't, evidently, kept a "deep and dark" secret as we had
hoped, for at the end of the first song we were literally showered
with candy kisses hurled down from above.
These are just a few of the kinds of things we do outside our academic
work; not to mention the picnic breakfasts at "Paradise" in the warm
weather, sleigh rides or hikes to Old Hadley, a quaint old town near
here, Winter Carnival, or all the excitement that comes with Junior
Prom time. Then, you may be sure, the "little sisters" are pressed
into service!
What I think, however, makes Mount Holyoke mean what it does to us is
something that is almost impossible to describe, but something that is
just as real as any phase of our life here--and that is the college
atmosphere. It is created, in part, by Miss Woolley's wonderful chapel
services, in part by the sheer beauty of the country in which we live,
and, lastly, by the fine spirit of the girls themselves, the college
community.
Very sincerely,
DORIS DOUGLAS, '25.
* * * * *
To the Editor of the 1926 Tatler:
We who once formed a goodly part of Northrop's illustrious student
body, but who now attend Vassar College, send our heartiest and most
affectionate greetings, to the pupils, the faculty, the trustees, and
Miss Carse!
In the first part of the year, when those of us who are Freshmen were
busying ourselves with getting adjusted to our new environment, new
studies, and new acquaintances, we had no time to reflect on our past
activities. But now that we have become acclimated, we take great joy
in remembering our years spent at Northrop, and realize, more and
more, all that she did for us. We owe our present life and
opportunities to Northrop's splendid teaching and background. The
Northrop League gave us a moral background which we shall never lose.
Our companionship with each other gave us friendships which can never
be lost, even though we may be separated.
Northrop Alumnae who are Sophomores and the five who are holding up
the honor of Vassar's class of '26, still feel Northrop's influence
very strongly, and are forever singing her praises. They feel that the
training in concentration and in well-divided time received at
Northrop has proved invaluable throughout their college course.
The large number of us here at Vassar, set aside as "Northrop girls"
feel that we have a great responsibility resting on us. We have a
standard to live up to, a standard caused by the good name sent out
into the world by Northrop. May we live up to that name, may we carry
on the standard of Northrop School.
JOSEPHINE CLIFFORD,
BETTY GOODELL.