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This letter makes me feel like a very poor detective. I'm pretty sure the postmark is for 1923, but somebody else read it as 1922, so I desperately looked for clues in the letter and found nothing. It seemed hopeless to try nail down a specific winter storm in South Hadley in 1922 or 1923, and no obvious internet source was telling me when Mr. Warbeke visited the Holy Land. The best I can manage is that there's no mention of Fred, who went back to Africa in the fall of 1922 - but that's not conclusive.
Also I was surprised to find out how illegible a typewritten letter could be.
Also I was surprised to find out how illegible a typewritten letter could be.
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Friday.
Dear Eva:
I was so sorry to hear that you had such an unsatisfactory interview with Miss O’Neil. She seems to be temporarily unscrewed. I hope it is only temporary. Do you need any money? Let me know if you do. If I were at home I would send you a check for the dozen or so of things which I owe you but that will have to wait until the next letter.
This has been a week when there was something every night, only on Tuesday night I did not go to the Orpheus Club - they sing such uninteresting things. Tonight we have Faculty Club and Mr. Burgevin is to read some of his own poems. I have to go make the introductory speech as I negociated the program and got him to do it.
We had a real storm this week but I judge that it was mild in comparison with the New York storm. We had eight inches of snow and a fairly high wind but it was not as bad as we often have had. It has been sunny ever since Wednesday and it is beautiful. Last night we had a full moon (doubtless you did, too) and it was an uncommonly beautiful night. Ellen and Grace invited Mother and me to go to the annual church supper and roll call but Mother would not go. I though it very pleasant even I can’t eat as many pieces of cake as Grace. She had 5 and I had only 2. Mr. Warbeke talked afterwards about his trip to the Holy Land last year and spoke unusually well - very vividly and not in a diffuse fashion as he is apt to do.
Grace and Ellen came to supper Sunday night or rather to tea - we merely served a rather elaborate and late tea. They brought us a platter of the Chelsea pattern about twice as large as our little one. We are very much pleased to have it.
I finished my dress Tuesday night and have worn it two days. I am so pleased to have it. I thought that I really ought to have given it back to you to make over just as I did but it did not occur to me until after I had it all made up for myself.
Someday I am going to write a letter to Miss Adelaide and Miss May to tell them how much I enjoyed our visit and how much we enjoyed being with them. I have not written all my thank you letters yet. I found several things here when I returned - Black silk stockings from Ethel Jackson, two Woods Hole song books (one from Dorothy Stewart and one from Helen Daniels Young), the calender and picture from Bess Ammon, a colored photograph from Clara Mark, a calender from Theodora Prankerd, a very pretty embroidered (Madeira) handkerchief case from Alma Binasco, and a lot of cards. I wrote six cards on Sunday besided going out to the Dark woods to get lygodium for Lenette. Anna Bonnell went with me. It is a good thing we went when we did as it would be pretty hard to get into it or do find it since the snow. Lenette wrote a most amusing account of what the Oracle [???] said about me but I don’t know how much to believe, and an even more improbable account of what she said to him, but she often does say the improbable so maybe she really said it.
When I got back I found that the maple syrup had been sent to Will collect instead of prepaid. What do you suppose he said - surely he would say something. Do you suppose he thought it a New England trick? Kathleen wrote that it had arrived but did not mention paying for it.
With much love,
Alma
Dear Eva:
I was so sorry to hear that you had such an unsatisfactory interview with Miss O’Neil. She seems to be temporarily unscrewed. I hope it is only temporary. Do you need any money? Let me know if you do. If I were at home I would send you a check for the dozen or so of things which I owe you but that will have to wait until the next letter.
This has been a week when there was something every night, only on Tuesday night I did not go to the Orpheus Club - they sing such uninteresting things. Tonight we have Faculty Club and Mr. Burgevin is to read some of his own poems. I have to go make the introductory speech as I negociated the program and got him to do it.
We had a real storm this week but I judge that it was mild in comparison with the New York storm. We had eight inches of snow and a fairly high wind but it was not as bad as we often have had. It has been sunny ever since Wednesday and it is beautiful. Last night we had a full moon (doubtless you did, too) and it was an uncommonly beautiful night. Ellen and Grace invited Mother and me to go to the annual church supper and roll call but Mother would not go. I though it very pleasant even I can’t eat as many pieces of cake as Grace. She had 5 and I had only 2. Mr. Warbeke talked afterwards about his trip to the Holy Land last year and spoke unusually well - very vividly and not in a diffuse fashion as he is apt to do.
Grace and Ellen came to supper Sunday night or rather to tea - we merely served a rather elaborate and late tea. They brought us a platter of the Chelsea pattern about twice as large as our little one. We are very much pleased to have it.
I finished my dress Tuesday night and have worn it two days. I am so pleased to have it. I thought that I really ought to have given it back to you to make over just as I did but it did not occur to me until after I had it all made up for myself.
Someday I am going to write a letter to Miss Adelaide and Miss May to tell them how much I enjoyed our visit and how much we enjoyed being with them. I have not written all my thank you letters yet. I found several things here when I returned - Black silk stockings from Ethel Jackson, two Woods Hole song books (one from Dorothy Stewart and one from Helen Daniels Young), the calender and picture from Bess Ammon, a colored photograph from Clara Mark, a calender from Theodora Prankerd, a very pretty embroidered (Madeira) handkerchief case from Alma Binasco, and a lot of cards. I wrote six cards on Sunday besided going out to the Dark woods to get lygodium for Lenette. Anna Bonnell went with me. It is a good thing we went when we did as it would be pretty hard to get into it or do find it since the snow. Lenette wrote a most amusing account of what the Oracle [???] said about me but I don’t know how much to believe, and an even more improbable account of what she said to him, but she often does say the improbable so maybe she really said it.
When I got back I found that the maple syrup had been sent to Will collect instead of prepaid. What do you suppose he said - surely he would say something. Do you suppose he thought it a New England trick? Kathleen wrote that it had arrived but did not mention paying for it.
With much love,
Alma
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1.
Friday.
About the date:
I think the year in the postmark is 1923. It makes sense to me that Alma would write the letter on Friday the 12th and mail it on Saturday the 13th. But so far I don’t see anything in the letter that definitely says it’s 1923.
2.
If I were at home I would send you a check for the dozen or so of things which I owe you but that will have to wait until the next letter.
I do not understand this. How is Alma not at home? Conceivably the envelope is from a different letter, but the letter fits a January date, and anyway if she’s not at home they why is she going to the Faculty Club? I just don’t get it.
3.
Tonight we have Faculty Club and Mr. Burgevin is to read some of his own poems.
Mr. Burgevin seems to be Leslie Gale Burgevin.
4.
Ellen and Grace invited Mother and me to go to the annual church supper and roll call but Mother would not go.
This must be Ellen Hinsdale and Grace Bacon. See the Non-Family page for South Hadley folks.
5.
Mr. Warbeke talked afterwards about his trip to the Holy Land last year and spoke unusually well - very vividly and not in a diffuse fashion as he is apt to do.
Mr. Warbeke - must be John Martyn Warbeke 1879-1950.
Later note: I've learned about Mr. Warbeke from AG. Need to add it to the South Hadley folks non-family page.
6.
Someday I am going to write a letter to Miss Adelaide and Miss May to tell them how much I enjoyed our visit and how much we enjoyed being with them.
Is the "we" Alma and Mama Margaret? And I have no idea who Miss Adelaide and Miss May are.
7.
I found several things here when I returned - Black silk stockings from Ethel Jackson, two Woods Hole song books (one from Dorothy Stewart and one from Helen Daniels Young)
Helen Daniels Young - associated with the MBL.
8.
a calender from Theodora Prankerd
Wikipedia says:
Theodora Lisle Prankerd (21 June 1878 – 11 November 1939) was a British botanist who worked on the growth of ferns, and lectured at Bedford College and the University of Reading.
9.
Lenette wrote a most amusing account of what the Oracle [???] said about me but I don’t know how much to believe, and an even more improbable account of what she said to him, but she often does say the improbable so maybe she really said it.
Not that it matters, but this sort of supports my vague memory that it was Lenette who gave me my (still treasured) copy of Mary Poppins when I was a small child.
Friday.
About the date:
I think the year in the postmark is 1923. It makes sense to me that Alma would write the letter on Friday the 12th and mail it on Saturday the 13th. But so far I don’t see anything in the letter that definitely says it’s 1923.
2.
If I were at home I would send you a check for the dozen or so of things which I owe you but that will have to wait until the next letter.
I do not understand this. How is Alma not at home? Conceivably the envelope is from a different letter, but the letter fits a January date, and anyway if she’s not at home they why is she going to the Faculty Club? I just don’t get it.
3.
Tonight we have Faculty Club and Mr. Burgevin is to read some of his own poems.
Mr. Burgevin seems to be Leslie Gale Burgevin.
4.
Ellen and Grace invited Mother and me to go to the annual church supper and roll call but Mother would not go.
This must be Ellen Hinsdale and Grace Bacon. See the Non-Family page for South Hadley folks.
5.
Mr. Warbeke talked afterwards about his trip to the Holy Land last year and spoke unusually well - very vividly and not in a diffuse fashion as he is apt to do.
Mr. Warbeke - must be John Martyn Warbeke 1879-1950.
Later note: I've learned about Mr. Warbeke from AG. Need to add it to the South Hadley folks non-family page.
6.
Someday I am going to write a letter to Miss Adelaide and Miss May to tell them how much I enjoyed our visit and how much we enjoyed being with them.
Is the "we" Alma and Mama Margaret? And I have no idea who Miss Adelaide and Miss May are.
7.
I found several things here when I returned - Black silk stockings from Ethel Jackson, two Woods Hole song books (one from Dorothy Stewart and one from Helen Daniels Young)
Helen Daniels Young - associated with the MBL.
8.
a calender from Theodora Prankerd
Wikipedia says:
Theodora Lisle Prankerd (21 June 1878 – 11 November 1939) was a British botanist who worked on the growth of ferns, and lectured at Bedford College and the University of Reading.
9.
Lenette wrote a most amusing account of what the Oracle [???] said about me but I don’t know how much to believe, and an even more improbable account of what she said to him, but she often does say the improbable so maybe she really said it.
Not that it matters, but this sort of supports my vague memory that it was Lenette who gave me my (still treasured) copy of Mary Poppins when I was a small child.
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LINKS TO OTHER RELEVANT PAGES IN THIS WEBSITE
DOCUMENT LISTS FOR PEOPLE:
- WILL: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- ALMA: DOCUMENTS ----- Outgoing
- EVA: DOCUMENTS ----- Incoming
- MAMA MARGARET: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- KATHLEEN: DOCUMENTS ----- Related
- NON-FAMILY: SOUTH HADLEY FOLKS ----- Mr. Warbeke, Ellen Hinsdale, Grace Bacon
RELATED DOCUMENTS/PAGES:
(none at the moment)
(none at the moment)
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WHERE AM I?
- THIS PAGE IS: 1923-01-12 LETTER FROM ALMA TO EVA
- THE PREVIOUS PAGE IS: THE YEAR 1923: THE DOCUMENTS
- THE NEXT PAGE IS: 1923-05-25 LETTER FROM THE AMERICAN MISSION BOARD TO SIBYL
- DOCUMENTS FOR THIS YEAR: 1923
- DOCUMENTS FOR THIS DECADE: 1920-1929
- COMPLETE DOCUMENT LIST BY DATE
- THIS CHAPTER IS: CHAPTER 23: DOCUMENTS LIBRARY
- THIS MODULE IS: MODULE IV: DOCUMENTS
- TABLE OF CONTENTS
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WHERE CAN I FIND THIS DOCUMENT IN OTHER LISTS?
- DOCUMENTS BY WHERE THEY WERE WRITTEN ----- Central Massachusetts
- DOCUMENTS BY SOURCE ----- Barbara