November 20, 1943 Waiting for Mail, The Old Dame and Can't Come Home for Christmas

Dear Mother & Daddy,

"We haven't had any mail from home this week.  We'll probably get your letter and B's mother's both tomorrow.  As usual, we've been awfully busy.  B's work is going to be harder this year so he studies all of the time.

This is Willa

We had a big Dames party last night.  It was the opening meeting for the fall term, so we had a lot of new ones.  We couldn't have a tea because so many of us work, so we had an after-dinner coffee.  Our main purpose was to get acquainted with the new girls and make them feel at home.  I was chairman of the decoration committee.  On the big table we had a white lace cloth, a big brass bowl with bronze mums, brass candlesticks with white candles, and we have a huge brass coffee service.  The sugar and creamer were brass too, but we had silver dishes for mints and nutmeats.  We had card tables all over the room spread with dainty cloths.  Our refreshments were gingerbread with a nutmeg sauce, coffee, nuts and mints.  We put the gingerbread on the tables and had each girl get her own coffee.  Mrs. Hill poured the coffee.  She is a former Missourian.  Her sister-in-law is the woman who came to see how we looked before B got the assistantship.  After we had eaten, Willa (our president) gave a little speech of welcome and introduced our advisors and the old Dames.  I'm an old Dame now.  We visited the rest of the evening and had a wonderful time.  There were between 35 and 40 of us.  There are about 150 if they would all come.                  

What are you doing Thanksgiving?  We are invited out to one of the Professor's homes.  There are to be twelve of us.  It will probably be quite an affair.  We're looking forward to it.

Today is Charlotte's birthday.  I haven't even had time to write her a little letter.  I did send a little package.  It didn't amount to much, but she'll probably have fun.

There doesn't seem to be any chance of us coming for Christmas.  If there is any vacation it won't be more than a week and that wouldn't be enough.  We will begin to plan for next summer.  Maybe that would be better anyway.  We could stay longer.

Take good care of yourselves and write soon."

                                                        Lots & lots of love,

                                                                         B & Bonnie