He was a famous artist who lived in Italy in the Middle Ages.Everybody in English Literature seemed to know about him, and the wholeclass laughed because I thought he was an archangel. He sounds like anarchangel, doesn't he? The trouble with college is that you areexpected to know such a lot of things you've never learned. It's veryembarrassing at times. But now, when the girls talk about things thatI never heard of, I just keep still and look them up in theencyclopedia.
I made an awful mistake the first day. Somebody mentioned MauriceMaeterlinck, and I asked if she was a Freshman. That joke has gone allover college. But anyway, I'm just as bright in class as any of theothers--and brighter than some of them!
Do you care to know how I've furnished my room? It's a symphony inbrown and yellow. The wall was tinted buff, and I've bought yellowdenim curtains and cushions and a mahogany desk (second hand for threedollars) and a rattan chair and a brown rug with an ink spot in themiddle. I stand the chair over the spot.
The windows are up high; you can't look out from an ordinary seat. ButI unscrewed the looking-glass from the back of the bureau, upholsteredthe top and moved it up against the window. It's just the right heightfor a window seat. You pull out the drawers like steps and walk up.Very comfortable!
Sallie McBride helped me choose the things at the Senior auction. Shehas lived in a house all her life and knows about furnishing. Youcan't imagine what fun it is to shop and pay with a real five-dollarbill and get some change--when you've never had more than a few centsin your life. I assure you, Daddy dear, I do appreciate that allowance.
Sallie is the most entertaining person in the world--and Julia RutledgePendleton the least so. It's queer what a mixture the registrar canmake in the matter of room-mates. Sallie thinks everything isfunny--even flunking--and Julia is bored at everything. She nevermakes the slightest effort to be amiable. She believes that if you area Pendleton, that fact alone admits you to heaven without any furtherexamination. Julia and I were born to be enemies.
And now I suppose you've been waiting very impatiently to hear what Iam learning?
I. Latin: Second Punic war. Hannibal and his forces pitched camp atLake Trasimenus last night. They prepared an ambuscade for the Romans,and a battle took place at the fourth watch this morning. Romans inretreat.
II. French: 24 pages of the Three Musketeers and third conjugation,irregular verbs.
III. Geometry: Finished cylinders; now doing cones.
IV. English: Studying exposition. My style improves daily inclearness and brevity.
V. Physiology: Reached the digestive system. Bile and the pancreasnext time. Yours, on the way to being educated,
Jerusha Abbott
PS. I hope you never touch alcohol, Daddy? It does dreadful things toyour liver.