Open Works

Title

Letter from Mary to Family- March 21, 1926

Authors

Mary Behner

Files

Description

This letter was written by Mary to her family during the spring of 1926. The letter is composed on 8 sheets of Tea House stationery. Both sides of each sheet are covered in script written in blue ink. The last page has some staining. Mary writes about an upcoming missionary play she has a role in, plans for a school break, learning about hearing that another girl would be working at the Tea House in her place, and Sunday School class. She also details an evening with a young man named Bob, where they went to see a movie and Y.W.C.A. missionary event.

Transcription:

Sun afternoon [3/25]

Dearest Family-

This is a gorgeous afternoon. Wish one of you were here and we could take a nice walk. Maybe I’ll call up some one soon and take a walk. I wish some one would call up me!

Wore my green - & lace dress - my white hat, and green hose this morning - and I had the most - grandest compliments. I’m going to wear my white hat and yellow dress in the play next Sunday. The play is just darling, we practised Saturday morning.

It would be darling for your C.E. to put on - perhaps for some vesper service. Art Romig a dandy fellow is in love with me. Horrah! More fun. Wish you all come see it. You ought to drive up for the weekend and surprise me. My vacation begins a week from Wed. Still am no certain what I am going to do. Mary Boots has said nothing about coming to Milwaukee, so I guess that was just a pleasant dream. But then pleasant dreams are wonderful. — . . I don’t want to stay here long because I’ll have to buy food and

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altho I’d like to be here to study - I don’t want to pay out anything. And I ought to go to Akron (Must write to Luella & thank her for asking me there.) I haven’t been to Akron for over a year now and if I don’t go there for the whole vacation I can perhaps for the week end.

Spring coming on now so beautifully makes ones cares seem brighter and makes ones thoughts purer and unselfish. So - - - after all - why shouldn’t we be very happy.

It was quite a blow to me when I was informed that a senior was to be given the work at the Tea House next year. She’s a fine girl, very much more efficient than I am in this type of work. has had much experience, and needs the money badly. She has worked here ever since the Tea House has begun but didn’t understand that the girl who was here didn’t have to work the full 25 hours or she would have applied for the position last year. So altho I was stunned & dissapointed for the moment I can appreciate the situation and realize

3.

it is perfectly fair. It doesn’t do to cry over spilt milk and altho I did let loose that night I’m not worried any more. Something will come up and it won’t do any good to worry about it anyway. It came (the news) in the midst of exams - when I was pretty tired so thats why I was so weak about it at the time. Oh well, variety is the spice of life anyhow! - and this year has been hard and wonderful in testing - me. I can look at it gratefully - only from that angle. - etc.

Everyone is out taking pictures or walking this afternoon.

Bob took me to the show last night and we went to the earlier show after which we went to the Y.W. international party. I busted my string of crystal beads on the way home and we had to hunt for them in the street - Fun!

We had the finest sermon by Luccock this morning (something new!)- It made me think of Bruce Bartons books-

“The Unknown disciple” &

“The Man nobody Knows”

4. By the way I wrote “Doc” [Brouwer] an answer to his letter the other day, and started out by saying, “Well I guess I’ve punished you long enough (or perhaps it hasn’t punished you!!!) etc. Ha! Ha! I can just see his eyes twinkle and him scratching his head when he reads it.

We had the finest S.S. class this morning. One of the professors wives read a paper on “the home” It was beautiful and I shall never forget one sentence she read near the end perhaps it was a quotation

“I push the blades of grass aside and lay my finger on the heart of God.”

- I am going to try to get that paper & copy it - to read to you when I come home. We must take more time together as a family this summer. We’ll always regret it terribly if we don’t.

My exams went off beautifully. No kidding. I think as a whole its the best I’ve ever done. I know for sure that I got B. in Greek - and I

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think a B. in Bible - and am sure a B in History - or perhaps an A. I’m anxious to see just what they will be. Then Debate will be an A I suppose - and gym a B. - and Physiology - perhaps a C or maybe D.

Be sure and send me my white shirt! Or let me know about it because if you don’t send it I’ll have to see about borrowing one.

I think I’ll go for a walk now ———

Later

Went out for a walk alone and took with me a book “To My Friend” and learned a portion about selfishness that I love. The topic tonight happened to be on the “cost of friendliness” so I gave it in C.E. [Christian Endeavor] We had a dandy meeting. Bob brought me home from C.E. - but I wouldn’t have an evening date with him. ‘Cause I had a whole evening with him Saturday night.

We went to the early show down town last nite and saw “Lazy Bones” (First show I’ve seen since I left Clarksburg Christmas.) - Then we came up the hill and went to the - - - say I guess I told you about that - - - Ha! Ha!

6.

Well the Y.W. party was dandy. It was sort of a trip around the world. In 4 of the lit rooms they represinted 4 different countries - India, Japan, China and Africa. You should have seen the clever hints represented in Africa and the cute little Jap. room in Japan and the warehouse in India. Of course it was simple to get material etc for it because there are so many missionaries in Wooster. In Japan we drank tea and had to get our cookies by using chop sticks. Of course in each country

there were numerous natives - dressed up and most of them were the missionaries children - who spoke the language and everything. It was a grand success and very interesting.

We voted for C.E. officers tonight. I believe I told you that I was one of the two up for prayer meeting chairman. —And say - this afternoon one of the girls came to me and wanted to know if I would accept one of the two nominees for vice president of the ‘Women Voters League.” - Ha! Ha! It is a new organization on the hill (being organized last fall) and a very live one.

7.

Received a special from Mary today. She is feeling a little better I guess. It’s hard to tell just how she does feel from the letters and she talks about herself so very seldom.

Am doing the Daily Dozen every morning - so I don’t feel the effects now as I did after the first morning that I took them. I enjoy the “vic” so much - always play it when I dress - and write letters - - but not when I study.

My laundry came - and the dates [unclear] in [/unclear] Mrs Gould says to be nice and tell you how much she enjoys them. She really does.

The girls glee club gave such a beautiful sacred concert this afternoon - Easter music. Our choir gives a beautiful Easter concert next Sunday afternoon. Say - the next week end is going to be a lovely one. Perhaps one of you will take the blessed notion of coming to Wooster and visiting your Bean. I wouldn’t object. That darling play comes off then too.

Miller hasn’t picked the alternates for debate yet. He’ll do so Monday.

8. Well, I want to write to Mary yet this evening and if I keep on at this rate I never will get to her letter.

Lovingly.
Mary Elizabeth.

Didn’t have a date to the Mens Glee Club Concert Thurs. nite and I didn’t want to buy a ticket - and debated quite a while about it until I decided there were only 4 in our college life and that I’d better go (50¢) - so did - went with Jo Hoag (Y.W. Pres) and her room-mate.

I mustn’t for get to tell you how much I like the birthday undees and they all match so nicely. Now if I had bloomers to match - I’d be tempted to go without a dress. Ha Ha! (In that case it’s a good thing I haven’t got them - huh!)

Identifier

Letter_034

Publication Date

3-21-1926

Subject

Letters; Easter; Missionary plays; Tearooms; Dresses; Young Women's Christian associations

City

Wooster, Ohio

Recommended Citation

Behner, Mary, "Letter from Mary to Family- March 21, 1926" (1926). Mary Behner Papers. 37.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/marybehner_papers/37