March 11, 1943 from Northampton

NOTE: Caroline's sister Peep (the younger Hilda Wenz) was a student at Radcliffe and living at 20 Prescott St. in Cambridge, Massachusetts - just a few hours by train from Northampton/South Hadley area.

Thursday Afternoon

March 11.

Dear Mother,

Now from my window I can look across at the Northampton YMCA - rather a change from the few house and hills in Hadley. We are supposedly unpacked and by now with only our beds to be made. Four of us share a medium sized hotel room - Jean Wentworth, who was in the same room at Holyoke, Dorothy Yennis [?] of Minnesota, also from Holyoke and Margaret Clark, a SPAR who hails from Chicago and took her first training at Smith.

The hotel is quite interesting - rooms papered in colonial designs, draperies and curtains at the windows, rugs on the floors. The lobby has many old prints of the Jenny Lind period. We will have to walk farther to classes but at least there is an elevator to help us out. Food here is supposed to be superior to that at Holyoke - judging by one meal you can't tell yet.

We have just come back from getting our books - slogging along thru the mud and water. Our new books look most impressive and promise work to come. Of course you cannot expect any details from now on.

So - you are staying alone. I wish you weren't, particularly after that sick spell. I am glad you're not spending Sunday alone, but I think an empty house is bad to come home to every night. I wish you didn't have to do it. Do find someone congenial as soon as you can. And do let me know how the Journal is going - facts and figures. I want to know.

Did I tell you we got paid $40 yesterday - the day we got shots and orders to come here. When we will get paid again is a question, however.

Another piece of good news has come - almost too good to put faith in. It looks as if we shall have shore leave this weekend and so I'll be hurrying for 20 Prescott Street. It just seems too good to be true. A group of us will go by train together but I plan to spend all my time with Peep, for it won't be any too much in any case.

I am finishing this after dinner - a very good dinner* too. We will have a meeting shortly and then study hour. Our new schedule will call for more classes and less study time.

Audrey sent a good letter and I must answer her and write to Virginia , too.

Love,
Caroline

* Cherry pie - ham with raisin sauce -