Wilma Dykeman's Letters from Northwestern
October 27, 1938
TITLE: Wilma Dykeman's Letters from Northwestern - October 27, 1938
AUTHOR: Wilma Dykeman
PERMISSION TO PUBLISH granted by her heirs.
628 Library Place
Evanston, Illinois
Thursday night
Dearest Mother,
I guess I'm about the luckiest girl in the world - to have a Mother like you [Bonnie Cole Dykeman]. I received your sweet letter today, and sent the other letter off immediately. I hope that it's really hot stuff. Thank you so much for being so swell. You're really just the tops. When I see other women around here, I know that things aren't evenly divided up as to merit, or you'd be a millionaire. However, I guess you're happier than any of them.
I'm writing this letter just before dinner time, and am in some cute little overalls I had to buy for crew work on the plays being given. I worked last night and tonight on them. You have to do it for school credit, and it's a grand way to meet the kids.
Your other letter was just grand. I'm glad you're so happy to be home. About renting the house: Do not rent it. You just take my advice and stay in it this winter, and take some of that money that Sister gave you, and buy coal and keep a booming fire in the furnace. I know you must enjoy being in the house, and it's so nice and all. I dont think you can get anything like a fair rent out of it now anyway, and as to renting it and moving all the furniture out - I wouldn't even consider it. You just stay in there, till I come home Christmas, and then we can plan about the spring and summer. You take your business manager's advice (mine, in case you don't know) and see if it isn't best. Please tell me just how you've got everything placed when you write again, and where you're sitting, and all about it when you write. I can always just picture it in my mind's eye - like I'm doing now...
That was grand about Helen [Dykeman Gregory, Bonnie's step-daughter] and Ed [Gregory] giving you the money. I always told you that Ed thought a great deal of you, as I guess you knew anyway, and this was proved by what you said about him crying at the station [when Bonnie returned by train from the Gregory home in Carmel, New York, to North Carolina].
Had Evans' 1 class this morning and was it fun? Honestly his classes are just grand. I think he's tops, and I do mean tops. I gave him some of my poems to read this morning, and am I ever anxious to see his criticism of them? I don't think he'll like them much - he's too cynical and deep to like them. However he can't do any more than say he doesn't.
Yes, I still think it's grand here, and I'm perfectly happy. Or at least as happy as I'll ever be with all the ambition, or something, that I've got. I'm not letting the fact that I'm not dating get me down. I don't think it'll be forever...or maybe it will, who cares?...Have gotten to know some of the fellows better since I've been on crew though, and today sat on the library steps for a while and chewed the rag with a cute boy. He's a big shot among the Independent students here, and is in my writing class. I'm going to join the Independents, which includes any kids that aren't in sororities and fraternities, and have get-up and ideas. I hope I can have a couple of brainstorms and get it. There's a dance they're sponsoring the fourth of November, but I probably won't go.
Saturday is the big Homecoming Celebration for the football team, and we play Minnesota, which will probably be the toughest game of the year, with the possible exception of Notre Dame. There will be floats and a bonfire and stuff...
Thanks again for being such a swell Mother.
Loads and loads of love,
Wilma