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55

Southern, rather mature, and utterly charming, and the mother of two precious children, little Nancy being adorable. In the evening I went to a card party at Miss Ellis house, Ken going to bed early. The day was so full I could write pages about it, and wish I had time to. The greatest thing was my meeting Mrs. Hazen; it touched me very deeply.

Meadville, Pa.,
May 9, 1926.

Interrupted.

[[underlined]] To Mother, May 11, 1926: [[/underlined]] My whole visit to Meadville was a splendid experience. On Sunday we took a walk before church, out into the country, and in the afternoon a longer walk. After we returned from our walk about four o'clock, Mrs. Hazen asked us to go for a ride with her mother and Mr. Hotchkiss, a gay old blade who admires Mrs. Townsend. So we had a lovely ride through the hills over the dirt roads in Mr. Hotchkiss's beautiful new Cadillac. Mr. H., Mrs. Townsend and the baby sat in the front seat and Mrs. Hazen, Ken and I in the back. I think it cheered her a lot to be out with us like that and she seemed almost carefree at times when she forgot herself. We drove through the campus of Allegheny College, a pretty little school. They pointed out some of the chapter houses to me and when they found I'm a Phi Delt, they were delighted, as Dr. Hazen was a Phi too. So that seemed to almost comfort Alice and she talked at some length about the Phis and the parties she'd gone to there since she was a little girl "almost." She told about the sweater the boys had sent to the baby, with ^[[ [[three greek symbols]] phi, delta, and theta]] in big letters down the front of it. After the ride we had tea with them. At times I could see how much this girl suffered. Once Mrs. Townsend mentioned something about "last year at this time" and I saw Alice shudder. And once I heard her say a very beautiful thing. Somehow the conversation turned to Dr. Hazen and the wedding. During the ceremony, Alice had stopped and couldn't speak for a moment. Everyone looked at her and didn't know what was going to happen, and afterwards it was jokingly commented that people thought she'd suddenly changed her mind, had not though it all over enough before. Finally, at this last, Alice said, "But I had thought it over a very great deal -- and I would not change." The way she said that last thing, "I would not change," very slowly, very quietly and simply, was as beautiful as anything I've ever heard. I could have cried right then and nearly did. I had difficulty in keeping a grip on myself. It was a totally new experience to me to see someone so young with such a burden to carry and I think my heart went out to her in sympathy as it has never before to any young girl, or boy either. ...... Yesterday Alice went with us on the picnic represented by the little flowers I sent you. It was the first time she'd been out like that since her husband's death and it was so lovely out, and our fire and sizzling steak and