Saturday, November 10, 2012

Nadine's Diary, "The Very Girl I Want to See"

In which Nadine sleeps in her new room, sets a date with Mr. Lion and Mr. Mitchel, spoons with Mr. Hodges, keeps the date with Mr. Lion, plays a guessing game,  has fun at dinner, gets a lecture from Mr. Hodges, makes up with Mr. Hodges, and has an insight:
Nov. 10, 94.  Slept alone last night the first time since I left home.  Got up about seven oclock to late to go to breakfast.  There were two knocks at the door.  I was not dressed so first kept still and they went away.  I was felling so blue.  I didn't want to be seen by any person.  Had  piece of cookie for my breakfast, one I had brought up from the supper table the night before.  Mr. Stinson called in the morning to have me settle for my board.  Told him I could not before Monday.  He stayed about half an hour.  Felt blue all morning but his call enlightened my feelng very much.  Went to dinner, the first day of the second term.  Met Mr. Lion on my way to the dining room.  He said you are first the very girl I want to see.  He told me he was going to have a friend Mr. Mitchel from Chicago and he wanted me to break any engagement I had to meet him.  He said he had so much to tell me.  I ask him when he would tell me.  He ask me if I would be home that after noon at 3 oclock.  Told him I would.  He said he would call.  He walked to East Hall door with me.  Showed the telegram that he had received from his friend.  Just as he went to turn to leave East Hall, Mr. Kettle and Mr. Hodges came in the walk.  Kettle said to Hodges lets mob him.  Mr. Kettle ask me to come to there table, so I did.  Gee, how blue I felt about that time.  I sat at the side next to me.  Mr. Stinson didn't want me to sit at that table.  Thought it would be to cold but that wasn't it.  He didn't want me by Mr. Hodges.  After dinner Mr. Clark came and sat down at the table and begin roasting Mr. Hodges about the laundry bill he had owed him for six months and the coat he had borrowed and about a dozen other things.  Then Mr. Hodges begin roasting him.  Mr. Hodges walked up to my room with me.  Came in and staid till three oclock.  When Mr. Lion and his friend Mr. Mitchel called I introduced them and Mr. Hodges excused him self.  Said he would go and see Fred.  I had been sitting on Hodges lap when the boys knocked and my hair looked simply awful*. It was all coming down and tossed out of place.  I know they tought I had been doing something of the kind by my looks.  Hodges and I didn't agree the first part of the after noon bt we got all right in a few minutes and he came over and sat on my lap.  I pushed hime away, but pretty soon he said he was tempted to come back again and he ask if he might.  I told him he looked very well where he was but he said he would rather be close to me so he came back.  But he soon changed the position and I sat on his lap.  We spooned.  Oh heavens what soft people.  I enjoyed the company of Messers Lion and Mitchel very much.  They stayed till a few minutes before supper time.  When they got up to leave they said that had spent a pleasant after noon and Mr. Mitchel said he heard his friend Mr. Lion speak of Miss Reynolds being the prettiest girl on the hill and I went on talking and how surprised.  I ask Mr. Mitchel if he didn't admire his taste.  He said he did indeed.  They fed me taffy for a few minutes then took their departure.  They said they bet they could guess my age so Mr. Lion said well if I guess it you chew gum and Mr. Mitchel said if I win you eat full creams, so Mr. Lion guessed sweet 16 and Mr. Mitchel 17, so the latter won.  They then made a date with me as to when they would bring the candy.  I arranged for them to call Sunday evening.  Mr. Lion said I should have a sleigh ride this winter for he wanted to take me him self.  After they left I arranged my toilet and went to supper.  Went early and went up to Miss Sinclair's room.  Came down.  Saw Miss Jones, Mr. Kettle, Mr. Hodges and met Miss Sprigne.  We all went to the same table.  Had lots of fun.  After supper when I came out in the Hall some one told me Miss Shafer had come and I said to Mr. Hodges that Clara was home and he said Nannie was to so I supposed it must be Nannie.  I was so glad she had come home.  She reported as having a glorious good time, while Hodges was sitting over in the corner with his feet upon the coal box reading a book.  A foul play.  Nannie then went to a Resteraunt for her supper.  Hodges stopped reading then and begin talking to me.  Nannie came back in a few minuets and we talked and stayed all night with me.  The lamp burned out and she and I went to the office and got the key to her room and got her oil can.  Came in and filled the lamp after 20 oclock.  Hodges was acheing for her to go for he was prepared to give me a lecturing, and after she went maby I didn't get one.  He lectured me for about a half an hour about Messers Lion and Mitchel.  He didn't care so much about them being here in the after noon but I told Nannie before him that they were coming back Sunday night, and that I flirted with Carline at the Opera the other night.  It hurt me awfully to have him talk so cross to me but he petted me up after a while and loved me and fonded me till you would have though he never would say another cross word to me in his life.  I did love him that night even if he did lecture me and he told me he never would again.  I promised him I would be true to him and not go with any other boys if he didn't want me to.  He stayed till after 2 oclock and before he went I promised him that some day I would marry him.  I meant it to when I promised him.  By his talk I think he has talked on the same subject before for he isn't the least bit green.  He's all right.  Ge*, how we did spoon all night long.  Nannie did  not hear me go to bed.

*"Ge", Nadine's spelling of "Gee".  The word crept into American use in the 1890s as a euphimism for Jesus.  As it is today, it is used to express surprise, dissapointment, enthusiasm, or simple empasis.  "Gee Whiz," a term Nadine does not employ, was already in use in the 1880s.  From The Historical Dictionary of American Slang.

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