Nadine's Diary, "The Dear Little Boy"

Mound and Columbia Halls

Monday, Nov. 19, 94.  Got up too late for breakfast and missed my short hand.  Will came over about 9 oclock.  Time to go to type writing and I missed that for him.  He stayed till 10 then went to Elocution Class.  Nannie was in about a dozen times as usual.  I went to Elocution at 11 and I was so hungry I thought dinner time would never come.  What a big dinner I did eat.  The boys walked home with us.  Will and I walked back past the Hall around the square and back home.  Saw where Misses Delay and Toffler roomed.  Saw the fellow that tried to flirt with me in Chapel one morning.  He and Mr. Moss were standing in front of Columbia Hall when we came in from our prominade.  Didn't do a thing but flirth with him.  If I was with Will he didn't know it.  Will came in.  Did not intend staying only tell me one oclock but stayed all afternoon and misses his Logic at 3 and Latin at one and I missed type writing at 4 and Shorthand at 5.  I am ashamed of myself.  I fell as if I never wanted to see him again.  Clara and Nannie went away some where and were gone till 5 oclock.  When Clara came home and found Will still here she nearly died laughing.  We were lying on the bed.  We got up and Will and I went down to the Post office to get a money order cashed that Mamma had mailed me.  I got a pair of lacers for my shoes.*  Will went in the store with me.  Coming home my shoe came untied and Will the dear little boy tied it for me.  Some boy passed and he looked to see what he was doing.  "Ge," how ridiculous.  I did not act all afternoon think of us missing classes to stay home and spoon.  Fred was here from 5 till 6 as usual.  They were spooning away when we came back from the Post office.  He went to his room.  Will stayed and walked down to supper with us.  Had lots of fun at the table.  How we did get roasted by John Hodges.  He came in and told Will he wanted to see him before he moved over to Mound Hall and for him to call at the room a few minutes.  We poor girls nearly died at the boys guying us so and we got up and left the table.  Clara forgot her key and had to go back.  Fred walked home with us and I don't know where Will went for I haven't seen him since. "Ge" what a gay old time we have had this week.  Got two letters in the morning.  One from Aunt Cal in Chicago and the other from Mamma.  She sent me a post office order for $9.00*.  I was glad to get it for I was bout to the end of my string.  Fred was in a few minutes and teased Clara.  Nannie was here as usual.  Clara made some ginger tea and bethed her feet and went to bed.  I wrote in my diary and studied a little and followed her example.

*for more on shoes of the 1890s at The History of Footwear...

*Via the Inflation Calculator, Nadine's $9.00 post office order would be worth $236.84 today.