April 8th, 1917
This is Easter! Many things have happened since I recorded my happenings in here last. Harriet has gone east to Lucille in Iowa Falls. She went two week ago tomorrow. I went home that week – and and visited with her. She was going to leave on the same train I did so we could go part of the way together but mother fell and hurt her side just before I got home. We tho’t the rib was broken at first but I guess it wasn’t. Anyway, Harriet didn’t leave until a train later.
Then last week I went to Eugene again for the Cabinet Conference at UofO. We took sixteen girls and Miss Frances and Mrs Zeifle and were the largest delegators there. Marilla Dunning went home with me Saturday night and we came back Sabbath after-noon. We had a nice time even tho it did rain – as usual. But the biggest and most dreadful reality right now is War! We are at last actually at war with Germany just because a few ships have been submarined out on the Atlantic, the people – I guess it is the people altho I can’t discover which people – say we must “uphold our honor” by war. Now Pres. Wilson is calling for an army of 500,000 men at once and is planning a militarism as big as Germany’s. They are going from one extreme to the other. It is dreadful to think of some of our boys have gone already and are on their way some where – the destination is unknown – to do parole duty. I supposed altho no one seems to know just what they will have to do. Probably they will go to the Mexican border to prevent invasion there. That isn’t bad – I think that is policy, but this thing of invading Germany, I think is foolish. By the time they get started over there some submarine will come along and sink the ships. Besides, I don’t think we have any business to go over to Germany. It is alright to protect our own interest here at home – but that is enough.
I hope all of the boys here wont have to go anyway. I say I don’t like Al – but I’d miss him anyway.
Another discovery made this last week is that Miss Frances & Mr. Jensen are sending out their announcements this week. I don’t know whether it is an announcement of what has taken place, or what is to take place. At least it is one for Miss Frances told me so. I have thought all along since I dreamed that crazy dream about them being married, that they were married last summer. Maybe that is a wild dream but I’ll know in a week or so, of that I am sure. One thing I do know is that she is getting things sent here for her house so it can’t be far from right.
Al went to Salem this week-end and wasn’t here for our tea that Cauthorn gave today. I was rather glad for I didn’t feel tied down to anyone and I might have felt that way – sort of responsible for him if he came. He came back tonight and walked home from church with me. He informed me of something I hadn’t heard of before – that I have been nominated for president of the Home Economics Club for next year, I haven’t looked up to see who is running against me so I am a little skeptical about the results.