Miss Duncan Goes to Washington, Part 5 of 7

Letter to Mother August 18 [1941]

Dear Mother-,

Washington, D.C., 1941

 . . .About last week, - a good deal seems to have happened. Monday night Molly Bidwell came to dinner. Tuna fish goo in your little baking dishes. We all got on very nicely. After dinner Ed Bernett, Libby's little man, appeared, conversed, and took Libby out. Then René called, appeared, conversed and took Franny out. Then little Chuck called, appeared and conversed. Molly looked them all over, and I could see her deciding our house is a Social Center, Nice Young Men etc. So she is very anxious to room with me, and I suppose we will really swing it. Franny has given notice on her job for Sept. 15 and is planning to leave for Hawaii on the Oct. 2 boat if no job breaks here meantime. Of course I am dying to go with her, - she has a friend there who reports the place is full of jobs, - but it costs $160 to get there and we probably wouldn’t want to stay more than a year, which would mean coming back sans job, a condition which my bank account does not let me face with equanimity. But Franny's job here isn't going at much of a sacrifice and she is borrowing funds to a perilously large extent from her family, about $200, I think. I wouldn't wince in the least, asking Papa for money if I needed it, but I can’t quite see asking for it to whip out to Hawaii on. Anyway, she's going, full of talk about living the abundant life and gathering rose buds (to me, Washington is still full of a good many rosebuds ungathered) and enjoy yourself while you're young.

Red Cross secretary, and new Smith College graduate, 
Nancy Duncan is selected to serve on the advisory 
council for Glamour, "the fashion mag for career girls."

. . .Thursday we went to a cocktail party at the Willard [Hotel] for 25 successful business girls who have been carefully selected to serve as an advisory council for Glamour magazine, the fashion mag for career girls. They got our names from the Smith Quarterly. Free subscription, free drinks, pictures taken for the magazine, questionnaire, circulated on things like - How do you keep your boss cool? Ye gads. 

. . .I have gone into most doldrumish depths about my job. I don’t see how anyone can be so stupid. I honestly do try but am simply hopelessly untrained and inadequate. It's all very fine to talk about how lovely is quick promotion, and I am still 'dignified, discrete (discreet) and mature.' But so what? I'm still a lousy stenographer. But everyone, particularly Mr. Atkinson, is very gentle with me. Still, I know without being told, what a second rate job I'm doing. . .

Love and kisses, 
Nancy 

Copyright 2005 by Curt Taylor