326 ELIZABETH GARY AGASSIZ 



what gratification she derived from it, and how it speedily 

 began to have the atmosphere that she desired for it under 

 the influence of its first and for seventeen years its only 

 mistress, Miss Eliza M. Hoppin. "It is too delightful 

 absolutely satisfactory and so cheerful," she wrote on De- 

 cember 21, 1901. In the next year, on February 10, she re- 

 cords: "In the evening to Bertram Hall. Dined with the 

 students. It was really delightful. I never saw a happier set 

 of girls dancing and singing after dinner till eight o'clock 

 when they all went to their studies." Another description 

 of an evening there is given on January 13, 1903: "Went 

 to dine at Bertram Hall. It was really charming a pleas- 

 anter, more cheerful, better bred set of young girls I could 

 not wish to see. The dinner was nice and very prettily 

 served; the talk round the table was pleasant and intelli- 

 gent. After dinner they showed me the game of ping-pong, 

 after which I went around to see them in their rooms 

 pretty chambers and studies connected. It was all very 

 satisfactory." 



The formal opening ("a great affair for us, though very 

 small in itself," Mrs. Agassiz writes in her diary) took 

 place on January 22, 1902, at which Mrs. Agassiz made an 

 address, giving first a sketch of the events leading to Mrs. 

 KimbalPs gift, the purchase of the Homestead, and the 

 plans for enclosing it by eight dormitories, of which Ber- 

 tram Hall was the first. The remainder of the address ex- 

 presses Mrs. Agassiz's ideals for the Halls of Residence of 

 Radcliffe. 



While we are here to celebrate more especially 

 the opening of a home for our students, we must 

 not forget that we are also inaugurating a new chapter 



