826 ELIZABETH CARY 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. 
Kimball’s 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 
