The Letters of Sylvia Plath Volume 1 Read online

  I fell to sleep immediately after they left and slept soundly from about 10:30 P.M. to 7:00 A.M. This afternoon we went sailing again, and though I wore a shirt I got more of a burn on my arms and thighs. The nurse put calamine lotion or milk of magnetia lotion, but it soon began to burn again. I then washed it off and Lois put some Noxema on, which made it feel much better

 

  Wednesday, July 2*

  We left early this morning right after capers on our bike trip to West Chop. We carried along our lunch, for we were going to stay away all day and watch the sailboat races. The weather was clear and glorious. We had a long ride, and by the time we got to West Chop we were all quite tired. I climbed up into the lighthouse with most of the other girls and looked out over the water through the big, transparent glass windows. The water was so cooling, and we went wading after we had lunch on the beach. I have about three shells that I picked up on the beach as souvenirs. We were not allowed to buy anything in the stores except drinks to go with our lunch, so I got Orangeade when we passed though Vineyard Haven. I don’t know whether it’s any better for complexion than Coke – but then I can’t die of thirst. I would appreciate it if you would send me a little map of Martha’s Vineyard with the chops and gayhead and the cities labeled so I could see the directions where we go on trips. I’m glad I have a nickname, because now everybody calls me “Sherry” and I feel like a different person without any old restrictions. If someone says something mean about me (which no one does, thank goodness) I can just go back home and start being “sylvia” again. In case you do not know where I got my nickname, remember “School Girl Allies”?* Well I just took Sheridan’s nickname for my own, and I like it alot better than “Tibi.” I am having a lovely time. The girls are all so nice. I weighed myself after supper tonight and also last night and I have gained 4 lbs. (I now weight 118 lbs.) I only hope I don’t loose them with all the exercise I’m getting! There is always something to do around here. I’m wearing my hair parted on the side and braided over my head – one of the ways June tried. I hope you realize that I have been writing this letter for two days now, and since this is Thursday the Third I hope that you will let the length of this epistle make up for the two post cards I did not write. I am very busy, but not too much to write regularly to you. Of course on some-days I write more postcards than on others, but then, you know how it is. Will you meet me at South Station when I come home? I will probably bring $6 of my spending money back since I have $.50 left out of my 1st three $ book (most of it was spent for car fare!) Last night I had three big helpings of potatoes (mashed) and carrots for supper and a scant helping of meatloaf as well as 2 pieces of bread & butter, 2 apricots & a glass of milk. I eat at least 2 slices of bread at every meal, more often 3. I love you very, very much & do miss you just a little.

  xxx

  sivvy

 

  One of our Menemshas came in second in the race, and the others followed in close succession!

  I hope you get this by Saturday!

  I have written to Warren at camp and sent two fat postcards to Betsy.

  Do write me lots of letters if you’re not too busy.

  I have alredy received one letter and a card from you and a package (facecloth etc.) also a card from Warren (which was rather extraordinary!

 

  Lots of Love

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Thursday 3 July 1947

  ALS (postcard), Indiana University

  July 3, 1947

  Dear Mummy,

  If I write this to you now I can do something else in rest hour. I have written 2 fat postcards to Warren and 3 to Betsy. Tues. we went 7 miles on our bikes, and yesterday we went 12 miles. When I come home I am going to be very hungry. I would like a chicken salad dinner with all the tomato, bacon and cheese sandwiches I can eat. Also mashed potatoes, pie and icecream. If you please – yum, yum. Do buy me a copy of the July SEVENTEEN which is now out on the newsstands. Don’t send it here, but save it for me when I get home. We’re having a talent auction on Saturday. The counselors offer various things for auction such as shoe shines or breakfast in bed. Then the girls do stunts and the one who finishes and gets the most applause has the counselor do the favor for her. Well! There goes the warning bell for lunch.

  Lots of love,

  Sylvia

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Friday 4 July 1947*

  ALS (postcard), Indiana University

  June 4, 1947

 

  Dear Mummy,

  How are you celebrating the glorious fourth? Remember to save my cards and letters so that I can catch up in my Diary when I get back home. I have caught up to Tuesday June 2, but I still do not have much time. Yesterday I went sailing with my favorite counselor (Web.) I just love her. I was sort of dumb when it came to jibing and almost broke the mast and boom on her precious ‘sea horse’, but she just grabbed in time. Did I have fun! This morning we had to get up early to be hoppers – 6:45. Isn’t that awful. I slept like a log all night, falling asleep at 10:00 P.M. & waking up at 6:45. I dreampt that I was driving to Radio City with June in the camp truck. The counselor wouldn’t let us out to get a sundae, so we sneaked into the theatre and saw Ingrid Bergman in ‘Joan of Lorraine.’* I’m writing this just before lunch. It is dark, cloudy, and raw. I’m warm tho’ – wearing my blue & pink plaid jacket over Macey’s* navy sweater over my peach wool shirt over my underwear. At breakfast we had 4 people at our table, so I at a whole serving dish of apricots ’cause no one else liked ’em. I’m always hungry from exercise.

  Love,

  Sylvia

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Saturday 5 July 1947

  ALS (postcard), Indiana University

  July 5, 1947

  Dear Mummy,

  Well! I got that other post card to you off just in time for the day’s mails, so I’ll take more time on this to describe the occurrences of the 4th. The costume ball was most hilarious. I couldn’t think of anything much to wear, so I dressed up as Saturday Night in my pajamas (rolled up), a beach coat, and my hair pinned up on top of my head. I carried a tooth brush, soap, a facecloth & a towel, etc. as well as wearing galoshes. I won no prize, as I did last year, but I never laughed so hard in my whole life. Some of the costumes were: an ice cream cone , mosquitoes , old sailors in an impromptu boat, Santa Claus, take offs on the councilors, a sandpiper, a mock wedding and funniest of all – two of my favorite councilors dressed up so that they really looked like sailors, and escorted in the substansial camp nurse dressed in a very scanty costume and supposedly being French or English as the occasion demanded. Words can’t describe the riotous combination of these 3. Icecream cones on the beach were heavenly.

  xx

  Siv

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Saturday 5 July 1947

  ALS (postcard), Indiana University

  July 5, 1947

  Dear Mummy,

  I am starting this just before leaving for another bike hike at 9:00, so I doubt if I will have time to finish it before the mails go out. I just got your letter with the 4 bobbiepins on July 4th. That does make 6 messages, and by now you probably received my card stating that I was getting mail. I wrote a long letter to Ruthie (almost as long as the one I wrote you) in return for a surprisingly long letter (3 pages) which she wrote me. From what I read between the lines, she must be awfully homesick. She got in a unit where one of the gangs from Wellesley. I know them, and they are very close and snubbish, and of course since Betsy and I aren’t there she doesn’t know hardly anyone. I guess camp isn’t as nice as last year, so I thought that a long letter would cheer her up. Last night we had a lovely 4th of July celebration – we had
a wienie roast on the beach and then a costume ball. At twilight we changed back to our pajamas and had a bonfire on the beach with 2 icecream cones each. We sang songs and watched fireworks across the lagoon til taps. Wonderful!

  xxx

  Siv

  Will write more on next card

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Saturday 5 July 1947

  ALS (postcard), Indiana University

 

  July 5,

  Dear Mummy,

  This is a very quick sketch of the beach we biked to this morning. We totaled only 13 miles, and we left at about 9:30 A.M. and came back at 12:00 after spending 45 min. in swimming and resting on the warm white sands. Hardly any people were there, so we were left more or less to ourselves. The waters were a light, salty blue and a sandy, smooth bar stretched out into the ocean. The water was free from crabs and seaweed, and I went swimming with Sally Haven,* an adorable girl who lives in Newton. She has soft light hair and lovely dark eyes – almost as tall as I am, and still has a little girl charm about her since she does not act old, and yet does not seem in the least silly. I just love her. We had loads of fun swimming under water and sitting on the smooth sandy bottom pretending to comb our hair. When I come home please do not expect me to have a very dark tan since I don’t. How long does it take my cards to get to Wellesley?

  xxxxxx

  Sivvy

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Sunday 6 July 1947

  ALS (postcard), Indiana University

  July 6, 1947*

  Got package with light and pins, thanks

  Dear Mummy,

  This is Sunday morning, about 8:00 A.M., and I am now comfortably propped up in bed
  xxx

  Siv

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Sunday 6 July 1947

  ALS, Indiana University

  July 6, 1947

  Dear Mother,

  How do you like my ingenious way of using up envelope-less letter paper? I do hope that this makeshift gets to you! By now you have probably received that happy little post card describing my wait for the little breakfast that never came! How could I make such an awful mistake! The breakfast-in-bed is tomorrow morning! It better come! I waited and waited, and then suddenly broke my resolution to stay in bed until Honica came by jumping up and dashing down to the dining hall. My mind was filled with the horrible picture of sardonic, implacable councilors locking the doors of the camp hall in my face and leaving me outside to die of slow starvation from having had nothing for breakfast. The first part of my imaginings were true – they were just beginning to clear away the meals, but I had just chance to eat a little. I had one big hot roll, an orange, a little box of rice crispies and a cup of milk when the food at the tables were gone, so I gathered up my courage and wandered out to the kitchen and begged sweetly for a little piece of butter to go on my bread, so when the kindly cook heard my sad story of waiting in bed for breakfast she gave me two extra big pats of butter and I filled up on four good pieces of bread, butter, and jam which satisfied me for the time. I then peeled carrots, radishes and just hundreds of potatoes with my crew for camp capers and spent the morning cleaning up my tent and relaxing for a change. Today is visiting day, so I caught up to this Sunday in my diary while waiting eagerly for dinner. Ahh! I sat with two of my favorite councilors and all my tentmates and ate a most delicious meal. Each table of eight had a whole roast duck to eat. I have gained five pounds (am now 119 lbs.) and think I keep it (I hope) because for dinner I ate three big helpings of duck and delicious mashed potatoes and two helpings of carrots and also radish salad. I garnished this with only one piece of bread and butter, two cups of milk, and one great scoop of strawberry icecream. Yummy!!!!! I am now very hungry again an am waiting eagerly for supper! I am having a heavenly time here. I just did “I’m Alone in the House” over again for the kids in our tents. We’re in one tent, all nine of us, and the girls have been teasing Ann and telling her that they’re going to send her home Thursday and keep me here instead. Tonight we had a delicious picnic supper. I had six slices of bread filled with strawberry jam, ham, mustard and egg and olive filling respectively. Also two cups of milk. I sat on the bluffs with the girls and had a little talent show. After supper we had a treasure hunt, and though we did not find it first or get a prize (toll house cookies) we had fun. I wouldn’t have eaten the cookies anyway, because my complexion, which has kept very clear for the past week, just broke out. I am going on an even stricter diet = no sweets (as before) as much sleep as possible (which amounts to a good 9 hrs.) as much water (I just drank three cups) and also keeping regular. I just had a big soft you-know-what this morning, so I feel a lot better. When I come home I have my schedule all planned. I want a shampoo and hot bath as soon as I arrive If I am not too tired, which I hope not to be. After that I want a nice cool salad and a big dinner (tomato, bacon and cheese sandwiches) If possible! Oh! Boy! I’ll be glad to see you again, but I feel awful about leaving camp. I had a very pretty, but sad, dream last night. I dreampt that I was leaving camp on our bicycles, only a few of us, and we were going the long way home. I remember that I was crying as I looked back and saw Andy and Ann still playing in the water. All of a sudden I came to a beautiful palace. Fascinated, I walked inside, leaving the rest to go on their long way. As-soon as the great ebony doors clanged behind me I knew that I could never go home or back to camp again. I was really glad to wake up to hear the 7:15 bell clanging loudly in my ears. We have had simply gorgeous weather – not one little drop of rain! We are going to leave for Chapaquidick,* a large island off the coast. We’re going in a few minutes, so I doubt if I will mail this today. I will tell you all about our long trip when I get home. This will probably be the last epistle that I write to you while at camp, mummy dear, because I’ll tell you everything we do from now on first hand when I get home! I love you so! I’m really glad we’re going to the island on our bikes because they charge the other units a dollar each when they go in the camp truck what a racket. They charge for every little piece* of transportation here even 25¢ to and from church each Sunday. I’ll insure my baggage if possible. I haven’t worn quite a few of my clothes, and I’m filling up both of my duffle bags full so I won’t have so much to carry in my suitcase. I’ll be seeing you on Thursday afternoon. Will you meet me at the station (I hope)? I have three more nights and three and a half days before I see you. I am going to be glad to be home Thursday and I can’t wait to begin my PIANO LESSONS! I love you! I will miss camp, but I’ll be glad to see you all again.

  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  Sivvy

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Monday 7 July 1947

  ALS (postcard), Indiana University

  July 7, 1947

  Dearest Mummy,

  It’s just a matter of hours now before I see you. I don’t know as yet when I will arrive at the station. We made a twenty mile round bike trip to the island of Chappaquiddick. We passed through quaint, crooked-streeted, darling little Edgartown, for which I was very glad, becaus
e I wanted so badly to see it even if I couldn’t get Gay Head! We crossed over to the island on the funniest little “ferry boat”, which was honestly just a chunky little float of wood no bigger than our cabin floor! It cost 10¢ cents for a round trip of about 20 yards both ways, what a racket, we practically could jump across. However, it was lots of fun. When we crossed over to the island we walked along the sandy beach which was decorated with many lovely shells some of which I am bringing home, labeled with their name and date. We went swimming on a lovely, hard sand bar and then started back after eating a lunch of sandwiches and gingerale. The ride back was lots easier than the ride over, although I have had some appendicitis cramps during the past days.

  xxx. I love you.

  Sivvy xxx

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Tuesday 8 July 1947

  ALS (postcard), Indiana University

  July 8, 1947

  Dear Mummy,

  I do hope you get this postcard in time. Our boat leaves on Thursday morning at 8:25 A.M. and, according to schedule, the train arrives in South Station at 11:40 A.M. Of course we may be a little late if the train is delayed. I do hope someone will meet me. If no one is there I will wait on the track we come in on for some someone to arrive.

  Lots of love,

  Sivvy

  TO Aurelia Schober Plath

  Tuesday 8 July 1947

  ALS (postcard), Indiana University

  July 8, 1947

  Dearest Mummy,

  This is truly the last card I’m going to write to you while I’m at camp (I think) because I’ll get there before the mails will. This morning I really had breakfast-in-bed. I had a delicious time eating it and I was so comfortable! First I had an orange, then a huge soup plate of hot oatmeal (just like home), three pieces of delectable cinnamon toast, and some milk to top it off! Oh! Heavenly bliss! The sky was overcast with a cloudy fog when we went sailing this morning for the first time since the fourth of July. It cleared up this noon, though, which made it very nice for the photographer to take our pictures. Imagine! They chose my tent to take all the campers pictures in front of, so if I buy any pictures (which I probably won’t since I’ll leave before they’re developed) there will be familiar ground in each. We have had glorious weather here all the time, and I have made a vow to bring my children up in sailboats – I’m so awfully dumb about them, but I love them more every time I go out.