Page 37 - To Dragma May 1930

34 To DRAG MA

"A brave thought broke upon my consciousness. Suppose I give
them a horrible example? So, after a warning that a magazine would be
issued, unpadded, giving just what material came in and being only as
long as the advertising and subscription income could support, I did
it and held my breath. The poor little emaciated issue appeared and
so appealed to the feminine hearts of my sisters that much food in the
way of articles and subscriptions poured in, and To DKAGMA resumed
almost immediately her generous proportions.

"Other memories—serious though lightly approached—my absorbing
interest in my fraternity; love for its members, seen and unseen; belief
in the ideal qualities of an association based on common interests which
cuts our modern societies forever from the primitive; respect for the
fraternity system which lends the strength of good environmental living
conditions to the ambitions of a life of intellectual achievement for
women of our day.

"To DRAGMA was, in short, to me, in a sense, a mission. My house
resounded with it from morning until night and yet I do not remember
what was written. Also 'and yet' my own Sigma chapter in preparing
its pledges to pass the fraternity examination used an old copy and
taught their freshmen, which included my own sister, living in my own
house in the midst of the editorial turmoil, to answer with my predeces-
sor's name to the question 'Who is the editor of To DRAGMA?'

"So, unhappily, passes memory, but not love. So passes details, but
not beliefs. So passes one's own day, but one's loved fraternity grows
in grace and knowledge.

"This gives you, dear present editor, nothing to go on. I'm sorry."
Yours fraternally,

VIRGINIA JUDY ESTERLY |

DEAR EDITOR:

"It does not seem possible that 1911 from 1930 leaves nineteen years.
But it does! To remember back that length of time—to what?

"The most persistent thought that comes has to do with letter writ-
ing and waiting for the mail. For a meager list of subscribers meant a
corresponding size for To DRAGMA, and Virginia Judy Esterly wanted 'fat
issues.' So my sister, Margaret Henderson Dudley, and I let no non-
subscriber escape.

"Some of these fervent appeals brought results, others—not so. The
'not so's' received double and at times triple doses, and I remember that
we seemed more depressed over those non-subscribrs than joyful over
the ones that replied. Like the 'ninety and nine,' wasn't it? But with
it all there were many friendships formed and Margaret became so pro-
ficient in her knowledge of names and addresses that it wasn't really
necessary to keep a directory.

"If we couldn't have subscribers, Virginia said that we must have
'ads.' So, armed with several issues, I started out on an advertising
campaign, not only in Oakland but also in San Francisco. I wonder
now how I ever did have such courage when I think of the leading firms