VANDERBILT HALL  

                                                                                                                                                                     January 14, 1900

    Dear Father:

       I thank you and Susan very much for your Christmas present.  It came in very opportunely, especially as my
    common stock has not paid any dividends for some time.  I was also very pleased to get my first letter from
    Margaret.  She writes better, I think, even now, than any of her brothers except perhaps Frank [He must be
    referring to his brother, William Franklin Draper, Jr., who was evidently called Frank.] and puts me completely
    to shame.   

       Vacation is over, and I am comparatively hard at work again.  The present term is the longest and dullest of
    this year, and is only broken by the Junior Promenade festivities, which come the week after next.  This will
    not mean so much to me, as I do not intend to take a girl.  Those who do will be put at a heavy expense for
    two or three days, and will presumably have a proportionately better time; then comes the Club pool and
    billiards tournaments, and then nothing startling until the Easter vacation.

       Before coming back, I spent a couple of days at Otis's [his brother, George Otis Draper] and had an
    interesting talk with him concerning my future business prospects.  There seems to be a good chance for
    me, if I am of any use.

       Of course, you have seen about your name being proposed for Vice President.  What do you think of the
    idea?

       I am somewhat in doubt as to whether I shall go to Europe next summer or not, owing to the Exposition,
    which I am not anxious to see, high prices and etc., but probably shall go if I find a friend desirous of taking
    the same kind of a trip that I wish to take.  If I decide instead to go into business right away, I presume that
    you will give me the money that you promised me for the trip.

       What I have said is, of course, conditional partly upon whether you decide to come home next summer for
    good or not, for if I should be able to see you abroad, it would put another face upon the matter.

       There is nothing further that I can think of just now, so giving my love to Susan and Margaret, I will
    subscribe myself

                                                                                                                                                                      Your loving son,

                                                                                                                                                                       Clare H. Draper

      In the letter above, Clare was writing to his father, General William F. Draper, from Yale.  And no, I didn't add
    anything. That's how he signed it; Clare H. Draper.

                                     Clare Draper                    Next Letter (The general gives some advice to his son)      

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Vanderbilt Hall, Yale. Built in 1894