Philadelphia High School for Girls - Milestone Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

Page 30 text:

until IQIQ lay there and Time had gone, and I was standing on the corner of Thirteenth and Chestnut Streets, under a creaking sign which bore in bold red letters, Helen A. Winstanley- Hair Dresser, Wigs Bought and Sold. Thinking I had found the right one for news, I went in and saw Helen twisting up her hair as usual and saying in a voice that creaked like the sign outside, Wait a minute until I find my hairping it's the only one I have. I waited to hear no more, fearing she would want to borrow some of mine, but made a brave dash for liberty and the door. In my hurry I nearly upset a very fashionable woniang I saw that she was tall and graceful, and though half hidden by a large and conspicuous badge I recognized Ida Hill. She told me she was just on her way to conduct a meeting of - the association that had in charge the education of politicians. On 17' seeing Ida instinctively I looked A I 1, 'KVM for Ethel james a11d there she was X-,g,'ll!i loaded down with grips, shawl fi, straps, luncheon boxes and um- I, .. ' MF Q WQ3 brellas, a travelling companion of J, I K . the illustrious Ida. From Ethel 'I V H james I learned that Iininia Maugle I ' ' with Psalm book, rattan and a Course of Study for Primary Grades, was developing the threefold nature of little Hottentots and clothing the111 in a garment of play.', She also told ine that my old school friend, Helen Phyllis Ray, who had studied in this country and abroad under the best masters, was about to appear in Philadelphia after a successful debut in New York. I went to the Academy to see her and wondered whether she would fulfill the promise of her girlhood days, and felt proud indeed to remember that she was a girl of ,QQ when I saw her as Rosalind, with a breathless audience before l1er.- 28

Page 29 text:

IDYODIUCCQ . TRUGGLING with a Mother Goose rhyme for next dayls Kinder- garten lesson was simply out of tl1e question with the Prophecy of ,QQ claiming all my attention. With a bang I shut the book and before I had time to exclaim, Mother Goose bounced down before ' me just as if she had stepped from the story hook with her peaked cap and broom stick, saying, Stupid, if you want to know the future of your class why don't you go to Father Time ? With this she bounced away again. My inward connnent was to the effect that there was some sense in Mother Goose after all and the ultimate result was that I set off in search of Father Time. My search was not i11 vain as I soon found him asleep on his hour glass. Yes, Time was asleep in Philadelphia! Being a good natured fellow he did not mind being wakened, and when I told him that I wished to know what my classmates would be doing twenty years from now, he rubbed his eyes and smiled, saying, Philadelphia Normal School, Class of '99-yes, I know them, they waste my hours by the sad sea waves in summer, and in winter they spend most of them over Psychology and Dr. Brooks' Normal Methods. Here he gave me a knowing wink and continued, I like those girls and they have been unfortunate, following such a brilliant class as l98-but they have a golden future, and Time's hand shallirest lightly upon them. Whereupou he set to Work with his scythe and I saw the years fall at my feet, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 27

Page 31 text:

At every turn it was evident that I was in an age of VVoman's Rights, and Philadelphia was universally known as the City of Sisterly Love. The Public Buildings were completed, but their familiar dirty white color was replaced by a beautiful chocolate brown. It had gained its color through the labor of councilmen. All those who had opposed Pure Water Supply Bills had been forced as a punisment to scrub the City Hall with Schuylkill water! This just and needed punishment had been indicted by none other than Her Honor, Marion L. Cohn, Chief justice of the Supreme Court. She had obtained her position of prominence by close attention to cause and effect and Macaulay's History of England. On the plaza of City Hall stood the statue of a woman, I recognized the pompadour of one of the girls, and below in raised letters I read, Sacred to the Memory of Florence Miller and Plato. Who having devoured all the knowledge on this planet, departed with the intention of doing the same in other worldsf' At the corner of Broad and Chestnut iwas the Bureau of Information. Stepping inside I found Frances Lillian Knapp in possession, here she was an authority on everything under the sun. Information, if not in stock, manu- factured while you wait! Picking up the T fmes which was on the table, I was confronted by the portrait of Laura Roedelheim 3 it appeared that she wrote an article each day for publication, but, girls, this was not at all startling when you remember how in her school days she used to spin oii' a rhyme every twenty-four hours! I also learned from my informer, the 7'z'mrs, that Edith Elliott was following a former teacher's advice and enlarging 11er environment by travel. It was refreshing to listen to Miss Knapp telling first one and then the other, I know it is so, because I saw it, or because I did it. But I must be on after new adventures. Walking down Broad Street I was attracted by a poster in front of a theatre. It was a girl with a huge pompadour. Recalling the weakness Mattie McClay had for theatres and carricature hair dressing, I knew it was she without looking for the name. Unfortunately I did not 29