Agnes Irwin School - Last Strand Yearbook (Rosemont, PA)

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We finished the year with a history debate, in which we all managed to disgrace ourselves by chance slang phrases fand worsej which would slip in and mar the effect of our eloquence. I particularly remember one unfortunate remark, but as it is a personal matter, we will let it pass. D I, 1908 The next year, Marian Grant, Eugenia Ketterlinus, Harriet Marshall, Helene Martin, Anne Meirs, Virginia Roberts, Alice Thompson, Frances Tyson, Anna Walthour, Mary Scull, Elinor Bean, Eleanore Bispham, Dorothy Deacon, Emma Dorr, Roberta Downing, Rachel Fitler, Josephine Foster, and Olivia Gazzam joined us. Then we moved down a floor. Our new quarters commanded a fine view of the back alley. This treat afforded unending amusement to those who were fortunate enough to obtain desks near the window. An interesting ragman or tune- ful organ-grinder always seemed to be going by, and a most attractive parrot Cwith its even more attractive ownerj lived just the other side of the way. All these nice things helped us rest and relax our poor little brains, so worn and racked with over Q ?j study. We were beginning to feel very grown-up, too. Most of us had discarded our starchy gingham dresses fexcept on warm daysj and had donned real cloth suits, whose ample skirts now reached below the knee. In spite of these signs of increasing age, we developed a great fondness for the banisters and the fascinating exercise that they afforded. Astride their shiny surface CI blush to confess itj many a small D I made a hasty descent of the three long flights. Once, in the middle of that exciting ride, Miss McIntosh stepped unexpectedly into view. The culprit thus caught in the act made a record dash to the front door. Q The culprit's name I have particularly refrained from mentioningj C 1909 Anna Brinton, Edith Baily, Elizabeth English, Charlotte Fahnestock, Ethel Hastings, Dorothea Oberteuffer. Katherine Tenney, Ada Wetherill, Elizabeth Yardley, Hilda Tunis, Emilie Kennedy, and Maria de Kosenko came the next year. Then part of us were promoted to the big house, as we called 2011. We felt that we were now on the home stretch of our school lives. We took up algebra also, which gave us a feeling of great importance, and we attained for the first time a real Latin reading book, wherein we perused the Twelve Labors of Hercules. Don't you all remember them, girls, and the illustrations we made along the margin? Fancy hair-dressing came in that year with a vengeance, and we endeavored to do our locks tout-a-fait a la mode. We purchased filigree barrettes at the IO-Cent store, and pinned large bows on the rear, which, flapping cheerfully in the breeze, made us look rather like young storks learning to Hy. At the end of the year, we had a fine debate about our old friend, Julius Cxsar. Doubtless that good gentle- man would have learned many new things about himself if he had been able to attend. O worthy Caesar! we humbly ask your pardon for the prevarications which we shamelessly invented to help our respective sides 27

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f Etlflss i nsirlmw D II, 1907 Seven years ago seven little girls assembled in the fourth story front of 2027 DeLancey Place. We were Eleanor Arnett, iA1va Sergeant, Elizabeth Graham, Kate Jayne, Mary Mirkil, Mary Henderson, and myself. We were sure that it was the turning point of our young careers, that first day at the A. I. S. We were timid little things QI have to tell you, as you would never guess it by seeing us nowj, and we felt very strange as we took our places at the long benches in Miss Lewis's room. We had no desks that year, and so we neatly QPJ arranged our possessions in cubby-holes along the wall Qrats' nests we called themj, and proudly inscribed D II on our books and papers. Once started, we got along swimmingly. Gradually we lost our fear of Miss Sophy fexcept when she came to call our rolllj and gradually we became accustomed to school ways. I regret to say that we had an irresistible inclination towards the fire escape, a sweet, yet forbidden spot where we ventured whenever we felt particularly divilish. There was a great deal of snow that winter. just outside our windows was a convenient ledge, on which the ice collected in most tempting clumps. Many a time at recess when an AI passed by, a grimy, unseen paw would push a miniature avalanche down on the dignified senior's crown of puffs and switches. The latter part of the winter we memorized Gray's Elegy, which we proudly recited to Miss Sophy. Our exquisite intonation and enunciation would have done credit to coffee-grindersg Miss Sophy must have been enchanted by our declaiming powers. 26

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B II, 1910 The next year we had a terrible fright. 2025 had just been added to the school, and rumors were afloat that the BII's were to be installed there. Our feelings were lacerated. We felt that we had graduated from the little house and its vicinity. However, it was a false alarm, and when school opened, we found ourselves comfortably settled in Miss Dowe's room.. Laura Heisler, Mary Laird, Arrean Miller, Isobel Page, Marjorie Taylor, and Helena Robinson joined us. After infinite labor on the part of our worthy president, we acquired class rings for the first time. They were ugly enough to frighten one, but we were much thrilled with them. In February, Katherine Ogden came to help us chase the Glooms. I don't mean to be personal, Katherine, but those cherry hair-ribbons were the envy of the whole class. Otherwise, the year passed uneventfully. We had become hopelessly good and uninteresting. We were never sent to Miss Sophy, and seldom dismissed from the room. Is it great wonder, then, that we left no footprints on the sands of time P B I, 1911 The next year, Helen Doughton, Christine Rehn, Hansell Earle, Maida Fox, julia Hamp, Susie Ingersoll, Mary Merrick, Marjorie Morris, Florine Pearson and Elizabeth Wister arrived. Then a great thing happened. Hobble skirts came into fashion! Anna Brinton a-chieved everlasting distinction by being the first in the class to possess one. We also had the up-to-this-time-unknown treat of being alone while preparing for and recovering from ro-ll-call, as Miss Natt was busy calling the roll in other rooms. This left us unchaperoned, and we made the most of it. Those above, below, and beside us must have often wondered at the hurried patterings of little CU feet across the bare floor. But these and the shrill squeaks which occasionally rang out at embarrassing moments were merely evidences of innocent amusement and spirits. A II, 1912 Mary Denkla, Edith Ellison, Hope McMichael, Huberta Potter, and Cornelia Leidy joined us in A II. Edith Gillingham jumped up a class and became one of our most studious C ? l ! lj members. Then we spent one more winter overlooking our beloved alley, thronged with ragmen and neighbors' cats. We also achieved geometry fsome had it thrust upon themj, and we took up German, in which we have made great UQ progress. At the mid-years, a great blessing dropped on us with a crash. Was it the ceiling? No,-hush,-it was Isobel Rodgers! She came like a sea-breeze on a hot summer day, and, well,-we've felt breezy ever since. Nothing else of particular interest happened, except that most of us took to parting our hair on the side, and Wearing Qnot imbibingj buns. A I, 1913, 1914 Only three new girls came to our illustrious class this year, but they possess the charms and talents of more than thrice their number. QMarcella Cerboni, Frances Randall and Rebecca Lycett, bow this way, please.J Laura 28