Bryn Mawr College - Bryn Mawr Yearbook (Bryn Mawr, PA)

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close to a window where we could see somebody studying in a beautiful room, a perfectly stunning girl, whom we never saw again. Why wasn ' t she out to see the fun ? How could anybody fail to be excited ? j r r i After ages we got there, and walked around a long piazza, that made a fearful noise under our feet, no matter how softly we walked. Here there were ever so many Jumors who took such a personal interest and breathed sighs of relief to see us, and pushed us and pulled us, away from the figures that were snooking around in the dark corners, whom we were as ready to embrace as Juniors, then hurried us up endless stairs and into a big room where a little point of gas lit up an endless number of barely distinguishable upturned faces. We were three if not four deep, and it was so stuffy we could hardly breathe, but the 1905 people at the door wouldn ' t let us talk or open a window and soon we had even to put out the light. A few more were shoved in on top of us and they told us to hurry up and elect or 1906 would get in. Somebody whispered Augur. We got deadly quiet all of a sudden, and shook with the awe of the thing, beside, we didn ' t know how to e lect. But urged again we broke forth into a wild chorus of Augur, Augur. There was no dissenting voice, so we concluded she was elected. Then somehow we got to our feet and tumbled out and down the stairs in a fearful jam. The whole house was resounding with a great racket of cheering, and the hall was packed with people who were very much pleased with us as if we had done something quite remarkable. We were so dazed we didn ' t know where we were, but we managed to answer the cheering in some inarticulate fashion. It was all over in less than no time, though it took so long in the preparing. But we talked of it half the night, and still like to think of it, once in a while, for it is a part of that strange Bryn Mawr full of mysteries and excitements, a Bryn Mawr that never really existed, but once lived in our ardent imagination, and now remains in amused and won- dering retrospect. Elizabeth Bogman Pope. ' Theirs not to reason why Theirs but to do and die ' On the night of Sept. 29, 1903, our tallest member hurried down to Radnor in response to an order she had received to meet there at quarter past seven, and found a mob of chattering girls, none of whom she had ever seen before, she felt. As they were forming in line, two by two she sought the place that she had always been taught at home would be hers, the head of the line, and found it occupied by that Boston pair, Williams and Hutchins. So she modestly fell back, feeling that her superiority would sometime be 8

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1907 ' fi iftr t Claflf0 flgeeting We had been in a state of repressed and almost painful excitement all day, fearing lest we be foiled, tremulous in the desire to succeed, in the all-important task of electing our first class officer. We gathered all over the campus, in entirely unconscious but very con- spicuous knots, talking in whispers loud enough to carry from Dalton to Yarrow, wrangling a little, but ready also to Hsten eagerly to what anybody had heard about meeting-place or pass-word or candidate. By dinner time we all knew the three talismans, Dolgelly, green soap ' — soft, ' Augur, and were ready to hustle early out of the dining-room with fearful importance, if, haply, we were not kept writhing in our seats by punctilious wardens. Some of us were then waylaid by some 1906, who smiled with charming affability and urged us with politeness almost too pressing, to walk with them in the gloaming. Those of us who stayed away from dinner were visited by five or six husky Sophomores who planted themselves near the door as if they couldn ' t stay long. Somehow they did stay, and our discomfort in being kept within was increased by the fact that we knew we were not making a social success as we nervously idled about on a trunk or the floor, and reiterated our all-inclusive adoration of college, or told over our experiences in entrance exams. Some of the simpler of us were gulled by surprisingly youthful freshmen who assured us that the place of meeting had been changed, and volunteered to lead the way. Oh 1907 to thy color ever true! A few cautious souls circled around the outside of the campus from five o ' clock on, for fear they would be caught, and when they returned to their jubilant room-mates who recounted what had gone on in the midst of things, con- jured up some very interesting tales about how they had been almost caught by Sopho- mores six or seven times, and nearly sprained their ankles and met dreadful tramps. But those who sailed out from dinner unmolested and were met by protecting Juniors fared better. ' Oh, yes, said the foremost of a verdant bunch to a kindly Junior, we are just going to jump out this window and go around the back way, Oh, no, as protest loomed in sight, we shan ' t mind the jump. Why, where we go in the summer — But Self-Gov. — An air of finality in the tone and complete acquiescence on the faces of fellow-freshmen who had sisters in college or other means of initiation, seemed to bar the way as with iron, though the means of escape seemed so harmless and obvious. And then we were led out, by some miraculous roundabout way we have never been able to find since. It was in between lots of buildings, and under shrubbery and through fences, and

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recognized, and took a place about halfway down. Soon a pair of hea vy hands were drop- ped upon her shoulders and a cheery voice said Good evening, I don ' t believe you remem- ber who I am. The tall beauty gasped wildly — this girl sat at her table where every one was awful and had such table-manners, and finally ejaculated Oh, yes it ' s Miss Shenk. A spasm of rage contorted the visage of Miss Shenk then she smiled sourly and said: No, Skenk— I think that ' s a little better, don ' t you ? What a question to ask a pathetic freshman! Soon the line started, and then began the work of revenge. Instead of lightly allowing her hands to rest, like fluttering butterflies, on the shoulders of the girl in front, Eunice put all her weight into them, and dragged comfortably. This was hard enough on the bean- pole, but when they came to the stairs — oh, it ' s hard to portray the pathos of that picture! Then Eunice took a tighter hold, tucked up her feet, and hung! Harriot is about two feet taller than Eunice at any time, and when she was one step higher up on the stair-case, the diflPerence was terrible — Her breath was absolutely gone, but she managed to gasp; Can ' t you put your hands on my waist instead of my shoulders ? but that did no good — Eunice was evidently paying back for being called Shenk . But even this was not the worst — On the way to Denbigh, Eunice slipped off the grass to the path — an imperceptible difference— and sprained her ankle! But why tell of the agonies then? Her fair roommate feebly murmured Fm afraid that Eunice has sprained her ankle. Had I better take her home ? Then the beast-of-burden ahead nobly answered, between sobs of breathlessness, Oh, no, if she ' d really sprained it, she couldn ' t walk. She ' ll be all right in a minute, and took up her task again— But Miss Shenk was forced to drop back and then the clarion shout of 1907, march along. Hurrah, rah. Hurrah rah, was increased by the silvery accents of our melodious Harriot. But such bliss could not last long. Soon the iron hand within the velvet glove fell with a sick- ening thud on her heaving shoulders, and the pack-animal with a groan, realized that flights of song were no more for her. Such was her task that the derisive shouts of 1906, and the encouraging cheers of 1905 could not penetrate to her brain, rapidly becoming lethargic, and it was with a weak, half-dazed smile of relief that she stood under the arch, and with fascinated eyes, watched Ethel de Koven cheering madly, a strange jargon end- ing, la, la, la, de K— Bryn Mawr, Bryn Mawr, Bryn Mawr. This isn ' t a very clear account of rush night, but it is all that lingers in the memory of Harriot P. Houghteling.