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

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22 THE BOOK OF THE CLASS OF NINETEEN-THIRTEEN % )t fix t OUeefe anti tt)e 3U0t IF anything could shake our faith in the value of a college education, it would be a com- parison of the first week and the last. Improvement might be reasonably expected in four years, but in point of fact both beginning and end of one ' s academic career are equally confused and wearisome, perhaps in the one case our buoyant youth carries us through it better, but the real difference — well, we shall point out the real difference later ! Four years ago our mammas said goodbye to us at the train. This was a tactical error — see below. In those days we had to ride in parlor cars because we were young. This was sometimes an inconvenience coming home. We decided as we rode along that Bryn Mawr would be like Smith only smaller. In front of us sat a person with heavily braided hair who read a book most intently, without looking up. We decided she was a college girl and wondered if we should ever be so studious. At West Philadelphia we followed her off the train and aboard the local to Paoli. She read all the way. Long afterwards we discovered she was Alice Whittemore, and the book was the Thirty Years ' War. It was our first introduction to the orals. In time we also were studious. When we stopped at Bryn Mawr it was raining; it always does rain at crises like vacations; and cabs were no more frequent then than now. But now at least K. A. P. does not carry an anvil in her dress suitcase; and we walk by way of Shipley school and not by way of Yarrow. Yarrow was a mistake which we discussed sitting on our upturned bags in the rain. At Rock Arch we almost parted company. K. A. P. would go through Pembroke Arch or not at all and A. G. H. maintained that Rock was before us and good- ness only knew where Pembroke might be. But we did not part company and the habit grew stronger upon us. We can ' t remember whether it was that night or the next morning that we began signing our names. (Did we mention that it rained?) We signed for physical, oculist Note. — Bryn Mawr is smaller than Smith. — A. G. H., K. A. P. Note 2.— We went through Pembroke Arch.— K. A. P.

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THE BOOK OF THE CLASS OF NINETEEN-THIRTEEN 21 me once that we just stood around like marmalade pots — done up in Lincoln green and Merrymen don ' t giggle! and the Merrymen did not even smile. But that is another story too and does not belong to me; it belongs to the Endowment Fund. Ah, now I have come back to our supper. D. Baldwin, will you tell us how A Penny Earned is a Million Saved? What are those people tearing around the table for? Engaged, is it possible — ■ they don ' t look it, and who are they? Well, if we begin to count them and to add to the list the present number of happy ones, statistics would show that a great percentage of the class are to live happily ever after. Then Schmidt told us How to make Upper Class Friends and Enemies. One toast after another, and so the supper went on. Don ' t you remember what a good stunt Rockefeller contributed and Denbigh too and several individual songs and dances that were excellent? We were most interested when our athletic captains gave us toasts, it was just among ourselves, so we did not have to suppress our joy when Alice Hearne mentioned a hockey victory, or Yvonne our success in Water Polo, and Gordon had hopes to offer us in basket ball, — and we had cheers to offer her. Then we sang some more, and not only our own songs either, which was more than cocky. It was a wonderful evening, but underneath all the frivolity and hilarity there was a large amount of sentiment, which was not sentimentality. Every one felt it more than ever when Pagie rose and told us things we were glad to hear and expressed for us just what we had felt. To those who have received their diplomas and have passed through four years of college life, Freshman Class Supper may have seemed only incidental and one of many good times, but to one who has been a Freshman only, it was an epitome of the year and the good things it had offered. It was an intimate getting together of the class, not to decide class matters nor to hold its own against other classes, but to know itself as a simple gathering of hopeful, happy classmates. Eleanor Elmer.

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THE BOOK OF THE CLASS OF NINETEEN-THIRTEEN 23 and medical appointments, tennis tournaments and finally for interviews with President Thomas. But the combined efforts of all the yellow badges could not get us in to the august Presence, as we had left our mammas at the train! Henny Elmer was elected chairman very soon in Georgina ' s room. One of us was invited to the ceremony and the other abducted by violence. We were willing if a trifle dazed. Neither of us knew exactly what was being done to Henny, but we liked her looks and hoped it was all for the best. Henny with great presence of mind promptly called a meeting — our first class meeting. Caroline Nash had written a Rush Song and like Gaul we were divided into three parts to learn it. That was the preliminary for Rush night, which shortly ensued. Wear old clothes, we were told, and nothing that will tear. A fight! thought we with some satisfaction, but that year Self-Government and our Juniors were in the ascendancy, and we marched through the halls comparatively unmolested. Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up. Whoa 1913. We went out for hockey, and impelled by Cynthia Wesson ' s none too gentle stick and the persuasion of Miss Applebee ' s voice we were actually intimidated into beating 1911 the first day. It was whispered on the side lines — Stetson will make Varsity. The rest of the week we spent going to the Pike for picture hooks and looking for the Book Shop. We might mention in passing that we found taking notes a good deal of an experience. Other things obtruded themselves upon our attention too— like Christian Association Reception, and the Reading of various Rules and Constitutions. 1912 did it to us individually and Self-Gov. and the Fire Department by halls; and the Athletic Association collectively. But it didn ' t matter, as we got them gloriously mixed. And for many weeks we had a vague feeling that opening doors was a shocking violation of the draughts and warnings fire rule. The very phrase, And Freshmen are required to attend, made us dizzy. My. conscience, said we, if anything happens to-morrow night we will go home. This is the great point. Herein is the only real difference between the horrors of the first week and the last. The last week we did go home.