Hampden Sydney College - Kaleidoscope Yearbook (Hampden Sydney, VA)

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-.4111 Smruiuala nf Ante-helium Bags at Haniphrn-Svihnrg A. ll. Xl Arlvlxs, .X.B.. HID. Eastern Virginia is the land of survivals. Through sheer good nature and inertia these are too often, we know, survivals of the unlit. The uniit thrives on sweet disposition, laziness and long suffering. We at Hampden-Sidney have our share of the fruitage of these sunny qualities. But. thanks be. there are here also survivals of the fit-of our widows. for instance. who are widows indeed, who never leave off their mobs and veils, nun-like symbols of their devout vocation, also never doffed, which unseltishness and kindliness: of our old maids who are old maids in truth, fruits of rare efficiency still clinging to the tree of service: of servants fa few of themj who still serve: and of some line old fireplaces that are still supposed to heat the surrounding house-rooms. These we sing. There survive also oil lamps Qblessed to the readerlj and chip-baskets woven and peddled by old Uncle Elisha-himself a survival, also home-made hearth brooms and big chimney pieces not too sanitary Qlet us whisper ith to be the dwelling place of crickets that chirp. Think of it Y-open fire. oil lamps, wood box, chip basket and cricket! N0 wonder some faded old portraits smile down upon us to own their former surroundings. Are we then in fairy land or frontier? In somewhat of both. In fact we are sunk into modest Virginia landscape seven miles from a 1'ailroad and have blessings. compared with present world conditions, as unreal as fairy land, in a setting, compared with modern city life. as genuine and as simple as were the frontiers. Austere. square, brick dormitories and professors' homes are softened by the ivy that partially covers them and are shaded by dignilied oaks. An oak worthy of the name is itself inevitably a survival. Many of these on the Campus must be well into their second century. Honeysuckle tangles the fences and hedges. At times the quiet is broken only by the mocking bird or the whippoorwill-the twin spirits of the place. Think of leisure's being found any longer in the realm of reality! Yet leisure is here. We are already hastening too rapidly over our survivals to be keeping step with leisure. Let us consider more deliberately in accord with the spirit of the place. I hesitate to reveal the survival at Hainpden-Sidney that I really want to consider first. It is a species of mammal decidedly in disfavor at this world-junc- ture. The hustler, the tighter, the organizer. the ace. all sorts of over-the-top-ers have at least for the time jostled the gentleman off the stage as they have crowded the very Word out of use. It doubtful if a man under forty would these days be complimented by being called a gentleman. Let us not be too hard on Hampden- Sidney, but we must acknowledge that some gentlemen live here. Measured down the strata of society from Fifth Avenue fthe direction is from the viewpoint of the Page Tfwenty three

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l 1 l l l I r Au-mn-I tl.is typ: of In-ing might 4-asily ht- 4-lassilit-d as of tht- l'rota-rozoiv Era. Some- uf the-ni. for instznnw- will not go without thc-ir 1-oats wlu-ro ladies are Clin truv tht-so art- middle age-dl aml tln-y not only do not ask tht-ir I'l'lll8It' 1-ompaninns to smoke-. hut du not tlu-mst-lvt-s smokt- in thu pra-svin-v of thi-so 4-ompanions. Tha-y insist that tln- India-s would not allow tht-m to. They 1-all tht-ir nit-ws st-hool girl iisitors .IIi.-s Mary and .llisx Anne- and would hlush wt-rc 1-itht-r lady dist-overt-d wt-aring h!--onn-rs. Strangt-Iy. tln-sv nu-n do not gn-vt any om- with Ile-lIo. 'I'ht-y still tt-Il darksonu-Iy of a young woman graduatt- of an Iiastt-rn 1-olh-go who ont-0 visits-d t'ousin Sarah and whosv undouhtt-d huhit was to say IIoshY She was In-ard to say it 1-vt-n at tht- tva t'ousin Sarah gan- in In-r honor. Thx-ir quilihling is not t-vt-n 4-ontint-d to tht-so unimportant matte-rs. 'I'huy insist that a marriage I-ore-inony is not a st-rap ol' hrt-ath and tln-rt-forv 4-an not In- disannullod hy man. 'I In-y quott- Ht-ripturv to provt' this. as lu t-stahlish most ol' their conten- tions. 'I'In-y Inm- not rt-ad St-hopt-nliaut-r. They sci-in always to shy at thc word tlmfl and most ol' tln-m insist upon yoluntut-ring. Many of tht-m liavt- hrothurs in t'hina or Siam or Afrit-a. Though nont- of tht-so relatives st-vm In niakt- money and sonn- han- at-tually to it-t-1-iw aid from thi- t-hun-h tht- gt-iitlclm-ii hat-I: at IIampdt-n-Sidnt-y sm-in proud of tht-so fort-ign graltings. 'Flu-y always insist too that I'rt-sith-nt Wilson is ahovt- all things a gt-ntlt-man. Logivally flu' lady should ht- tht- nt-xt survival. But In-ru tht- writt-r himst-If is tuu :uIvain-4-tl to ust- tht- word. llc is going to shock tht- gontlt-int-n hy thank- ing his stars that sonu- u-om:-n survive-. Tho wash-lady and thu st-ruh-lady. t-ook- lady and gruh-lady Ilan- st-on to it. in tht-so Iattt-r days that :roman is as lady-like as Imly. Wt- In-lit-vo it. Wt- art- thankful that any womt-n survive. We had thought that all ou-r tht- world tht-y wort- just ft-minists. But some are still women. Now. mon art- Iiopt-It-ssly primitive. Tha-y rt-vt-rt upon slightest provocation. In tht- North. I am informt-d. tht-rc still rt-niaiut-d a man so hopt-It-ssly rm-vt-rted to thu 1-aw-dw:-Iling typt- that In- slot-iult-tl Io marry a u-onmn. In vain his family trit-d to uplift him into choosing as his matt- a rt-forinur or inwstigator or social worlu-r or politit-al aspirant. a gt-rinit-idv. a Ill't'8t'Ill'l'. Iawyvr or dot-tor-oven they would oompromist- on a lit-d t'ross workor if shi- wt-rv a tlislrirl loader. Ili- was ohdurato. Ilt- had out of sln-or I-old hlood and hrutality dt-1-id:-d to marry a woman. It is said that ht- vanu- to Ilampdt-n-Sidnn-y and found In-rf 'I'ln- old tinn- nt-gro st-ryant is fast fading from tht- modt-rn Iandst-apo. Wu douht if tht-ro art- gt-nuinv suryivals own at IIampdvn-Sidnt-y. Ilowt-vt-r. tht-ro rvmain at IIampdt-n-Sidnt-y uniqut- in-gro typos. Um- of the-m is Aunt .Iinuy. Aunt .Iinny's fart- is a gh-am ol' Immorous uudt-rstanding st-ah-d up in a dc-vout dark hrown exprt-ssion-st-ah-nl t-xt-I-pt for tht- spark that osvapus through tht- wrinklvd old 1-yo opt-uings. Wlu-n slu- nu-t-ts any white- pt-rsou on thc road Aunt Jinny stands hy as if a prom-ssiou wort- to pass. IIt-r dt-Vout uttiludt- whilv I stalk by ht-r reminds mv of pvoplt- I saw at I'rt-sidt-ut Mt-Kinh-y's fum-ral. I am the funeral prot-cssion, Amit .Iiuny is strit-kt-n Amt-rim-a. Was that rt-ally thu good mannt-rs of Aunt .Iinny's day, or is it modern politit-al at-umon? I am nc-ver quita- sure. At. any rate shi- waits howud and mute till I spvak. How art- you Page T-wrnly-four i 'l I I