Lansing Central High School - Oracle Yearbook (Lansing, MI)

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she was sent to some good girl's boarding sehool where she will be under the initiuenee of respeetable girls and so on until at last lllr. Mellonald promised he would do something about tl1e matter. He said, as he stood up and held out his hanid, that as soon as Peggy Came home, he would say something to her about sending her away to sehool. But Samanthla was not ready to go. He had promised her other things that he would do in regard to Peggy, and he had not always earried them out. She simply informed him she would wait unitil Peggy returned-to be sure that something was said to her in regard to this matter. They did not have long to wait. Down the street eame Peggy, hands in her pockets and whistling the latest popular song. Through the gate she eame and up the steps she jumped, two at a time. Peggy 's father said but little and thought a lot. He loved her just as she was, but those not knowing her might think things that were unfair to Peggy. He must send her somewhere-somewhere where there were girls-girls that would perhaps teaeh Peggy the few fundamental things that she lyaeked. Her father and aunt met her at the door-the former with a smile, the latter with a look of grim disapproval. 'tl eaine here today, lXIarguerite, began Samantha onee more, ttto talk to you and your father about sending you away to a girl's school. I believe he has something to say to you in regard to this matter. Peggy gave a startled look at her father and sank down in the nearest ehair. Her father drew up a ehair beside her and began in. a low tone: Peggy dear, it's time you were growing up just a little bit. Itve tried hard to bring you up to be a elean, wholesome, fun loving giril who, even though she might have everything, still remains unseltish and thinks not of herself but of others who perhaps have not as mueh as she has. I think I hlave sum-eeded far beyond my hopes, but my dear, your aunt thinks it best to send you away to some good girl's sehool, where, perhaps you will get more good than I eould ever teaeh you here. Your aunt has suggested a good sehool in the east, but I'm thinking just at present of a small but very wonderful sehool in the southern part of California It is ealled Briar Rose Semin-ary and is situated near the San Bernardino Mountains, where your mother was born and lived in her girlhood days. Perhaps for that reason, you would like to go there. I would like you to go there partieularly. beeause I know the prineipalg she was a friend of your inoth er 's. Peggy arose and Hung her arms around her father's neek I,ll go Daddy-Oh, I'll go, but I'm afraid I won't like it. I like girls well enough but I ean't understand them. I-I-I'll try to, though. Please let me go up to my room now and think by myself. Good-night Daddy dear.'l 77 Page 100

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Peggy of Cumberland Lueile Harris 'QL Peggy liked hoys. IVhen I say liked, I mean she was fond of them in the same way you and I are fond of a good nut sundae or a box of ehoeolates. She euddled small hovs, played with those a tritle older and jollied the ones older than that. She daneed with hoys, talked with boys and skated on the nearby pond with hors, and fell in love with none. For girls she had lots ot' respeetgno love. She liked the girls her.-ause she had to and liked the lmovs heeause she wanted to, But understand nie 1'lG31'If'.7SllQ had absolutely no so-ealled Calf-Love Affairs. I might add that she worshipped her father ,who in return lived heeause of Peg'g'v. All through these eighteen years of Miss Peggvk life. he had heen hoth father and mother to her, for Peggwds mother had died when she was hut a few months oldfand so, as you will surmise, Peggy' had pretty mueh her own wav She was pretty and knew it. She had niee elothes and knew it. Peggy' was popular' an.d wh,at's more she knew that, too. and why not? It spoiled her not a hit. She grew prettier, had nieer elothes as her father prospered in his lvusiness, and hem-avne more popular as new hovs eame into town. One rarely ever saw Peggy with girls. If one did, she rushed madly' for a telephone to see whether or not said hoys were ill. And so it went. She wlas graduated from high sehool with a list of hono1's and an additional nunilmer of hov friends and girl friendseetlie former of the I will he ever t7aitlit'ul tyne, the latter of the we like you whether you like us or not var- ietv. Prettv, tomhovish Peeggy took all of that for granted and went along' in her usual earefree mnnner. One evening' as Mr. MelWonald, Pep,'g'v's father, sat in the lihrarv reading' his eveninle' paver, he was interrupted luv the avnearanee ot' his sister Samantha. Samantha was an old maid, and what is more she evneeted to remain so. Pious, prim, ehnreh-e'oine', Samantha, for all her religious temnerament, was a gossiny' old troulvle maker, aeeording' to PeQ',Q'v. This evenline' she eame to see her hrother for the main nnrnose of diseussina' her nieee. Mr. Mellonald arose front -his ehairiawkwardlv. I eamef' she hesran, in her usual hlnnt man- ner, to see if somethin! eanot he done for Mar2'uerite. There is not in anv hart of our town, sueh a eirl. She aets nerfeetlv heath- enish. alwavs ehasine' around with the hovs. Mx' dear brother, something' must be done or she will be a diseraee to our familv. I never saw sueh a tomhov in mv life and it makes mv hlood fairlv run cold when. ever I see her eoming. Now if I were von I would see that Page 99

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She ran up the stairs and went into her room. She Closed the door quietly-very quietly for Peggy-and went over by the window and sat down. The war1nJune breeze blew softly in, fanning her faee and bring'- ing' with it the sweet odor of June roses. Soon she would be leaving her honie town in, Kentueky to go to the far west. She wondered what she would do among' so many stnange people and how she would like it. She thought of all the friends she was leaving-friends that she had gone to sehool with all her life. Finally she undressed, climbed' into bed and soon fell asleep. The next three weeks were busy ones in the Mellonald houses hold. Peggy was getting- ready to go away to sehool. There was la. trip to t'hieag'o for elothes and a few short trips to visit her friends before she left for school. The time flew swiftly an-d soon Peggy was speeding' on her way. Her father had sent her off with the same sunny smile and she head promised to act like a. heroine. not to ery or feel lonely, and to write as often as she eould. lt was a long' journey for Peggy, and although she enjoyeid every bit of it and made ma11y friends, she was glad to reaeh her destina- tion, five days later. She was greeted at the station by a sweet faeed middle-ag'ed lady who introduced herself as Miss Mareey, the prineipal of Briar Rose. She was taken to a pleasant room in the front of the house and had as room-mate a girl from Tennessee. She thought as she took off her traveling' eostume that she would try to make the best of everytliiiig, whether she liked it or not, and that it wouldn't be long' before she linished her edueation' and would be able to g'o baek to t'umberland. Then she sat down at the little writing' desk and began a letter to her father. Briar Hose, September -L. Dearest Daddy: Here I ani at last, in this beautiful plaee. lt is the loveliest spot in the world exeept home. The San Berniardino Mountains make me think of the f'umberlands at home, only these are perhaps a trifle higher. I have a. lovely room and a girl from Southern Tennessee for a room-mate. She has black eyes and hair and I iniaginie is somewhat of a flirt. l've been wondering whether or not we're going to get along, but I guess we are. She's awfully eontidential. She has been telling' me what a perfeetly 'tripping time she had eoining there on the t1'ain. Her friend, who, by-the-way is an Ensign in the Navy, eanie with her as far as San Diego, where as she relates, they parted with inueh love but terrible grieff, He wa.s due to report on duty on the U. S. S. North Dakota and it pretty nearly killed her. Sad but thrilling. Oh yes, Ilforgot to add, that he has dark eyes and hair Page 101