Longwood College - Virginian Yearbook (Farmville, VA)

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How Delightful to be an Editor. ilOR those who have had experience in editing an Annual, no additional infor- mation on this subject is needed, we are sure, but for the many who have been denied this exquisite pleasure, and have displayed their ignorance in more ways than one, we feel it our duty to venture a few words of enlightenment. Of course, there is no trouble connected with it ; you simply press a buttun and the Annual forthwith appears, ready for the subscribers. At least, this is the opinion of most people. But let us tell you a few of our experiences and then you mayjudge for yourself about pressing the button. We will not stop to tell you of the ' many discussions had before it was tinally decided that The Virginian should be published this year. All were agreed, how- ever — be it said to our deep humiliation — that there was but one young lady in the school capable of filling the exalted position of Editor-in-Chief. Imagine our horror when she was pronounced by the Faculty both mentally and physically unable to undertake duties so arduous. Soon, however, we became reconciled to our loss, for one who was able to do the work was shortly found. We were now ready to receive the subscriptions with which we expected to be overwhelmed. But alas ! this world is full of illusions. Time after time, when our very business-like Business Manager entered a girl ' s room and said in a sweet, persuasive voice, Of course you want an Annual. ' she was met with Is it going to have my picture in it. ' Naturally, we were much encouraged by such manifestations of interest. One of the girls, who was evidently shrewd in bargaining, said : Not if I know myself! I paid one dollar for one last year, and in less than a week I was trying to get twenty-five cents for it. But even this encouragement w-as surpassed by what was next heard. O, I wouldn ' t have one if you were to give it to me. Wasn ' t she independent. ' Another, who has a real silk dress, said in the most heart-rending accents, No, I can ' t afford one ; wish I could. Poor thing ! How that reply touched our hearts ! But the tears came into our eyes when we heard from our Business Manager the distressing tales of poverty which she had heard from the very lips of those poor mer- chants down town. One gentleman, who has supplied the Normal School girls with perfect hosts of pills, smiled benignly, rubbed his hands together, and said in a tone of supreme condescension, I ' ll give you a dollar and a half Another, with whom we would all divide our last penny, actually tried to get a reduction on his advertise- ment. Is it necessary to say anything further to show the pecuniary embarrassment of some of Farmville ' s citizens . ' But they were not all so ; some gave what we asked