Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

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The Aui itsla Seminary Annual . So When tlicy came back from walkinjr, Violet and her friend were starting for the Terrace, as half a dozen girls rushed wp, and in excited tones said that there was a young gentlemen in the parlor waiting to see her. Oh, I wonder who it can be, she cried, and rushed away so quickly that she reached the parlor, and slammed the door behind her before the dcemon thought of following her. The transom was closed, and the key was in the key- hole, so nothing was left him to do but to return to his old post on Violet ' s bedroom screen, and wait for her arrival. Half an hour later, she rushed into the room with flush- ed cheeks, shining eyes, and a letter in her hand. Oh, Jennie, she cried breathlessly to her room-mate, he did have on a red cravat, and he brought me a letter from home; I ' ll never say again that I don ' t believe in signs. Well, laughed Jennie, supper-bell rang five minutes ago, so you ' re bound to be late, and you ' re just going to catch it for skipping practicing this evening — do you call that good luck? Oh, well, said Violet carelessly, I knew I was go- ing to have some bad luck to-day, for I ' ve had lots of un- lucky signs. Half past nine found this sweet girl, with hair ready for bed, looking behind the screen, in the wardrobe, and under the bed to make sure that no man, on burglary intent, was lurking in any of these hiding places. She turned off the gas, then felt her way to the window. I wonder if it is worth while to count ni} stars ! the daemon heard her say. I know now who le is but I guess I ' d better make assur- ance doubly sure. So she counted the same seven stars, looked at the new moon over her right shoulder and made a wish, then, without speaking, walked backward to her bed, and fell asleep to dream of hairpins and white horses, pin points and stars, kissing books and red neck-ties, until the rising-bell next morning should arouse her to the routine of another day. The daemon waited until ten clock, when all the lights were out, and silence brooded over the Seminary, then with a farewell look about the room, he dropped from the screen,

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2Jf The Angzisla Scminaiy Annual. horrified voice: Violet, don ' t 3 ' OU know that its dreadfully unlucky to open an umbrella in the house? — Why no, said the poor girl faintly, I never heard of it. It was a very depressed and woe-begone Violet that issued from the Seminary gate when the girls went walking that evening. — I do hope her luck will change, ' ' the daemcn was thinking, as he skipped along the curb-stone beside her, when, Oh ! I must run back and get my gloves, he heard her cry. It ' s bad luck to turn back after j ' ou ' ve started, continued her companion. That ' s so, said Violet miser- ably. She stood undecided for a moment, then a relieved look crossed her face, and stooping, she swiftly made the sign of the cross on the pavement at her feet, then ran gaily back for he gloves. After they had gone a little way, the daemon heard Vio- let ' s friend sa5 There goes a white horse, I never will see ninety-nine. I ' ve been counting for two weeks, and have only sixty-five. However, I ' ll never have the opportunity here to shake hands with a man. — Pshaw, answered Violet, tilting her nose disdainfully, I ' m counting red cravats. It ' s a great deal more interesting than looking for horses. I ' ve only got to get one more and I ' ll have a hundred. By the way my nose itches, some one ' s coming to see me soon, and if it is my fate, I hope he ' ll have on a red cravat. As the long string of girls passed by the City Treasur- er ' s new house, they came to a ladder leaning against the unfinished brown-stone front. Now there was plenty of room for them to have passed under it, but with one accord, the whole line crowded pell-mell into the street, putting to flight a cow browsing peacefully near b} ' , a creature from which, at any other time, every girl in the line would have fled with shrieks of terror. The daemon was separated from his friend in the confusion but came up with her just as she was saying, What a lucky escape. I ' d rather face a cow any day than go under a ladder, and let me tell you, I ' m just as afraid of cows as any other girl. After going a little further, Violet, here comes a load of hay, let ' s make a wish, cried her companion. All right, but we musn ' t tell what it is, or it won ' t come true.

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26 The Aiigicsfa Seminary Annual. crawled through the window, and in a minute had left the Seminary far behind him. When he made his report at the next meeting of the Folk- Lore Society, he received a vote of thanks for having contributed such valuable and carefully tabulated informa- tion to the cause of science. ' ' Carrie Bell. Lowell. From Our Note Books. Since last August w hen the news of Lowell ' s death went over the land, we have taken an especial interest in all that conc erns him. A look of pleasure may be seen on each face when it is suggested that we read what he has to say on the subject in hand, for after spending a few hours over one of his essays we feel as though we had taken a pleasant holiday. During the year we have read a number of his literary criticisms, mainly, the essays in Amoig My Books and My Study Window, and as we have been impressed with now his wit and now his eloquence, have jotted down in our note-books what we thought were some of the choicest pas- sages. From these note-books we have selected for The Anmial a few of those passages that we would like to keep as a memento of our Literature work, and have arranged them under the headings of the essays from w hich they are taken ; we wish they might give others the pleasure they have given us. Note — .We regret that the Boston daemon was not here on May day to learn that under a stone lifted that morning may be found the color of the prospective sweet heart ' s hair, and that the face washed in dew at sunrise on the same day will always be beautiful. — Eds.