Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

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1 8 The Annual of ed clean off de place wid de carcass ! Yassuni, mid de car- cass, gravy and all ! Katherine Jones. Shrieveport, I a. HOW A MARY BALDWIN GIRL GOT TO HARVARD. Well equipped for an hour ' s ride, grip in hand, I leave Providence for Boston, with the admonition Don ' t get lost. If your friend is not at the station, wait a little while, she ma} be late, and above all, don ' t look at a strange man. As I sit in the car, I think what queer things brothers are. Of course Miss L will meet me, and why should it hurt for me to look at a strange man. Why, I think it would be much easier for him to check me and put me in the Baggage car. You would think I was going to an unexplored country, or at least that I was very childish, when I am reallj ' sixteen ! With such thoughts an hour soon passed, and I was star- tled from my re very by the deep voice of the Conductor, Can- ton Junction, next stop Boston ! My hat is quickly adjusted and I am ready to alight by the time the train has stopped. But where is Miss L ! no where can I find her. Well, I think to mj ' self, I ' ll just walk there; it ' s not very far from the station. So having inquired my way, I start out, wa k two blocks straight ahead, turn to my left for a block, then to my right. So far very good, but I ' ve run right into a wall. I have always heard that Boston was a queer place. I inquire of a policemon the way, and start again. There stands my hotel, but surely do you think Miss L. can live here in such style? I enter a spacious doorway, a porter instantly takes my bag, but thinking I must be mistaken, I hold on to the other end and ask in a meek voice, if Miss L lives here In- quire at the de.sk. The same question is asked again, in the meantime the porter and I are both manfully tugging at my grip. No such name here I believe the clerk felt sorry for me, for he scratched his head and said; Let me see, walk

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The Mary Baldwin Seminary. 17 fish and all upon the floor. Eve, in her anger, fell upon him with the broom and he would have received a severe beating indeed, had not the mistress of the house just then entered. Eve allowed poor Uncle Abram to get up, and after hasti- ly explaining the accident to Mi.ss Fannie began gathering up the bits of fish and arranging them in some kind of order. In the midst of the excitement, the Judge was heard coming, possibly to inquire the cause of the delay. Eve planted her- self in the doorway. Head him off, Miss Fannie she cried, faw de Lawd ' s sake, head de Jedge off ! So the Judge was warded off and the fish mended and made beautiful with fresh sprigs of parsley and more gravy, so that no one imagined what an unsightly mass it had been but ten minutes before. Tlie dining passed off without a flaw. Uncle Abram took care to keep out of his wife ' s way, and Eve was satisfied when she peeped in at the dining room door to see how ' dey tuk de turkey ' . I knows dey didn ' had nary nudder one like it afore, she said with a .satisfied grin. After the meal was over and the stately company had ad- journed to the library, Eve sent Uncle Abram to assist in the dining room and to put everything safely away. Now, Abum, go in dar an ' put dat turkey carcass up, so I kin make hash fer de Jedge ' s breakfast ' in de mornin ' . Yer done act once like yer been used ter wukin ' fer po ' white trash. Now go show yer breedin ' . Yer be ceedenly pertickler wid dat carcass too, kase if dare is one thing de Jedge do ' preciate, it am de turkey hash wut dis heah nigger kin make. Uncle Abram was evidently angry at his wife ' s rebuke but to face her openly was out of the question — he would nev- er have dared to do it. With a quiet grin, he made his w ay to the dining room, secretly plotting his revenge. In a little while, he disappeared, and after looking for him in vain, Eve ran in very much excited, Fer de law ' s sake, Miss Fannie, wut yer reckon dat nig- ger done now? Jes ' let ' im come back heah, an I ' ll break his ole hade for him ! Why, Mi.ss Fannie, Abum done gone scap-

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The Mary Baldwin Seminary. 19 down a block, and to your right you will see the Blockley Square Flats. Inquire there. By this time my grip or grip- ping friend had stepped back. I wondered if I must tip him, but decided that I might need my money, for I had broug;ht but little with me. I reach the Blockley Flats in .safety and inquire if Miss L lived there. Are you the young lady from Staunton ? he asked. I am. Well, Miss L has been suddenly called away. Her sister is sick. Is there anything I can do for you? My adventurous spirit comes forth with a bound. ' ' Yes, if you will keep my bag, I will spend the day in Boston. Is there a one o ' clock train for Providence ? Getting a favorable answer, and my bag safely stowed away, I saunter out, thinking first to find the Public Library. I had walked .scarcely ' five yards, when I saw a noble edifice with this inscription on the side : Public Library of the City of Boston, Built by the People and Dedicated to the Advance- ment of Learning, A. D. MDCCCLXXXVIII. l stop and look, for is not this building in itself a work of art ? Low, plain, massive, but beautiful, of the Renaissance style of architect- ure, it has been appropriately called the Parthenon of Amer ica. I pass quickly up the broad steps and stand in the low wide entrance hall. The floor of inlaid mosaic, and walls of Sienna marble are more beautiful than anything I have dream- ed. I go quickly through the hall to the corridor which en- closes a court in the center of which plays a fountain; but I must not stop, for does not the grand staircase attract every one ' s attention ? And tells him he is within a building none the less a palace for being the property of the people, and not of a king. The broad, easy steps of gray marble ascend half way, then turn and separate half to the right and half to the left, guarded at the dividing line by twp magnificent lions, couchant As I have already been in the corridor I will not turn to my right, but keep on up the staircase, where at the top is the famous painting by Puvis De Chavannes, represent- ing the ' ' Mu.ses Welcoming the Genius of Enlightenment. I shall not attempt to describe the numerous rooms, for each