Peace College - Lotus Yearbook (Raleigh, NC)

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Extracts from Diary of an Old Peace Girl ALEIGH, N. C, May 20th, 1915. — Well, here I am in Raleigh again, and I felt as if Time really had turned backward today ; for it was Alumnae Day at Peace, and we held our long-looked- for Class reunion. This afternoon when we gathered on the old campus around our ivy, at almost the same hour as when we planted it, seven years seemed to slip away, and it almost seemed as if we were living over again that memorable Class Day of 1908. But the ivy has grown, and so have we — in wisdom and experience — since then. Marie spoke up, in her old impulsive way: Doesn ' t it seem good to be together again, girls? Let ' s make a ring around the ivy and tell everything that has hap- pened to us since we ' ve been separated. If Cora were only here, our circle of ' Naughty Eight ' would be complete. But listen to this cablegram which has just come: ' Ponta Grossa, Brazil, May 20th, 1915. To the Class of ' 08: Would love to be there today, but am with you in spirit. Wishing you a happy reunion, Cora. Whoever thought that one of us would land so far away ! But then I wasn ' t much surprised when Cora decided last summer to go to South America and ' live happily ever afterwards ' there, because she used to spend most of her time think- ing about him, when she was here. He has a splendid government position down there, and she seems radiantly happy ; for, of course, he is the only man on earth ! Well, Marie, some one said, Speak for yourself now. Have you found ' the only man ' yet? (. t this a general giggle ran round the circle, for we remember how, whenever anything went wrong, Marie would always exclaim, Oh, I do wish I was married! ) She wouldn ' t be teased, however, but began : You know at one time I thought seriously of coming back to Raleigh and taking an ' . . B., ' but I changed my mind and decided that, since I had gained such valuable experience when on the Annual staff, I could make my fortune editing a ' Funny Paper. ' Have encountered many difficulties in my journalistic career, but am hoping to ' Wade ' through them all. At present, however, I ' m still a spinster, lonely and good. But it ' s not my fault, I have ' Dunn ' what I could. Frances — I beg your pardon — Dr. F. S. Sharp — was next in line, and when we remembered the ministering angel of Peace, we were not surprised at her choice of vocation. You remember, she said, how I always loved to spend my time in the Infirmary helping dose the girls. Do you still use such unique medi- cine? asked one of us. I remember how you once gave me pickle as a cure for hysterics. I suppose, however, you give ' Patton ' medicine now.

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Reading such instructive and elevating books gives one such a comprehensive survey of life. Now, I can appreciate the literary productions of all the philos- ophers and profound thinkers of the past and enjoy them more than the frivolities indulged in by the lower classmen. What a pleasure it is to discuss the ' Immortality of the Soul, ' with Mr. Stockard, and the ' Hypostasizing of Abstract Ideas ' with Miss Edith Royster. Our views on these topics are somewhat heterogeneous on account of their in- transmutable idiosyncrasies. Had my scholastic duties been less multitudinous I should have prepared material for an erudite dissertation on ' Anthropomorphi- tonianismicaliation, ' to be handed down to posterity, thus demonstrating to my whilom instructors my preeminent intellect. However, I feel sure that the afore- said instructors have already forecast for me a brilliant career in the intellectual realm, where I am to win fresh laurels to add to those precedently won for Peace. Cora G. Carter, Historian.

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Reid s turn came next. It ' s needless to remind you what my heart ' s desire has always been, she said. You all remember how I used to amuse myself in class .■sketching different girls. When I left here, I took a two-years ' course in the Chase Art School, New York, and since then, I ' ve been trying to be an illustra- tor — here some one interrupted with, You needn ' t say ' trying, ' Reid. as if we didn ' t all know about your success. Of course, we saw that newspaper article the other day which spoke of you as the leading illustrator of the day. To think that I once had the honor of sitting by you in Math, and watching you sketch Miss B. — in the act of expounding Trig. Speaking of Math., said Reid, who was too modest to want her praises sung further, behold the star mathematician of our Class, Miss Pattie Lee, whose recent discovery of the hitherto unknown art of trisecting an angle, will place her in the ranks with Plato, Pythagoras and Donna Maria Agnesi. Then there was a chorus of congratulations and How on earth did you ever think of it, Pattie? Why, she said, I always liked Math, better than anything else, and I ' ve been making a special study of it for the last seven years. I wanted to distinguish myself some way even if I couldn ' t be a great artist or poet. This last with a meaning look at Elsie. There ' s no doubt but that our Class Poet is distinguishing herself, some one remarked. You see her poems in nearly every magazine you pick up these days. I ' m on the lookout now to see them published in book form. Well, don ' t put your eyes out looking for it, replied Elsie, laughing. It may be some time yet before you ' ll see my masterpiece. When it does appear, may I give some readings from it? asked Mary. Z)fe-lighted, answered Elsie, for if such a noted ' Yellocuter ' as you were to present my efforts to the public, I ' m sure they would immediately become famous. Then I had to give an account of myself and tell all about my wanderings in furrin ' parts, and my years of study under Leschetitzky. When I said that at last I had learned to render the Valse Chromatique according to the most ear- splitting method, the girls, remembering former experiences with the aforesaid musical composition, passed a look of relief from one to another at the thought that there was no piano near enough for me to demonstrate my skill. And then we began to talk over old times, until, before we knew it, twilight had crept upon us. With a deeper regret than we had felt even at the end of our Class Day seven years ago, we parted, each cherishing the hope of another and speedy reunion. Pkophet.