Richmond Womans College - Puffs and Patches Yearbook (Richmond, VA)

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simply held our breath for fear he'd go off again. Things went well until one night he got a letter asking him not to call again except as an old friend. that she was engaged. She liked him but could never love him. Well. he took his usual manner of drowning his troubles, only this was the longest carouse he had ever been on. For two weeks we searched frantically for him and were going to telegraph his father when he returned. pale. weak. but with a new light in his handsome eyes. XYe learned later that in the middle of the night he crawled in the room. He had planned to write the girl a letter and then shoot himself. ln his maudlin state he saw the picture and imagined it was laughing at him, so he took it from the mantel in order to turn the face to the wall. But something in the pictured face stopped him. The narrowed eyes were scornful, the lips seemed curved in a sneer. Then he thought she spoke. Don't be a baby, -lack McBride. The girl never fooled youg it was your foolish vanity that led you on. You knew she wore a diamond, that she treated you as a boy, and now in your drunken self- pity would you throw the blame on her? Bring her into notoriety and break your father's heart ? The sweet eyes were very stern. 'gBrace up and try to be a man. - Cf course, it is tough, but you are no baby. You ought to be ashamed to act as you do. God has given you a marvelous intellect and you drink it to the gutter. You could be the most popular and brightest fellow in school, and yet you let others with half your powers beat you. Don't be a puppy. Cut out drink, get down to work and, most of all, think of someone besides yourself. jack put the picture on the table and buried his face in his hands. For some time his conscience had been saying these same things to him, but you can argue your own conscience down. yet the words of a girl, a mere picture, could not be argued with. , N He never told us of his two weeks' adventure and we knew him too well to ask. He buckled down and worked as he had never worked before. He kept away from 'the picture more than ever. He did not want to see her until the brave eyes could smile approval. One day her cousin came rushing into the room, a letter in his hand. Qlt was late and all of us were in the room except fack.j Excitedly he waved the letter. It,s from her and she's coming to see rne graduate. The fellows went wild for awhile and we could hardly wait for the day to come. . ' Jack was rather abstracted. He had won all the highest honors, the praise of us all, the congratulations of the professors, and the pride of an old father. Everyone was confident that he would be awarded the medal 'for the finest oration. But I knew that there was one thing he coveted more than all these- the love of the original of the picture. 67

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Her Picture HE influence that a woman exercises over a man's life is almost in- conceivable. Why, I knew of a girl's picture that once brought out all that was best in a boy's life and made a man of him. Tell you of it? Well, when I went to college I belonged to a fraternity and we had a chapter house. Une room down stairs was kept as our reception hall, and all the choicest belongings of the boys found their way into it. Among these was the picture of a girl in a silver frame. It was just the head and shoulders of a young girl, not an absolutely beautiful picture. She was too dear and human for perfection, but no one could look at her without loving her. She seemedto be leaning forward and smiling right into your eyes with a warm, friendly look. Her lips were half parted and her eyes were narrowed. Soon the boys gave her the place of honor in the center of the mantel, and from time to time olferings of flowers were placed before her. The fellow that she really belonged to told us she was his little cousin who lived on a farm in Virginia and was a tomboyish bit of humanity. Shot straight and could ride any horse. VVas a good sport, loved honesty and fairness and could not tolerate cowardice. Quite naturally before long she became our mascot. NVe told her all our joys and sorrows. If we had good luck, she smiled gaily on us, and if things went against us she seemed to inspire us to try anew. Somehow she seemed to understand things and her silent sympathy helped us. So when the term was over and her owner left, the fellows made him promise faithfully to bring her back in the fall. The next year the new men fell easily into the traditional worship of her. A Many a homesick boy poured his longings into her ear. She didn't jeer him, she knew. H' e u The fellows used to get together and speculate on her coloring, her size, her voice., Gnly one held aloof and sneered, at the worship of the rest. Oh, she's good enough looking, but it's no use being a fool over a mere picturef' This was Jack McBride, the brightest man in college and the most popular with everyone. No one could help loving him, but he had two weaknesses-he would drink and he would not study. For a time he would brace up and make brilliant marks, and then he would get on a spree and be away for days and days. Now jack was in love with a society girl and for over a month he had led his class. The professors were beginning to think he had reformecl, and we ' 66 x

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The chapel auditorium was crowded on the final night. All of us felt eX- cited and self-conscious for the lady of our dreams was 'somewhere in the crowd. The program was almost completed, only jack's valedictory. After the overture had been played, he mounted the platform and went toward the front of the stage, his face lighted with the joy of conquest, the knowledge of owner- ship. His words rang clearly through the building and brought tears to all eyes. Suddenly he paused, his face paled,'then flushed and he started forward. Then recovering himself he completed his oration. The applause was deafening and flowers rained upon him, but he was nervous, restless. Wheii the diplomas had been awarded he broke away from the crowd and made for a corner of the build- ing. Straight as an arrow he went, deaf to the congratulations, right to where a slender girl, with high-dressed, golden-brown hair and deeply blue eyes stood. Something caused her to turn and their eyes met and clung together. They seemed unconscious of us all and the crowd. The light on their faces was holy. Her cousin saved the day by introducing them. As their hands met he bent low and whispered something in her ear, she nodded and together they went into the lantern-lit campus. Now she lives with her husband, Jack McBride, near the University. He is already a prominent lawyer and she still our goddess, to whom all important affairs are brought. - 1 Jack had a miniature of the picture made and wears it over his heart to warn off all evil, he says. , ,. . P 68 gnu-.. .- 'EAL .' . :,.,,g4,4L4i,.,..- nm , .