Texas Presbyterian College for Girls - Larkspur Yearbook (Milford, TX)

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C A f iz s :ttf La-1XS ?:2, if ,S S ' SA U . his 6 ,rl coming. She made up her mind that when she had finished with her niece, Mandy would never want a new party dress or even dare to think of it. Mandy was gettin' entirely too flip here lately and needed a tonin' down'. She would get it too, beyond a doubt. The room was very still. Out under the doorstep a frog croaked dismally. It was growing late and the air was chilly. Miss Simpson shivered and drew her shawl closer around her. Her fingers unoccupied, her mind traveled back to the time when Ruth came to live with her, a thin wistful face confronted her. the white folded hands, the silent lips. Miss Simpson glanced over toward the little rocker by the window. It seemed almost as if Ruth was there now. She used to sit in the dark little parlor, hours at a time, waiting, with patience heart-rending to see, for one who never came. Her unoccupied manner was maddening to Miss Simpson who used to exclaim, For I-Ieaven's sake, Ruth, do pick 'up your knittin', your're gettin' lazy these days. Even now she fancied she could see the bent head and quivering lips when she was reproac-hed for idleness. Then she remembered one day how the chair was empty. She could see Ruth's pleading eyes raised to her's. She could hear that low- quivering voice, saying, Take her Emma and be good to her for my sake, won't you? That was long ago, she knew, and now Mandy was growing into womanhood, tall and slim, with her father's great dark eyes and her mother's thin, delicate face. Did Mandy enjoy any recreation from her work? Were her opportuities equal to those around her? Miss Simpson questioned herself closely. Then she thought of how often she, herself, had been ashamed of Mandy's shabby shoes, her faded dresses and made-over hats, what would Ruth say to all this? She remembered too, the tidy little sum in the bank. Was there reason why it should not be, put to use? If she had any doubts on the matter in question, they left her now. I'm a selfish old woman, she whispered to herself, shivering in the cold night air. The lamp burnt low and the clock crept on towards twelve. Mandy would come then, she would not stay a moment after twelve. Mandy! whom she intended to punish severely. She recalled the great, wondering eyes raised to her's only a few hours ago, the quivering lips. What a world of love lay beneath the quiet little face if she only chose to possess it. And if I live I shall, she murmured. It's not too late to love her as I should. Then a peace she had not known in years came creeping over her. A peace which came to her ibut once before when she lay beside a tiny infant and knew that God had spared er. The clock struck twelve and soon after footsteps were heard on the gravel walk. A voice, low and kind, floated out to her. Good-night, little girl, and the quick response, Good-night, Joe. The door opened and Mandy rushed in. She stood for a moment, gazing in wonder at the light in the parlor, then running to her aunt, she knelt before her, crying: Oh! Aunt Em' I'm a wicked, wicked girl, ain't I? But I did so want a new dress-it was so hard! I'll get some new curtains just like them, Aunt Em', I will. I won't be bad any more, honest, I won't. A hot tear fell on Mandy's clasped hands. She looked up in surprise. O, Auntie! Don't cry, she pleaded, I'd rather you'd whip me. Then it was that Miss Simpson spoke. I ain't goin' to punish you child, she said softly. I ain't goin' to scold- but I am a-goin' to love you. And lifting the girl's flushed face in her toil-worn hands, she kissed her, not once, but many times. EDITH BORDEN. ju ef , lf! N il' f GH: Lv W lll ' 1-.a S-5 Xt a 103

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ffm rr ,r . it was Mb 4' g f V i,.Ii 4 mg L or shutting of a door, she started guiltily. By noon she had the skirt ready to try on, but she remembered that the potatoes had to be peeled and the milk brought up from the spring so she put her work away reluctantly. On her way back from the cooling house, half an hour later, she met her aunt on her way from the garden, her apron full of peas and beets. What have you been up to Mandy? You've been quiter'n a mous: up stairs by yourself. A crimson wave swept over Mandy's face but the lie came readily. Readin' that book Cousin Sue gave me, Aunt E.m'. The old lady gave her niece a quick look and grunted scornfully. You're just like your mother, always got your nose stuck in some old book, she exclaimed. l'm glad my mother raised me up to do the things the Almighty intended me to do. Readin' ain't lit for women folks. She delivered the vegetables to Mandy and hurried off to the barn in search of fresh eggs. The dress progressed rapidly under Mandy's skillful fingers. Tuesday morn- ing she rose bright and early, dressed hurriedly and after a hasty peep under the bed to see if her dress was still there. she tiptoed softly down stairs, resolving to have breakfast as early as possibly so as to have more time to devote to her dress-making. On the lioor near the cat hole lay a small package. Mandy picked it up and opened it hastily. A piece of paper Huttered to the fioor. She caught it up and read: Mandy, here is a piece of ribbon for your hair, wear it tonight please. JOE. Several yards of bright red ribbon lay open before her. She gave an exclama- tion of delight but hearing footsteps on the stairs she stuffed it in her dress and went about her work. Miss Simpson was amazed to find Mandy who loved to lie abed, up at four o'clock and still more amazed to hear her singing at the top of her shrill little voice. For l-leaven's sakes, Mandy! What's this new streak you've got, a-gittin' up so early? You surely must be up to somthin'. But Mandy protested indig- nantly that she wasn't, only tryin' to be good she said. Miss Simpson laughed, but she was pleased nevertheless. Late that afternoon the wonderful dress was linished and Mandy had not the slightest doubt that every eye would would be fixed on her when she came to the party that night. I'm a-goin', Joe, l'm a-goin', she whispered gleefully as- she pranced back and forth in frontlof her little mirror. After supper Mandy's excitement increased to such an extent that she could hardly carry the heavy tray of dishes into the kitchen. lf your're agoin' Mandy, I'lI wash up the dishes while you git ready, said Miss Simpson kindly and she added as she took the tray from Mandy, when you git your dress on, come down and I'll button you up, that is if you're goin'. All right, Aunt Em, called Mandy from the stairs. There she whispered to herself, lf l'm a-goin', if l'm a-goin, well, I guess I be! At last she was dressed and after a hasty peep into the mirror she slipped down and out at the side door. Miss Simpson drew a deep sigh of relief when the last dish was dried and put away. Then she suddenly remembered that Mandy had not come down to be buttoned. She went to the foot of the stairs and called: You, Mandy, come down and git buttoned or you'll be late for the party. No answer. She called again. Still no answer. She gave an impatient exclamation and started off up stairs. Mandy's door was a-jar. On the floor and bed lay the scraps and patterns she had forgotten to hide. A perplexed expression crossed Miss Simpson's face. She came forward and picking up a scrap from the floor, examined it intently. Sud- denly a suspicion entered her head. She rushed into the spare bedroom, clutching the scrap firmly in her hand. She opened the door and looked towards the windows. ltiwas growing dark fast but she saw very plainly that her Swiss curtains were gone. Then it all dawned upon her why Mandy had been so quiet for the past few days, why she had insisted on cleaning the spare room after Brother Hanson left, why-but she needed no more proof. It was plain enough that Mandy had stolen the new curtains and cut them up into a party dress. Her anger knew no bounds and it is not to be doubted that if Mandy had been present at that critical moment, she would have been whipped within an inch of her life. As it was Miss Simpson was obliged to wait and in consequence of the waiting, her temper diminished slightly. Down in the sitting room the big old fashioned clock was just striking eight. Four hours to wait! For once in her life Miss Simpson did a rash thing. She lighted a lamp and descended into the best parlor to wait Mandy's 102

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as fs -.-ur egg s C l When lane Went to College V HE C-RAl'lAlVl'S were a large family of six children, two girls and foul boys and their mother, who lived in Kansas. Their house was about three miles from a little town! of about a thousand inhabitants, situated within twenty miles of Topeka, in the prairie land. Worth, as the little town was called, was a busy settlement of its size, and all its people and surrounding settlers were engaged in farming and wheat raising. At the time of my story, the year's crop had been nearly a complete failure on account of the drouth, and a great many people suffered from the lossy among the sufferers were the Grahams. Not only had they had misfortune with their crop but also a far greater one had befallen them-lVlr. Graham, the father of the family, had died, suddenly leaving them with comparatively nothing. Ever since her father's death, Betty, the older daughter, had been saving up money so she could send lane, the fifteen-year-old sister, to college, for as Betty said, although she was only eighteen, she was too old and settled in her ways even to begin studying and make anything of herself, but ,lane had worlds of talent in writing and greater than that, energy and perseverance. When Betty had announced to the family that she intended sending lane to college the following September, the one question, after the excitement had been overcome, was where should she go? Betty wanted her to go to school in Kansas. .lane would not, under any circumstances, go in Kansas. Mrs. Graham had an old school friend who was a teacher in a Texas college, and she thought it would be pleasant for ,lane to go there. lane was delighted with the idea, for as she said, I'll get to see a real cow-boy! The following day, Betty sent for the much-desired catalogue of T. P. College, Milford, Texas. While the catalogue was on its journey, lane spent five days of restless anticipation and longing for the book to arrive. Every day as Dick, her older brother, came from the village with the mail, he would see an eager, freckled face, little girl of Fifteen, perched upon the gate post which opened into a road leading from the house and thence to the village road, and he could imagine what she was waiting for. On the last day, Jane could stand it no longer and as Dick, in the big farm wagon, came in sight she lightly jumped from the post and ran down the road to meet him. , Before she reached the wagon, he, with a smiling face, held up a little package, Well, little Sis, l hope your pain is eased. Chl Dick, she exclaimed, has that darling thing at last come? With one bound she was up beside him in the big wagon seat and eagerly unwrapping the long-waited for catalogue. It is needless to say that Jane had devoured nearly all the information in that one book before she reached the house. ' Dick, said lane, l'm going to sit out here in the wood-shed and look over this dear book. No lane, you come right in the house and let Betty and Mother see it because they are just as anxious to see it as you are. lane's application was sent in about a week later and she was very much excited when the letter from the president of the college came and told her that she was to room with Gertrude Gray from Dallas, Texas. The remainder of the month of July and all of August were spent in preparing ,lane's wardrobe and as each new dress was finished, she would admire it and declare it was much prettier than the last. At last the day came when it was only one week until Jane should leave. She had just fully realized what it was going to mean to her to leave home, and while she was very happy over going, she had seen how hard it was going to be for her to leave all her dear family, as she had never been away from them more than two weeks in her life. The fateful day came when Jane was all dressed in her neat little black suit, holding her valise with a death-like grip, and standing on the platform of the station at Worth. Like all partings, it had been a sad one, with a great many kisses, hugs and tears bestowed uoon the departing girl. Dick had decided to go with her as far as Topeka and start her out safely on her long journey. l-le had wanted to go all the way with her but ,lane preferred to go alone and get broken in by herself. The trip from Topeka to Dallas, where she changed cars, was rather a long one--three days and nights: however jane found plenty to interest her as she watched 104