Vassar College - Vassarion Yearbook (Poughkeepsie, NY)

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The Brownies in Meeting.i ran! f ,T-ff! ? 7 gf fQ'.. ,1-,l,..g ' t f...?.- Qiuiqk X 1' ill T -V i- ff f'i ii Z: c ,, 5 I VA ' 7222- : -.'! :- 1 :N 1 K ,a Q flseii. v --f f i :I LI ' ' ' l ' .-' 'i i : ,' 'i flffemliil ' i T sound of bell the Brownie Band M g Was prompt to leave the work on hand. Their scurrying feet the halls passed o'er And entered at an open door. There every Brownie found a seat, Arranged, as all agreed was meet, In Quaker fashion-so they sat, On this side women, men on that. The heavy doors had scarce swung to And shut the'Brownie Band from view, Ere one who plainly was the head With dignity arose and said: You are not often here, my friends, In concourse for such weighty ends, The question, he remarked, In short, To boil it down, is this, the sort Of garments that the Brownies wear Wliile riding round, now here, now there, Are suitable, we all must feel, But only when we ride the wheel. Wfithin the class-room's sacred walls a No province of this garment falls. Can shortened skirts high honor gain, Or knickerbockers fame attain For those who to the world must stand As educationls strong right hand ? Most list'ners had not time to wink, Much less had they the time to think 22 Before a Brownies voice was heard Intense in every rapid word. Her English was so marked with speed It left one out of breath indeed. The Brownie scribe was in despair, She rose in anguish from her chair. I would request, in tones discreet She said, the speaker to repeat, Then vainly tried with all her might, The sentiments expressed to write. The speaker did not like the dress Wliich she advised them to suppress. And then they all began to hear A buzzing which they thought was queei A battery was in full play, Set going by her eager way. And none of them appeared to know How they should stop electric How. Now muttered one beneath his breath, This droning talk will be my death ! So versed in musical disaster, Perhaps- his organs I 'can master. Witli something 'twixt a skipp and hop He then essayed to turn the stop Upon this currenticeaseless, flowing, Wliich all unwitting was set going. This end in right good style he gained, For in all arts he'd been well trained. The Brownies, too polite indeed To give his victory due meed,

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,XX Committee on Self-Government. E95 CHA IRJIYA N. '97 VASSIE JAMES. '97. '9S. M.G.DUNNHKl I.E.PATTERSON. A.WWHTON. '99. G. JOHNSON. A. P. SAVPPY. I M.B.GRANGER A,KAUFFMAN. S.F.SHEPPARD 1900. A. P. BARROWS M. P. ESS.

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Yet looked on him with beaming eye, While he, becoming strangely shy, Subsidecl with a bow quite grand, Forgetful of the theme in hand. This filled the concourse with delight, Though it upset decorum quite. At first the leader joined in too, And then said he, This will not do! I now apply for information To one of classic reputation. For answer came an awful snore. 'Twas sad-the leader'd looked for more! The Brownie wakened with a lurch, And in his pockets 'gan to search. 'Tfborrfqind it all l It cannot be I've lost my written speech l quoth he. But when the paper he'd discovered, I-Iis wonted calm was all recovered. From what he said, 'twas plain to view To wheel suits he'd be always true. Next spoke in accents low and sweet, A Brownie very hard to beat. A lady-principal 'tis said In all the Brownie conclaves dread. My friends, in much I deem you right, But see it in another light. This matter of our daily dress Our pupils surely must impress. Then let us try if we can find Effect of it upon the mind. Perhaps our friends who've not been heard Upon this point will add a word P I' Then those who never spoke in meeting Were greatly flattered by such greeting. Their little note-books they consult And promptly call out this resultg bg f - fr ii If-'fill a a X I-f l ' I I I ! ills I ' Il l , The wheel girls best bisect a circle ! Their efforts know no tire! They mount with ease historic cycles! 'And English style acquire l Thcy're falling off in Greek and Latin ! Deficient quite in French ! r'And in their German are not able To tell a Uliaxul from 9J6e1iftb. .Then rose .the leader, always seen VVith dignified and pompous mien. To speakand end this altercation, I feel my ground of obligation. Effect discussed by you must be As well as cause. I hope you see, All moral taste,s perverted quite By this division bi-partite. i Adoption of a garb so scant 23 Is sure to end QI quote from Kantj ,5U2itungeIjeue1' Qieifonniienljeit. I And this, of course, would not be rightf, Then spoke another, known to be A master of psychology: Thy thought has crossed, I must confess, The threshold of my consciousness, That every faculty should be Developed to full symmetry. The Biologicview- of this We all regret that we must missfl The chairman spoke- 'Tis sad, indeed, And all this land must feel the need Of this one absent, pointing there, Where stands this year the empty chair. The Belle of Brownie Band spoke now, A woman Wise, with noble brow