Wellesley College - Legenda Yearbook (Wellesley, MA)

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HELEN AL MRA 3HAFER, A. A., Ph D.

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She lavishes her very life in labor of hand and brain for Wellesley, even as her husband lavished his. To this work of God she gives herself, and she gave him. It was a woman ' s prayer that blossomed in every Christian deed of his. I venture to quote from a personal letter written by Mrs. Durant this spring of ' 94. I gave mvself to the Lord, Aug. 33, 1S47, and have ever tried to consecrate to Him all He has given me since. This dedication of myself was a distinct act, and when God gave me the love of Henry F. Durant ' s soul, I gave that to Him also. Katharine Lee Bates. s

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(ilimp5e5 of I ss 3f)afer. I 7V E7V OI I7 7V . SS I sit and ponder how it is possible for me to attempt even a very superficial record for tiie ' 94 Legenda of one whose going away has marked the year 1894 with a long shadow for each Wellesley student, there are two or three pictures which rise to mv mind, and which may not be inappropriate to these pages. To the old girls there is one spot in the great College dining room which presents a series of memory pictures. In each one a tall, dignified woman, with an interested, sym- pathetic face, is the center. The table in the northwest corner was the one long known as Miss Shafer ' s table. Those who have been her table girls realized how fully the dinner hour was a period of relaxation. Then was the time to tell all the fun and frolic, and many- were the good times then and there planned. Each was sure of an appreciative listener; each felt sure that behind the smiles was an unusually keen and true sense of justice. From that sense came the confidence in the wisdom of any decision which jNIiss Shafer might make. The fact that sometimes the fun narrated was not approved of, hindered in no measure the account of the next lark. On e never feared that her appro al might be warped by her former dis- approval, especiallv if she had the good fortune to hear, You girls did me so much good; your fun and frolic was such a relief after the work of the day. At the table the frail health of Miss Shafer was more apparent, perhaps, than anywhere else. The carefully regulated diet, the fear of chill air, the love for all that was dainty in china and service, were part of a delicate constitution. To a few of these table girls came the privilege of gathering for an hour after dinner one day in the week in Miss Shafer ' s room, while she read aloud. To some of them, Little Lord Fauntleroy will always possess an especial charm because introduced by Miss Shafer ' s appreciative voice. In each memory picture the forms of the girls who played a part in these homey times fade into dimness, and the central figure stands forth, serene and dignified, full of interest and sympathy, inspiring and begetting confidence — one to be trusted. Because of this knowledge of interest, sympathy, and justice, other memory pictures now exist. To all Wellesley girls the President ' s office is familiar. The editors of the first 27