The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1875-09-03
CHAPTER XVI.

"Come, Biddy, confess! Who is the
wight of your engaging conquests? Oh
have you received the mitten in your
last letter from Teddy or Jerry ?" queried
Delphine Howard, as Effie entered the
noisy school-room in company with
Winnie Holmes.
''If it were not beneath the dignity OF
lady to notice such insults, I would
teach you a lesson of hunility," said
Winnie. "AIiss Effie Goodwin is a re-
spectacle boarder at my fathers house,
and will not listen to such impertinent
remarks concerning our family guests"
"Ma called upon Mrs. Munson yester-
day, and she said that she was going to
keep her an indefinite length of time. "
(Which indefinite length of time ex-
pired this morning." said Effie.
"Efie has brother who will soon be
in from the mines with plenty of money.
Such girls as you and Augusta Morton
will go into ecstasies about him, badly
as you have treated his sister," said
Eliza Crandall, joining the chattering,
noisy group.
"You think I'll fancy him because
you do" said Delphine sneeringly.
"You couldn't follow more emo
bling example," was the playful retort.
'Self-praise is half scandal" chimed
in Augusta.
"Why, swapping turtle" affecting to
have just discovered her, "where did
you spring from ?"
The measured step of Bartholomew
Barton, A. NJ, was heard in the hall,
and the girls instantly seated themselves
with their books, as though study was
their all absorbing occupation. The
professor spent a few moments in the
recitation-room of the girls, in superin-
tending their various studies, and ap-
pointing to each, assistant her manifold
duties for the day. When this nominal
task was finished, he bowed himself
out, an act of courtesy to which the
misses were required to respond, and
Mr.. Barton assumed for the remainder
Of the day the difficult task of keeping
up the semblance of order.
This morning, however, the principa
summoned the boys-about fifty il
number-into the recitation-room o.
the female department, and announced
his "rules, regulations and requirements
for the coming spring exhibition"
Excitement was on tiptoe. The girls
many of them with rueful faces in an.
tlcipation Of writing the compositions
they detested, made all manner of com.
plants TO each other and their teachers
The principal and his lady did not heal
their muttered EXPLANATIONS of dissatis.
faction, or measures would have been
taken to suppress them.
We have often, when listening to the
whining complaints of composition.
writing schoolmates, wondered why il
was that they made themselves so mis-.
cradle over what was such a source Of
improvement, and what might be such
a delightful occupation. A group ot
schoolgirls are assembled, and one be.
gins her story.
"Those dreadful compositions Iwisl
they had never been thought of! TX
rather stand at the whipping-post, II
the power of negro-driyer, than to ge
up and read one of my own production
before a crowd" srttf
"And I'd rather do with half-allow
ance and sleep on beds Of nettles thar
arrange my shallow thoughts for th,
eyes and ears of critics"
And another:
20, Mary, if could write as you do
wouldn't care who'd hear nv efforts, +,
when Mary knows that the complaine
Is very vain of her own work, but ap
plauds her to affect modesty. This an,
similar 'ssmall talk, p in which each on
tries to form more exaggerated esti
mate Of her unsssuming diff1dence thai
the previous speaker has indulged, max
up the sum total Of most young school