Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1875-10-02
"SMASHING."
How the Amiable school Girls
lnusc Themselves at Vassar.

| wonder if any of Your readers
have ever heard of the practice of
smashing at Vassar college. If not,
fancy that manvsinight he sOmew hat
Interested III hearing about one of the
most curious freaks ever indulged in
by schoolgirls, q beg pardon, col
lege young womeu). | know where
OF | speak, for | have been for over
two years II witness of this wild spe-
ccs of insanity. Vague rumors and
whispers Of this disease have occa-
s!onally crept out from the walls of
my beloved alma mater, but vigilant
tongues have hushed them. Now |,
acluated solely by the prevalent and
fashionable desire of becoming a re-
former, am about to enlighten those
who, for so long, have sat in darkness.
In so doing | hope also to show such
of my fellow-studcnts as NAV chance
To read This how utterly foolish they
have been in allowing this absurd
| practice to 90 SO long unchecked.
When young woman at Vassar
secs another whose appearance, gen.
erai sttl', talents, or eyes, (especlally
the lat,er), she ndmires, instead OF
seeking her acquaintance in an ortho-
d"N manner, she straightway announ-
ccS to her friends and cronies, with
a my sterious and confidential air,
that she is hopclessly, completely, en-
liIcly, ''smashed'-im fact, "dead-
gone" Then follows series of the
most idiotlc performances. Smash
notes are written; elegant flowers.
boxes of candy, costly books, etc. are
sent by the smashed TO the 'smasher;'
appointments are made in dark corri-
| tn l. I, nth ,SrrI, -
>m,ii king and ogliug are III vogue in
the dining-room and in the chapel.
rhis state of affairs is kept up some
lime-iength of time depends upon
the violence of the attack Then the
smash develops to an astonishing
friendship, or the parties drop one
another by mutual consent.
1t Is not uncommon to hear some
bright girl say 80, am so smashed
: on Miss Su-and-so. | just adore the
ground she walks on. l have the
, 'palps' so when l see her that / can
. scarcely stand up" | have known
girls whose great power of intellect
could no: be denied, who stood at
the head of their classes, to make alb
snIute fools of themselves over other
, girls. l have seen girls cry themselves
= sick because their loved ones smiled
q more iavOrably on some rival than on
them. | have known of Sc boxes of
i, confectionery and Sl5 bouquets being
= sent through some Jealous friend by
= the victim to the victor. And speak
= ing Of these tokens of pure, unadul-
= tcratcd affection, reminds me oi
something quite funny. These offer
6 ings are often more practical than pO.
= ciical. Dishes of pineapple, hot lem.
. onade, fried oysters, etc., are com.
- mon, and one young woman of an i'll.
- icnscly practical turn of mind sent tC
~ her atiored one Il hot, boiled sweet
i potato. l apprehcnd that i'll few
!, years il will be 10 uncommon thing
- To express this holy emotion by means
of Il raw onion, or, more appropriate
" iy, IA cabbage-head.
% IL is quite the thing at Vassar Il
have the reputation of being success
:. fuI "smasher." Que young lad,
:. boastcd of her $50 victims. She wa
:, :, Maine girl. and her charm lay il
- the fact that she was quite gentle
:, manly in appearance. But she was
y notable exception. Very few reacl
>, The zenith of two dozen, and if on,
-, were TO successfully aspire to NOR
- than that L think she might say
q Now let thy servant depart il
~ peace" | think also under the cir
y. cumstances it would be the mos
=, laudable petition she conld possibl
ID ID put up. = Correspondence of tn
;" ~ Buffalo Express.