River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-05-23

the term-fees of the young ladies had been
paid i'm AZ vance. SO anxious, however, was
the principal to hasten the completion of the
domestic comfort, that she negotiated loans
with herSuvenile clients. Certain it is that
the principal borrowed-being temporarily
short of fYady cash sundry sums from each
girls pocket money soaring as high as %
shillings in the case; IF a moneyei govern
ess- studc9,t, yet condescendinr TO accept an
hgmble ailling from girl harely in he.
teens. These transactions wee conducted
IN strict privacy, until circumstances occur
red rendering mutual condolences inevitable.
Cne Soi.Iisdat ''foreign governess" there
was, but then her chief duties were per-
formed II the capacity of kitchen domestics
The tnii3on resolved itself into mutual iii
atructiotI by the pupils themselves; but this
concernes4 their happy souls far less than
certain statements in the prospectrs: 1t
was true shat the grounds were excellent for
creating an appetite but there grew dole
full donht whether the ''pasture lands were
intended to foster the practice of
vegetaria3 ism, or the pony to tempt them
to experience in hippophagy. The
hours az meals came, but not the ''diet
unlimited" For breakfast at 7:30 there was
thick slice of new bread, innocent of but
ter, thrown into bold relief by small basins
of tea tinted fluid. The dinner bell never
heraldedSanythin but a concoction, consist
ing of Lsne-scrapings, overwhelmed in a
mess of t.otato-squash. Dinner time ceme
occasionally at O'Clock; oftener at or5, or
6 o'clocI., and sometimes not until the day
after. yea was a repetition of breakfast
and on oae memorable occasion the whole
of the fusty-five unhappy young lady pupils
/ AIfc fac
sitting r9om door, knocking for their tea. ft
was then Ii o'clock at night. The girls had
no probationary left 10 buy their own
loaves, ais they did at first. All their letters
passed Through tho principals hands,
and there remained, for not one es-
/ capped to the postofice. In a
fortnighs the girls became weak and spirit
less. 0ue tainted four times in one day,
and, being unable to rise from her bed on
Sunday morning, February "a, the principal
sent up single bit Of dry toast, without any
thing else, saying, '.If she was hungry she
would eat that Other girls tainted fire.
quently, and one poor orphan went delirious,
repeating, with painful emphasis, Il ,cih
have bread, papa sad was to have bread ~
Almost erazed with fhe treatment, one young
lady riated her secretly kept last shilling on
a telegram to her parents, sixty miles away.
No response came. by desperate strategy
she herself crawled with struggled letter
to the post, and by the earliest train
her mother fastened to the rescue. 1t was
i 4:30 p. M. on her arrival, and the lady
found tie forty-five girls clamoring for their
dinner, which was not then forthcoming.
ghostly regiment they looked. Mrs. Pate
preserved bsr GOODNESS throughout this
scene with wonderful success. On the tele
gram being mentioned and her charged with
keeping. the shillipgsit was reluctantly re-
turned. The young lady's clothes were out
at WAIST, and would be sent home in due
course, but no penny of the prepaid fee for
the teria could be extorted. Glad to escape
the painful scene Of the emaclated girls, the
lady left the house with her daughter, whose
health had been cruelty undermined by that
fortnight of starvation and robbery. Her
compantons shed bitter tears at her good
fortune in leaving them.
The ssquel may be told briefly. Upon
energetic measures being taken to communi-
cate frota without with friends of the
happy papils, it transpires that there are not
few orphan girls placed Ia Mrs. Pate's care,
and others whose parents are abroad. These
have all paid the full fee in advance.
colonel in Ireland paid % guineas with one
Young lady who was,a severe sufferer 10y the
treatment. Upon another parent going to
uemanu Tue tSGH faHO iho iitSA VI MS
daughter last week March 23), he learned
that day or two before the principal
had eoolly informed her pupils one
morning that the bailiffs were in the
house, and that they mupt collect their
things and get ont. They gladly did so,
most of them without money; and that day
the railway station was crowded with care
worn yeu1lg ladies'. who were assisted by
villagers and tradestolk to pay their fares
home. One or two friendless orphans were
taken III charity by residents of the neigh
borhoos The furniture of the "college"
was hirSd from a London firm, and not stick
remained to pay petty debts for bread and
milk ana servants wages. The gentleman
paid ten, guineas, with his daughter, MOI
days pryor to the crash. On returning to the
station he heard enough to make him go back
and demand his child and his money.
Only ten sovereigna could be mustered, the
rest having been quickly spent; but his es-
cape wag cheap at the price. joint reward
is offered to any one who win give informa-
ton that viii lead tG the apprehension of
Mrs Pate and her Husband, who played
subordinate, but astGte part in the swindle.
CONNIE its may bc left TO the reader but
the disclosure OF atrocities of this kin
in a charming spot, bordering upon the
greatesc city in the civilized world, ought TO
arouse e attention of the public, and move
them ttt take measures by which the bare
possibility of the recurrence of such an out
rage shall be prevented.