The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-09-22
The lale of the Black Warrior

Yes, girls. I graduated at Rossmorf
seminary, though my accomplishment.
may not have led you to think 50. ]
don't suppose I reflect much credit or
that institution. Most of my time there
was spent in trying to do as little study
ing and have Is much fun as possible,
and there were a good many other girls
there who went through the course on
the same principle. I suppose l was
one of the worst of the lot, and the dis.
cipline there didn't improve any of US q
bit. In fact, I believe we would all
have behaved better if there hadn't
been quite so much discipline.
Romancesl OF course there were
romances. Did you ever hear of q
female seminary without romances?
Every girl in the school had q lover,
and some had two or three. And then
seven or eight of the girls all had the
same one. These fellows used to hang
around the iron gate after dark, and
steal brief moments of blissful and sur
reptitious converse through the ratings
with the objects of their alteration in
the garden. Old Betty, who answered
the gate bell, I have no doubt, turned a
very pretty penny by conveying secret
missives between the pupils and the
~jeunesse doree outside. Mind you, I
don't speak from personal experience of
these things: am only telling you of
what I heard.
The funniest affair of that kind,
though. was the KilGoy affair. must
tell you about that.
Professor Killjoy, you know, was the
professor OF history and philology, and
he was certainly well named, for a more
sour and Notwithstanding man you
never saw. He wasn't half as bad as he
hate him, chiefly on account of the
horrid and rubbishy stuff he tried to
teach Us. The professor had one hobby,
of the large rooms in the lower hall
the mustiest old collection Of ancient
arms and pottery, and tapestry, and bas-
reliefs and what not, that you ever came
across in your life. 1t was just like an
auction room, and he used to take the
history class in there once q week, and
lecture to them ON the ''cuneform char
acter" and the age of Rameses," as if
any of US cared how old Rameses was,
or whether he had any character, "cune.
form or otherwise.
Down at one end of the room was the
professors especial pet. This was a
whole suit ofrusty steel armor-helmet,
b~reastplate, gauntlets and all-and the
professor had it mounted on 8 frame on
. pedestal, with a big battle-ax in its
hand. just like life.
It was an awful affair to look at, and
If you were to come upon it unexpect-
eddy ON q moonlight night, it was just
the thing to Brighten you half out ofyour
wits. The professor said it was very
valuable. and once belonged to n knight
who had fought in the first crusade.
This, ladies'" be would say, sis the
veritable armor of the famous John of
Orleans, better known in history as the
Black Warrior, who persisted at the
siege OF Jerusalem. How many of you
can give me an outline of the historic
event in which he lost his .life?"
There was generally a dead silence
after this, md the professor would close
the book with a sigh and dismiss the
class.
But it was about little Annie Killjoy
that 1 wanted to tell you. Annie was
the professors niece. She entered the
seminary quite Unexpectedly in the
middle Of The term, and it was soon
whispered about among the girls that
Annie WAS already provided with what
most of the others acquired after they
came thcre-that is, a lover; and that
the had been sent to the school by her
parents, who lived at distance, in order
80 separate her from her betrothed, and
to break up the match.
Annie herself did not deny it, and, of
course, all our sympathies were enlisted
for her at once, especially as it was gen.
orally understood that the gentleman in
the case was a young, struggling lawyer,
whose poverty vas the sole ground of
objection to him.
To tell the truth, Annie was a very
sweet and lovable little thing, with blue
eyes and a peachy complexion and a red
mouth-just the kind to make friends
and to'drive all the young men distracted
about her.
&. She had q lonesome timeof it, though,
for she was not allowed to room with
any of the other girls, but was assignel
a dormitory next to her uncle's. The
excuse made by the matron was that
there were no vacancies elsewhere, but
veal knew that it was because the pro-
lessor wanted to keep her as closely as
possible under bis own eye.
For a month after her arrival Annie
moped and pined. and looked the very
picture of desolation. The roses faded
out of her cheeks and she came to the
recitations with her eyes. all red, as II
she had been crying. Suddenly, how.
ever, she recovered her spirits and be-
came the blithest and apparently the
happiest girl in school. TIE change II
her was 20 surprising that all the girls
noticed it, and we knew that, somehow
or other. Annie had heard good news.
One day I overheard the professor
talking to her in the hall.
My child" he said, "it pleases mt
much to see that you are becoming con.
tented with your lot here, and are re
agining your good spirits. Shall I write
to your parents that you are entirely
cured of Your foolish infatuation for thl
young m:utof whom they wrote to mep'
The lit IL mink cast down her eyes de
murely, ind said:
'1.think you may, sir, if you wish"
But that very night after the light
were out. when I slipped out of tn
back door and went to the garden-gat