The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1880-08-21
RATHER ROMANTIC.

The select boarding school of which
Miss Minerva Patterson was the head
was a very ambitious establishment.
Only first-class pupils were admitted
frst-class teachers only were employed.
To this seminary, Mrs. Adolphu.
White, wealthy widow, had, after
waiting for a vacancy, at last sent hel
daughter Helen young girl of seven.
teen, whose face and form were remark.
ably pretty, but who was by no means !
girl Of good sense.
alt is settled at last, Charles" said
Mrs. White to her bachelor brother, a.
they sat at lunch together, THelen j:
with Miss Patterson, and Lam so reliev-
ed. She will form her mind and man.
ners, and make her the sort of girl
should bring out. ! shan't do this toe
early. ] was married myself at her age,
and know that one loses youth by be.
ing in society too young"
And Mrs. White, who had no wish to
settle into the elderly matron as yet soft.
ly slipped her chocolate.
"You don't really mean to say that
you have sent Helen away from home,
sister p said Charles. "a mother
should never let her daughter live apart
from her, il she can avoid it. Send her
to Miss Minerva all day, il you choose,
but have her home at night"
ats quite the thing among sensible
people TO patronize boarding-schools,
said Mrs. White, "and Miss Minerva is
lady of excellent family and highly ac.
complished.
"Of COURSE" said Uncle Charles,
and it t'sall right for girls who have homes
or mothers ; but take any set of young
things you may select and put them to-
gether for while, and they'll hatch ou,
mischief. And girls are all ripe for it,
nowadays, can tell you, in any of our
towns"
"But by such discipline rs Miss Mi
nerva's," said Mrs. White, "her pupils
could not get into mischief"
And she arose from the table.
"Oh!" said Charles. "Wcll, il your
sure Of that, might as well be silent. -
MeaE:!hile, the first day Of Helen's
attendance at Miss Minerals school
drew to a close. Supper was over. The
musical exercises came to an end.
The evening worship was over.
The whole school marched off in bat.
talions with an inch Of wax candle in a
fat candle-stick for each room.
Gas was forbidden and indeed turned
o6 from, the dormitorieS
And at last Helen, with four young
ladies who belonged to her room, was
fairly shut into her nightly resting place.
Then came a metamorphosis which
astonished the new conner.
The elegance Of demeanor which had
characterized her companions in the
rooms below dropped Off like so many
masks. =
One, the tallcst and most stately,
wedged her scissors into the door in such
4 manner as to form a temporary bolt,
and stopped up the keyhole with Bit
of wadding.
The next produced long wax candle
from her pocket, and having lit it -four
ished il aloft, with cry of:
"Who cares for Old Ramrod's regula.
tions now1"
And third rushed to corner of the
room, turned up the carpet, and with
an exclamation Of "Here are two, one
for you and one for me-" held up two
letters.
The fourth girl, with an ecstatic shrek,
caught her prize and tore it open.
And the young lady Of the wax candle
thus addressed Helen White:
al don't suppose you'll 60 and tell
old Patterson. We shall have to kecI
your secrets after awhile. Biddy, the
chambcrmaid, is our postman. Shell
get all your love- Letters for you and bring
them up on the sly"
"I haven't any love-letters. | have
no lover" said Helen, blushing.
"Your ma is strict, suppose" said
the other. "Well, you'll have plent,
before you've been here six months
It's the incest school / ever went to-
Old Ramrod-that's Miss Patterson, yo,
know-can't see an inch beyond he
nose, and we flirt splendidly, Miss Col
lins and all. Miss Collins is an assistan
when we promenade. Our first clas
has the name Of being regular witches
all through the town. We know all tn
fellows"