The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-08-14
STORY FOR THE GIRLS.
RATHER ROMANTIC.


Only tirst-cass pupils We're admitted
trst-class teachers only We're employed.
To this seminary, Mrs. Adolphu
White, a wealthy widow, had, after wait
ING for vacancy, at last sent her daugh
ter Helen, a young girl of seventeen
whose face and form were remarkably
pretty, but who was by no means cir
of good sense.
at is settled at last, Charles" sale
Mrs. White to her bachelor brother, a.
they sat at lunch together, "IIelen i:
with Miss Patterson, and am so relieved
She will form her mind and manners
and make her the sort of girl | SHOULD
bring out. | shant do this too early.
was married myself at her age. and
know that one loses youth by being il
society too young"
And Mrs. White. who had no wish t.
settle into the elderly matron as yet
softly slipped her chocolate.
"You don't really mean to say thai
you have sent Helen away from home
sister ~ said Charles. "a mother SHOULD
never let her daughter live apart from
her, if she can avoid it. Send her tt
Miss Minerva all day, if you choose, but
have her home at night"
Its quite the thing among sensible
people to patronize boarding schools. >
said Mrs. White, "and Miss Minerva is &
lady of excellent family and highly &C
complished."
''Of course, said Uncle Charles, ''and
it's all right for girls who have homes OF
mothers; but take any set of young
things you may select and put them to-
gether fer while, and they'll hatch out
mischief. And girls are all ripe for il
nowadays, can tell you, in any of oul
towns"
"But by such discipline as Miss Min.
erva's," said Mrs. White, cher pupils
could not get into mischief
And she arose from the table.
son. said Charles. "Well, if you re
sure of that, | might as well be silent"
Meanwhile, the first day of Helen
attendance at Miss Minerals school
drew to close. Supper was over. The
musical exercises came to an end.
The evening worship was over.
The whole school marched off in bat
talons with an inch of wax candle in a
fiat candlestick for each room.
Gas was forbidden and indeed turned
off 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 as
tonished the new conner.
The elegance of demeanor which had
characterized her companions in the
rooms below dropped off like so many
masks.
One, the talleSt and most stately,
wedged her scissors into the door in such
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 lighted it
tlourished it aloft, with cry of:
WHO cares for Old Ramrod's regula-
tons now %
And a 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:
Il don't suppose you'll go and tell old
Patterson. We shall have to keep your
secrets after awhile. Biddy, the cham
bermaid is our postman. She'll getsall
your love letters for you and bring them
up on the sly
Il haven't any love letters. | have
no lover" said Helen, blushing.
" Your ma is strict, | suppose said
the other. "Well, you'll have plenty
before you've been here six months. It's
the incest school l ever went to. Old
Ramrod-that's Miss Patterson. you
know-can't see an inch beyond her nose
and we tlirt splendidly, Miss Collins and
all. Miss Collins is an assistant when
we promenade. Our first class has the
name of being regular witches, all
through the town. We know all the
| fellows
Helen listened with new emotions ris-
ing in her breast.
She began to feel delighted with the
idea of school.
She had thought dull routine of
geography and history. music and math-
ematics: but ilirtations. love letters and
knowledge of all the fellows frightened
the vista amazingly.
She listened to the epistles, which hel
companions did not hesitate to read
aloud.
She even helped one of the girls to an.
swer hers, and she retired by the light
of the long wax candle, to read herself
asleep over 4 piece of literature 10y some
French author.
She awoke the next morning to find
the young lady in the next bed up and
dressed, and to hear her declare that she
had been :" flirting out of the window
for an hour with the spendidest fellow. y
So dawned new life upon Helen
White: Il life her mother little dreamed
of.
Weeks passed.
She also tiirted; she also received love
letters from strangers.
She was naturally silly girl, and hac
no strong principle to sustain her.
Guided by her companions, and tho
easy prey Of circumstances, sho behaved
most foolishly and forgot all of the ole
ideas of propriety which had once beer
her guide.
To one of the admirers, who signeG
himself Carlos" she wrote as cir
ought scarcely to write to her betrothec
lover.
And she forgot how guilty she would
once have felt had she kept secret from
her mother.
Mrs. White was delighted with Helen
progress.