The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1884-12-19
WHAT THEY ARE LEARNING.
sir. Vanderbilt Smythe's Son and Daughter
Report Their Progress at School.

Mr. Vanderbilt Smythe's Son and Daughter
Report Their Progress at School.
"Well," said Mr.. Vanderbilt Smythe,
as he closed letter from his son Har-
rison, who is student at Yale, 'this is
what / am paying for, is it?"
whats that, my dear?" asked Mrs.
Smythe.
Here's Harrison writing me six
page letter about his life at college,
and not q word about study of any kind
in it."
"Why, what's it about?"
"Well, he saws that after four weeks
of constant practice he has finally
learned how to do back handspring.
He has also mastered the free Will on
the horizontal-bar, and can do lay
out somersault without any spring
board. He has been appointed center
fielder on the university ball nine, and
is in training for the football team.
He saws his chances of being put on arc
excellent.
well, I declare! And so that's
what he learns at college, is it?'
$50 it seems" replied the old gene
man, looking blue.
At that moment a maid entered the
room and handed Mr.. Vanderbilt
Smythe another letter.
.sAh p he exclaimed, his counten-
ance lighting up: ''this is from Louise.
Now we shall see what our daughter
is learning. I'll warrant she tells
different tale"
Il should hope So" said Mrs.
Smythe:
MIR. Smythe opened the letter, and,
as he perused it, a smile spread over
his countence.
"What does she say, dear?" inquired
Mrs. Smythe.
I'm read it to you," he replied: ''this
is what she says:
SToKEM- ON HUDSON, october 16, 1884.
My Dear Papa;
here are all from the highest circles OF So
ciety and they dress charming. Maud Bliss
has fourteen dresses, not including her
morning wrappers which are simply ravish-
ing. we have to study very hard but sup
pose that is what you want. L practise four
hours day on the piano. Each girl has
she likes without disturbing any one at all.
You know when 1 came here couldent play
only easy pieces. But yesterday Mr.. Bolnski
our music teacher said must begin TO prac-
tic something for the school exhibition,
which comes off in about three months. so
Mr.. Bolinski gave me piece called Moon
light Sonata 1t was composed by Il MIR Bea-
thoyen. Mr.. Bolnski says he is great COM
poser. Do you know whether he lives in
New York. l should like to have him come
and here me play his piece at the exhibition.
1t is awful hard, quite too dreadful hard.
| But Mr.. Bolinski says that am to learn il a
page at a time and so in that way can learn
ri, 10 hx-f t,n ffrvlA ayh
OFF. He says must not practice anything
else. Next session am to have one of Cho-
pans etudes. looked up etude In my french
i suppose he gives me study for the pur-
pose of instruction.
Besides the piano I am soon to begin the
| bango. MIR. Bolinski does not teach the
| bango. We have gentleman from the
| Sacramento Minstrel troup to teach it. 1t
| is the most fashionable thing to play on
| now, so L suppose I've got to learn it, TWEEN
ty-six of the girls are learning 1t and some OF
| them can play real nice. am learning nit
ting, too; MISS Brown ii says every Err young ~
| croshay, too. And am learning to do EN-
| broidered flowers on velvet, SO some day L
can make you pair of slippers. Don't you
l think that will be pleasant.
We have lessons in french every day and
| conversation mt the table at every meal. We
have to ask for whatever we want in french
i or else we don't get it. WANTED some more
roast beef yesterday and / couldn't remem-
| Der what 1t was in french so dident get
/ none. We have lessons in department twice
/ n week. Miss Brown learns us that herself.
| She SAYS we all must study that IL we want to
| go into society. And of course that's where
| enough am going to study italian so that l
l can understand what they sing in the opera
without a libreto. Miss Brown says that its
| awful bad form to use libreto. And twice q
4 week we have dancing lessons OF course
| could waltz when came here but am learn
| ing all the court dances now. Miss Brown
! said the other day that 1 ought to study
| geography, but told her that / never trav-
| eled alone and so she said she guessed
| wouldent need to bother with that. Good by
| from Your loving daughter
/ LOUISE SMYTHE.
There" said Mr.. Smythe; '.that's a
different story from Harrison's isn't it?''
| ~ J. Henderson. in Puck.