Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-11
FRANKS AT VASSAR.
DASH AND WooR OF COLLEGE GIRLS
AT MISCHIEF.
Coasting on saturdsys-PlsyingT Truant-
Famous Theatrical Performances
Making Molasses Candy In the
Basement-The Big Dog.

dow of a west side residence at the snow the
other day and began to laugh Then she
said, by way Of explanation:
"l wonder if this girls at Vassar college are
having as much fun with their little sleds
this winter as they had when went to school
there. VaSsar girln were a wild set in my
dag, and got into much mischief as col
lege boys ever did"
"Will you relate me Of your adventurssP
was asked of her
"ln order TO fully appreciate the pranks OF
Vassar girls" said \he lady, you must re-
member that one Of the greatest burdens on
the shoulders Of the faculty Of the college Is
to keep the scholars from elopn.g with de-
signing young men and getting married
without their parents permission. When
ever a msrriageable male strays inside the
high cedar hedge which divides the Vassar
grounds from the rest Of the world, he is
regarded with suspicion by twenty pairs of
eyes until he has satisfactorily accounted for
his presence there. The girls, as a natural
consequence, form no acquaintance worth
mentioning among the opposite sex.
Naturally, then, they have to amuse them
selves as best they can On Saturdays,
whenever there is snow, the long hills to the
east of Poughkeepsie are alive with Vassar
girls coasting on their little red
sleds You would be astoni she'd by
the dash and vigor displayed by these eIe.
CANT young ladies where there Is no young
man around to look at them Taking head
ers down rocky hills and screeching with
mirth when they meet with mishap is con-
sidered having a grand time. When they
get tired of such sport they hitch on be-
hind any farmers sled which chances to pass
by. One day an old Duchess county farmer
who had string Of Vassar girls tagging be-
hind trotted his team five miles, In the coun-
try without stopping to give them chance
to unite their sleds They screamed and
grew mad and hurled slang AMI damaged
chewing gum at him during most Of the dis
tance, but he merely chuckled to himself
and drove on. When he finally turned them
adrift they had to trudge back through the
snow to the college on foot, a. NO teams
came along to give them a lift That ex-
perience taught.the girls to hitch on after the
manner Of boys, leaving it in their power to
free themselves at any Instant
"Do Vassar girls ever play truantF
u have frequently known them to run
away to New York on Saturdays, when they
had only been given permission to go shop
ping in the town Perhaps that Is not ex-
actly playing truant, however. remember
an experience had in running of with an
other girl to see Bernhardt in New York.
We went to the evening performance, and,
In order to carry out the affair in proper
style, we hired the biggest messenger boy We
could find, and rented a dress suit for him.
Then he escorted us to the theatre
and made very MISUNDERSTANDING
escort, too. The only trouble with
him was that he insisted on going out
between the the acts to buy peanuts
OF course we couldn't allow him to eat
them in the theater, SO he always came back
after the curtain had gone up and dropped
into his seat with dissipated swa ger,
which was really appalling Well, that
night we were intending to 60 back home by
way of the Hudson river on board the Mary
Powell to enjoy the moonlight, but We
missed her as well as the early Hudson river
traius We got back TO Poughkeepsie at a
dreadsully disreputabls hour, and were under
suspicion for a month at the college in spite
of all the fibs we could invent"
What other college pranks do you re-
memberir
Il must not forget our theatre. We had a
stage fitted up with drop curtain and
scenery, and there we gave famous theatrical
performances One OF our favorite pieces.
l remainder. was She Stoops to Conquer
The actors were all girls and so was the aud
fence. But portion Of the audience wore
handKerchiefs tied around its right arms
and the girls composing it were understood
to be gentlemen. OF course they escorted
the ladies to the play and stamped their feet
on the floor to express their appreciation at
anything particularly fine. When the cur
tain fell at the close of an act the gentle
mem all grabbed their hats from under the
seats and rushed out into the hall There
they paradei up and down in front Of the
theatre, shouting to each other: We'll,
fellers, whatll We takeF and Reckon
it's my treat: come up to the bar an orlsr
your own pizen,' and 'sa-ay, Jim, got any
good eatin' tobaccer In your clothesf l can't
positively say that the Vassar girls ideal
gentleman really acts in this manner at the
theatre, but at least these performances on
the part of the merry young undergraduates
never fail to cause them to laugh themselves
nearly to death. Some of the plays which
were prepared and acted by the girls were
really fine, and displayed not a little talent
They were highly appreciated, too, and the
mirth of the audience was never allowed t.
break out except when it would not inter.
fere with the actors We always thought q
great deal of our littis theatre
What were SOM of the other amuse-
mentsi'
"The first year the girls had q room in the
basement of the col ege, with an open fire
and big kettle III it, where they made
molasses candy Some Of the candy-pull'
they had there resulted, according to my re
membrance, in great deal Of sticky hail
and sol led aprons, and more scorched candy
than an army of ravenous school girls could
eat in year. Some Of these candy pull.
would make the participants perfectly wild
with mischief On a certain evening after
We had held a particularly riotous candy
pull, the girls could not endure the thought
Of going to bed. We accordingly huddled
together il one room, against the stricl
rules of the faculty, and waited until every
one else was asleep Then We slipped out
of basement window and paraded
up and down the college ground.
through the damp grass and among the ever
green's The night was chilly and nobody
dared to speak above a whisper for fear We
should be discovered. But we fondly imag
ined we were having a splendid time, and WI
giggled under our breaths persistently unit
suddenly, when we had ventured long way
from the basement window, a great hoars<
dog began to bark just outside the cedal
hedge That dogs voice frightened US nearly
to death. Instantly there was a stampede il
the direction Of the college. When we got t.
the window every blessed sister Of Us wantel
to get through it first We had a dreadful
time tearing each others dresses and pulling
each Others hair, but We all finally go
through the window ami tumbled up to bed
SO frightened and breatLless that We were
nearly dead"
Boston Post: 1t is said that one-half Of the
world does not ELow how the other hall
lives; and it may be added that it's nome ol
their business.