The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1888-07-25
The Girls of Long Ago.

Utica Observer: The Delta Kappa Ep-
silon Fraternity of Hamilton College last
night formally opened their new Chapter
House. At the banquet, Prof. A. 2 Kel-
sey, '56, of Clinton, presided. Among the
guests was A. Minar Griswold, 80, 'Fat
Contributor" editor of the Texas Siftings,
who responded to the toast" The Girl we
Left Behind U.s." in the following strain:
Mr.. President and Brother Dekes: The
toast you have assigned me is one that
touches a very tender chord in my heart.
I have always felt sorry for the girls we
| left behind u.s. Tt seemed cruel at the
time, but how could we help it? Cir
cumstances we're such that we couldn't
possibly take them along-we had to
leave them behind US. [ think L prom
ised three or four to come back for them
in the spring or early in the autumn, but
I was too busy for several years to attend
to it, and after that-well, [ was afraid
my wife might not like it. I met one Of
the girls we left behind US on the street
to-day; that is, [ thought I did. The
same soft, brown eyes, the same sweet,
sunny smile.
"Is it possible" I said, "that I behold
Miss Sally Jones ?"
''That was my mothers name," she
smiled, "before she was married. [ am
married now, and I have named my baby
after ma"
Great heavens The girl left behind
me was grandmother
told the young lady who was, and
she said she had often heard her mother
speak of me as one she used to know
great many years ago. Then I asked
about the girls I used to know, and what
had become of them. found that some,
alas, were dead. Others, who we're mar
ried, wished they we're dead. Some, who
were widows, had lovers seeking for their
hands. Others, not yet widows, we're
seeking for divorces.
Oh, these seminary girls of long ago
how we did regret leaving them behind
us-except one poor fellow who eloped
with one Of them. He has regretted all
his life that he didn't leave her behind
with the rest of them.
But we had to 60 and leave them. Fate
beckoned us on. And, in some cases, the
faculty urged us to go. Were we to
blame, then, for temporarily forgetting
our debts-I mean the girls-we left be-
hind US? Why, some of us had to leave
our trunks
A rare collection of girls they we're,
gentlemen, as [ recall them now. Tall,
willowy girls; short, plump girls; black
eyed girls that made us blue, and blue
eyed girls that we were ready to take
black eye for any time; fair complexioned
girls, brown girls, Smith girls, girls with
auburn hair, and girls who, not being able
to match their own hair in Auburn, we're
compelled to buy it in Utica or Syracuse.
In fact, there was about every kind Of
girl then that there is now, except the
tailor made girl. who seems to be alto
gether modern creation. Still, the lat
ter has points in her favor. While the
girl | SO tenderly recall possessed virtue,
beauty, intelligence and many engaging
ways, I must admit that she somehow
lacked the get-up-in fact, she hadn't the
hustle of the girl of to-day
No, brothers of the olden times, we
must confess that in comparison with the
tailor-made girl Of to-day, the girl we left
behind us had very little left behind her.
Still we remember her with tenderness
and respect and let us join in a bumper
to the girls OF long ago.
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