San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-06-06
TRAGEDY OF A SCHOOL.

lnAUEDI VI "A OOuOOL.
II may be easily understood that whel
ladies' seminary was opened In tn,
village revolution was brought abou
In the little community. The student
were Of higher grade In apparel an,
appearance, In beauty and display thar
the residents. Tho young men for tn,
first time In their lives saw women o
cultivation and physical attractiveness
The delicate figures of the newcomers
their small and shapely feet and hands
their untanned compilations, their vii
lowy grace, their jewels, their ricl
colors In dress, eyes and complexion
were 80 much In contrast with what al
the young men had hitherto known tha1
they became at once infatuated.
Old attachments We're ruptured, en-
gagements broken, and over the face Of
many country girl lines Of sorrow sup
planted the plump smoothness of Other
days. In the once pacific village there
was now incessant fog, cloudincss and
storm. The seminary became a species
Of shrine; one that commingled the ma
ture Of saint and sinner-semi-sen.
sual and semi-sacred. Each Sabbath
young pilgrims from the neighborine
farms thronged into tho town, sun
burned, with long hair, cowhide boots
and hats and coats Of all patterns, and
arranged themselves along the street
over which the line OF seminary girls
passed ON their way to and from the
churches.
Very naturally there grew up jealous
les, particularly among these young men.
Some Of them thought that others were
moro favored than themselves. For a
long time tho principal of the seminary
conducted his school with all tho scclu-
sion of a convent. There were no social
evenings at the hall; none of the fair
students were permitted to appear out
side without duenna, and 1t was per-
meated with oil tho mystery, security
and charm Of a seraglio.
Two or three persons were allowed
tho entree, and against these there was
very naturally created dislike on the
part Of those debarred from tho charmed
precincts. One Of them became partic-
ularly obnoxious He was a lawyer
named Smith, who lived on patrimony
and such accessions rs he gained from
the small returns from the practice Of
his profession. He was man about 40
years of age, slender almost to emacia-
ton, with small, bald head, q sharp
pointed nose, and ono eye-the other
had been lost--which was small, and
which glittered with an expression as
Of contempt on his unlucky rivals.
"Rivals" is the proper word. Mean
looking, uncultivated and repellant as he
was, he had an open sesame to the SEM
mary building. He entered when he
pleased, and mover failed, when oppor-
tunity offered. to relate his visits and to
exaggerate his intimacy. Many Of the
young fellows who, while not Apollos in
their faces and figures, were neverthe-
less Vulcans in their muscular strength,
virile as tigers and strong as giants, be-
came frantic in their rage and humilia-
ton as they heard this man detail his
visits. He was ono of the deformcd
genii who passed Mt will into the para
disc Of houris, while they, manly, robust,
were excluded.
Among this class he became an object
Of furious hatred and execration. 4.
1t was ut this point in the situation
that ! came to the village to spend my
vacation, and soon became an active
partisan Of the boys who hated the man
that monopolized the entrance to the
seminary. Many meeting was held at
which the object OF dislike was anathe-
natized and schemes Of vengeance were
levised.
was just from q neighboring college
n which it was the custom 10 burn on
he campus certain text books whose
study had been finished, and II occurred
% me that something Of tho same kind
night be applied to the obnoxious law
Ier. outlined scheme to tho effect
hat on certain evening at specified
lour we should assemble in the principal
treet, bring an efligy Of our enemy,
which We should first hang and then
consume It in bonfire. The plan was
dopted by the boys with enthusiasm,
nd we at onco proceeded to carry 1t into |
fleet.
The arrangement, as finally decided on,
vas at exactly o'clock the participants
rere TO assemble at tho barn Of n family |
AIMED Bryne, in which wo were to stuff
n old suit Of clothing with hay, and
hen, in procession, bearing the figure at
ur head, we were 10 march through the
rincipal street TO tho square, where
here would be an address, and then the
angling and the burning Of the cffigy.
"Now, boys" said the leader, who was
lyself, "be prompt and DO at the Bryne
ntranco at exactly 8 O'Clock, and we'll
ave more fun in ten minutes than you
AN shake a stick at"
The "fun" which resulted was not Of
le kind anticipated
We separated soon after, filed with
greeable reflections We were about TO
lake infamous the bete noir that af-
icted US and to visit on him the Just ven.
eance that he invoked by his heiDous
ansgessions.
At this period there was q vacation in
70 seminary. hegirls had mostly gone
1me. A few lived at great distances, or
- ofbor ,-r...uor,u r,s,,afra.d during the N