The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-05

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Watching the Election Returns.
(Copyright)
NEW YORK, July Al declare it does
seem to me-probably because l am not
used to newspaper work-as if were doing
something really mean in sitting down to
write about GOOD Times at Vassar;" as if l
were playing the spy upon my old friends
and classmates And yet there is nothing
to tell which could disgrace them or me in
the telling, for a merry lot of girls can have
good deal Of fun in harmless ways without
sacrificing their mutual respect: which is
why there is great advantage in being a
girl.
The freshman enters Vassar in great fear
aud trembling, for she knows she is certain
to be "hazed, y yet the hazing is of very
gentle and ladyllke sort, and usually winds
up with an invitation to the hazed to eat
something good and indigestible i'll a sophie
more parlor as the hazers guest So long
as the freshies "know their place." as they
usually do, the sophs are very well satisfied.
Almost as soon as the green girl has
learned the corridors and classrooms, and
there are many, many or both, she is clas-
siied according to her political complexion
as a republican, democrat or mugwump,
and begins to hold heated arguments on
politics with those of other beliefs Many
of the girls have no opinion of their own at
first, but it doesn't take long to develop
them or absorb them from others. AS
election approaches, the excitement rises TO
fever beat. On the evening of election day
regular Geographic bulletins are received
and lettered in big, plain script on sheets of
brown paper which are tackled up in some
conspicuous place. 1t is quite customary
for the girls Of beaten party to give a
dinner to the other side after election. Great
caution has been used in determining the
result, though, ever since 1884, for in that
year the democrats gave the republicans a
dinner on the strength of the Tribune'S
stout observation that Mr.. Blaine was
elected, and great was their lamentation at
the mistake after ward.
The real fun begins after election. By
that time the new girls have got accHmsted
and have either got over their homesick-
ness or given way to 1t entirely and gone
away. Cold weather keeps the students
more indoors, and the fun-lovers begin to
assert themselves.
OF course amateur theatricas then come
TO the front.
How did we manage to represent the
male parts when we played Money"
''She Stops to Conquer" "As You Like
It," and all the rests Why. very simply.
girls taking male parts had their names
put down without prefix and with initials
oaly. Those playing TIE female roles kept
the Miss" Thus, if girl played
Orlando or Diggory she would be
billed simply as "E. A. Jones" or
whatever her name might be- If
she we're cast as RosaIind, her name was
given as Miss Ellen Jones' And-to fore
stall possible inquiries upon a delic to
pont-the costume didn't differ much in
either case. There was more high jinks
than high art at these plays as a rule
though some of the girls developed a very
pretty elecutionary talent.
To cast play and furnish an audience
takes, of course, good many girls. There
were smaller cliques and subdivisions which
had readings and candy pulls and little
dances, of a very impromptu character.
with banj 10 and piano music. Some Of these
groups performed little original plays in
which Ferdinand, the college skeleton, and
Trigonometry, the students bette nOire, and
others were the characters. Much scientific
Information is impaired in these 'plays,"
as whea, in an old favorite, this touching
passage occurs between Trigonometry and
Sophie More (Sophomore):
Trig Sophie, hearts dearest, l love you.
Sophie-Now you have stated your PROPOSE
ton, prove it,
Trg-It is an axiom, self-evident.
Sophie-Oh, you stupid man! / mean, prove
1t by some practical application.
Trig-I-don't-quite understand. Oh, do you
mean this?-(tries to embrace herr
Sophie Starting backl-Ouchl
Irg-What is 1t, darling!
Sophie-Ticksh!
TrIg embracing her more circumspectly)-I
that practical application" pet? l think |
like practical applications
At other times there is wild and hila-
rlouS revel of mirth when the Whaugdood-
lers, or some other redoubtable band of col
ored musicians make bad jokes and worse
music in one of the parlors. The end
women in a minstrel show have a remark
ably good chance for hitting off the pet
weaknesses Of the other students; but their
Jokes wouldn't carry half mile from the
big building on the hill and won't bear
repetition.
There's more snow in the Poughkeepsie
neighborhood than in the latitude of New
YORK, and the girls manage to get some fun
out of 1t after it has spoiled the skating on
the little lake by covering the ice foot
thick. Sleighing excursions are very popu-
lar-to Hyde Park in the north, or due east
into the lonely country back from the river
or south toward Fishkill Landing. A big
sielghload of girls with nice sedate old
man as driver and one of the faculty along
as chaperon can make about as much noise
with their college songs as the surrounding
IS good enough to make snowballs from, and
can personally testify, having been sin
gled out more than once by the aim of a
mighty marksYoman, that the old supersti-
uon that woman cannot throw straight is
baselesS canard. OF course she can't; she
mas never learned how, but good many Of
our girls had learned.
But the winter doesn't last always. In
the spring there are botanizing parties and
boating on the lake and the senior auctions,
custom possibly peculiar to Vasssr- Be-
lore the seniors leave, quite as much for the
iun OF the thing as for any money involved,
some OF them usually combine TO sell at
pubic vendue some of the superduous be-
Ionglngs Of their rooms. bootjacks, if they
are so fortunate as to possess any Of those
venerable relics Of Matthew Vassar, plaques,
nottles OF pickles, books, pictures and the
IKE With chair as the auctioneer's box
ana good audience. quick xitted girl can
nave no end Of fun with these trophies.
mere Is portion of a sample auction
poster.
READ THIS!
q IL Is true that Xantippe did annoy the learned
pereu woman had hs allowed her to bid at the
SENIOR AUCTION
D., SATURDAY, JUNE
Deglnning at A. NJ. Take the pleasure denied
euaU poor woman, and select while you can from
our stock of
UEABRIDGpD ,1,-,o,. ,,,,. &c.. 1o,-re ,,,,o,.
VeEEzERs, ROSEWOOD WRITING DESKS,
AFTER DINNER COFFEE SETS, OLD PHOTo-
sHAPHs, PERENNIAL GAS STOVES,
NCRIrER SHOE BUTToNERs, Fl
DELITER LATIN PONIES, tE-