Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-21


yoeIfcu 70 our gunE 70 me- 1~
pecial1y - hers was supposed to be ths
best girls school in town. With my
mother, at eoQne, Il was matter of cAlcu-
fation; for at that time nearly all the girls
whom it was most Important for mo to
know were Of Ai4 Aayburn's flock. I
think that the five years spent under her
care were the happisst, in many ways, that
have ever known. To be sure, while I
was there, my father died, and for some
time was deeply afflicted; moreover, dur
ing the last three years-that Is, from the
time Of my father's death to the end of my
school days-I was conscious that my OBJ
ject at school should be to gain something
more than an education.
Yet was ambitious enough to overlook
my own tnsinoarity, and foad enough Of
my friends 10 Be glad to try to bind them
closer 10 me, and, I confess H. not even the
flush OF my gressest triumphs has been 90
grateful to me a. was the friendship, and.
when had It, the appreciation, Of Miss
Mayburn. How we ell feared and wor-
SHIPPED her! How we all admired her
strength and vigor, her wonderful culture
and forgesfulness Of self. her keen SYM
pathy and quick humorl She was born to
cheer and instruct her own sex, not for the
benefit, except indirectly, of man. For my
own part she imbued me with fondness
for literature which was not wholly native
to me, and frightened the cords Of my reso-
luton by the force of hes decided example.
But I never copied her handwriting, as
most Of the girls did.
1t was at Miss Mayburn's school, then,
that / laid the foundation of my success
My mother was one of the first to send her
daughters to that school in order to get
them into society, but I was probably as
successful as any girl that ever tried the
plan. Some girls, either from inoompe-
tence or pride, have graduated as unknown
as they were when first they hung their
iaxen heads and pulled ut their dresses In
the awful presence of Miss Mayburn. My
success was complete. Lofty Hathornc be-
came my most intimate friend. and as the
girls in my class grew up was recognized
as q member of the little set that led the
school. / could draw caricetures, could
write passable rhymes, was the leader of
the consolidated recess party when that
memorable controversy aeitated our class.
Miss Mayburn in our last year had pro-
posed to allow rs to take only quarter
hour recesses throughout the week, and as
an offset to leave school an hour earlier on
Fridays; and when the girls hesitated l
formed party, suggested the maneuver
OF obtaining significant and ominous Ger
tifcates from medical experts some Of the
girls fathers gave rs delightful opinions),
argued the question before the class in
several stormy recesses and won our case
When we acted l was always stage mana
ger; when we had our orgies was gener-
ally chosen toast mistress, an Office which
was equivalent to being an executive COM
mittee to get Miss Mayburn's permission
to buy the cake, the cream chocolates and
the lemons, and to keep the girls from
snntching.
Sometimes we did have toasts l always
made poor Olive Creme respond to the
toast of 1.-THE Gentlemen" because Willy
Woodburn walked to school with her three
mornings out of the week, leaving her at
the corner. Thus became intimate With
the other girls. They confded to me their
little secrets; came to know all about
their boyish admirers, and, for the matter
Of that, heard the name of more than one
older man. drew sly little pictures rep,
ressnting scenes from real life (which were
sources of infinite delight to my compan-
ions), and, in short, when we graduated
was as much one of them as II their moth
ers had speculated with mine over our re-
spective cradles as to our probable friend
ships and destinies.
l had never been to a party. knew ab-
solutely no men at all. I had only been to
the houses Of my friends mamnas in the
afternoon and on evenings when no one
else was present, and this for several rea-
sons, chiefly that l had been for long
time in mourning; that I really had to
drudge laboriously TO help my mother with
her slender housekeeping, and that in those
days also was ambitious enough to work
very hard at my books; but looked for
ward with agreeable certainty to going out
moro and moro until at last no door should
be closed to me. I counted on my friends,
and was not mistaken. am most pro-
foundry grateful to them. To be sure,
amused them, but their kindness none the
less calls for my gratitude.
My schooling at Miss Mayburn's bad
done the trick, as Mr.. Latitude truthfully
remarked to my mother. Without It I
should have had to depend on chance. and
all the more SO because was not at the time
particularly pretty. Twas considered very
pretty during my second winter, whsu my
figure had become graceful; bat now had
only my complexion and my eyes. When
think of my complexion! I had tho most
delicate soft brown skin, and the little
spoken of, perhaps, by some Of my cd
aginable. Be it understood that I am
thank heaven, i still possess, but my hair.
Of, ksr<o So<v