Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-25


mother, Of course, it was matter of calcu-
lation; for at that time nearly all the girls
whom 1t was most important for me to
know were Of Miss Mayburn's flock. I
| think that the five years spent under her
care were the happiest, in many ways, that
have ever known. To be sure, while 1
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 fathers death to the end of my
school days-I was conscious that my OBJ
jectl at school SHOULD be to gain something
more than an education
Yet was ambitious enough to overlook
my own inSincerity, and fond enough of
my friends to be glad to try to bind them
closer to me. and. confess it, not even the
flush Of my greatest triumphs has been so
grateful to me as was the friendship, and.
when 1 had it, the appreciation, of Miss
Mayburn. How we ali feared and wor-
SHIPPED her! How we all admired her
strength and vieor, her wonderful culture
and forgetfulness of self, her keen SYM
pathy and quick humor! 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 her decided example.
But l never copied her handwriting, as
most of the girls did.
1t was at bliss Mayblrn's school, then,
that laid the foundation of my success.
Ny mother was one Of the first to send her
daughters to that school in order to get
them into society, but l was probably as
-frI, ,--l %,.,eu tta
plan. Some girls, either from incompe-
tence or pride, have graduated as unknown
as they were when first they hung their
flaxen heads and pulled at their dresses in
the awful presence of Miss Mayburn. My
success was complete. Lofty Hathorne be-
came my most intimate friend, and as the
girls in my class grew up l was recognized
as a member of the little set that led the
school l could draw caricatures, could
write passable rhymes, was the leader of
the consolidated recess party when that
memorable controversy agitated our class.
Miss Mayburn in our last year had pro-
posed to allow us 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 /
formed party, suggested the maneuver
tifcates from medical experts some of the
girls fathers gave US delightful opinions),
argued the question before the class in
several stormy recesses and won our case.
+ When we acted was always stage mana
ger; when we had our orgies l was gener-
ally chosen toast mistress, an Office which
was equivalent to being an executive COM
mittee to get Miss Mayburn's permission
Z I,r,ry r ba lra ha OF nd
the lemons, and to keep the girls from
snatching.
Sometimes we did have toasts. l always
made poor Olive Creme respond to the
toast of ''The Gentlemen" because Willy
Woodburn walked to school with her three
mornings out of the week, leaving Ter at
the corner Thus became intimate with
the other girls. They conided 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 l drew sly little pictures rep
resenting scenes from real life (which were
sources OF infinite delight TO my conpan-
ions), and, in short, when we graduated 1
was as much one of them as il their moth
ers had speculated with mine over our re-
spective cradles as to our probable friend
ships and deStinies.
had never been to party. I knew alb
soiutely no men at all. l had only been to
the houses of my friends mammas 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 l really had to
drudge laboriousiy 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 oat
more and more until at Last no door should
be closed to me. l counted on my friends,
and l was not mistaken. l am most pro-
foundly grateful to them. To be sure, L
amused them, but their kindness none the
less calls for my gratitude.
My schooling at Miss MaybUrn's had
done the trick, as Mr.. Latitude truthfAly
remarked to my mother Without it l
should have had to depend on chance, and
all the more so because was notet the time
particularly pretty. l was considered very
pretty during my second winter, when my
figure had become graceful; but now / had
only my complexion and my eyes. When
/ think of my complexion! / had the most
delicate soft brown skin, and the little
tinge on my checks was not incorrectly
spoken of, perhaps, by some of my ad
mirers as the most exquisite thing I'M
aginabie Be it understood that I am
speaking of departed glories. Ny eyes,
thank heaven, still possess, but my hair,
or some Of it, has gone into rats
l have said that / knew absolutely no
men Let me qualify the statement. l
knew one or two boys, some college youths
and Mr.. BEanscombs Boullber. Bran
Boullter l shall always consider the most
fascinating man 1 ever saw. From my
earliest days. mean of course my earliest
enlightened days. had heard Of him as
the man with whom it was necessary for
girl to spar little before she could con-
slider her education in the noble art of self
defense complete. My sex ought to rejoice
that be strictly eonformed to the bachelor
faith. / had seen him over and sgain,
had depicted him In all kinds Of attitudes,
had welded his name to immortal verse,
ani when he began to be attentive to Lofty
Hathorne made up my mind that was
going to profiS by it.
He began to be attentive to Lofty in the
winter OF our last year at school, which
was little early, for though he usually
looked over the buds of each year in the
spring before they came out he rarely took
much notice of them before they appeared
in their Easter bravery. But at whatever
Ime he applied himself he was sure of sue
cess. Often did Neddy Tryfaeham expert
ence the CALLING pang Of seeing girl whom