The morning news., 1892-03-28
GIRLS oAN KEEP SECRETS.
Oath-bound Greek-letter Societies
That Exist In Colleges for Women.

Oath-bound Greek-letter Societies
That Exist In Colleges for Women.
FROM The chicago Herald.
In the co-educational colleges the girls are
not dependent upon the caprice of the
young men for entertainment by any
means. They have quite as good times In
their petsicoet mines and secret societies as
in any gathering In which the young men
participate. The invitations Of the Greek
letter fratsrnities are strange and myster-
ious to the last degree and are all that
student ingenuity and originality can de-
vise One of the chief charms to the un-
initiated is the spell Of mystery that en-
shrines all the ceremonies. Every chapter
has its room or hall, where are kept the
sacred emblems, the white goat upon which
ali initiates must ride into full member
ship. and the precious documents that are
never touched by strange hands. In this
room only are told the significance OF the
badge, the motto, and the real name Of the
fraternity, and all the secrets that never
penetrate those silent walls. or courss the
initiations are duly imposing. and all sorts
OF tricks are played to test the nerve OF the
candidate. One chapter conducts the be-
wildered initiate through ell the mazes
and labyrinths OF the inferno as expounded
by Dante with due impressiveness. Gener-
ally the whole proceedings wind up with
feast. The girls limitations do not partake
of that rougbness or brutality which often
characterizes such ceremonies in the mems
fraternities, such as strapping the delighted
victim to a derrick and raising him twenty
or thirty feet 10 dangle In midair while he
reflects upon the novelty Of the situation
and makes a mental note of his impress
sions, or lowering him in a coffin that he
may contemplate the divine mysteries of
the new order to the tuneful cadence on
lr%a.w A. III
the location of the chapter hall is not
known outside the fraternity. In one OF
the western colleges where considerable
antagonism spraug up against fraternities
the authorities determined to abolish the
chapters already IN existence and took
every means to discourage their growth.
A rule was made forbidding the establish
ment OF women's chapters. Now, IL there
Is anything in the world that a coed
wishes TO do, 1t is just wha. she Is forbidden
to do. and what is more, she will generally
contrive 70 do it, too. After awhile the
faculty began to suspect that their prohibi-
tion had not had just the effect it was In
tended to have. A committee of several
co>eds among the model students was ap-
pointed by the authorities to act as detect
iyes and report the result Of their investiga-
tions.
The girls reported that they had found no
clew whatever to follow out and that hav-
ing made a careful investigation had found
no evidences Of infringement of the rule.
OF course, murder will out. and 1t was sub
sequently learned that three of the fve on
the committee belonged to a fraternity
which had enjoyed hourishing existence
for long time. The young women met in
store-room in the upper part OF busi-
ness block in the town. The only means Of
access was through dark room, several
dim passages and up q ladder-l like flight of
stairs. The chapter met here once a week,
for over year and enjoyed the most de-
lightful seclusion imaginable.
It was in this same college tha 3 several Of
the girls played a prank upon one OF the
professors, and afterward slid down a rope
from a third-stoTy window to avoid datec-
tiou In the halls. The more dangerous the
proceeding and the more serious the conse-
quences if the offender is found out the
more the western college girl enjoys the
risk. She wants nothing mild, aud, IL she
is in for prank. goes into it with all her
might.