The herald., 1893-10-27
THE BEADLe OBJECTED.
By Pluck and Persistcncy the American
Woman Gained her Point.

Woman Gained her Point.
An American woman who has made
many trips abroad and studied in differ
ent European capitals was relating her
experiences.
1T was in Paris" she said. "that ]
made the boldest experiment ever at
tempted and had the most signal success.
I had been spending the summer in Swift
zerland, studying certain branches of
philosophy in which / was interested,
and had come up to Paris with view
to pressing my work still further.
had, even beyond the Alps, been regard
ing with a jealous eye the Sorbonne and
had tried to lay my plans to gain en-
trance to the famous lectures which were
given in its old halls. There was to be
one course in philosophy which dove
tailed perfectly with my needs, and
made up my mind that if persistence or
diplomacy, or both, could gain me ad-
mittance to those lectures nothing short
of an interposition of Providence could
keep me away.
'Of course ! knew that women were
not admitted. knew, too, that French
gallantry is trait much circumscribed
in its exercise. The only thing had to
help me in the carrying out Of my plan
was a letter from my professor in
Switzerland addressed to certain man
of letters in Paris. lost no time after
my arrival in going to present this let
ter, but the man of learning was out of
the city, would not return soon, and in
the meantime the lectures were going
on. turned the matter over in my
mind that night, and as the result of my
meditations took my way to the Sor-
bonne the following day at the hour ap-
pointed for the lecture.
"By inquiry outside found the stu
dents entrance, and as was trife late
made my way in without exciting any
attention. The lecture room was am
phitheaterlike, the benches (they had nc
backs) rising in tiers from the speakers
platform. entered at the back of these
tiers and looked about me. Not an aisle
was there in the hall. The way the front
seats were reached was by stepping down.
from one tier of benches to another. /
was out of range of good hearing, SC
there was nothing for me to do but pick
my way over those benches to aseat near
the front"
The narrator paused and drew deep
breath. She was SO low voiced that her
listeners had drawn close to her in order
to hear her. and she was as sweet and
womanly and gentle in all things else as
she was in voice.
"Well," she laughed little and twist
ed her handkerchief as if even the recol-
lection was trife embarrassing, ~ sat
down and took out my notebook and
pencil and began taking notes. but Twas
conscious that several hundred pairs of
curious eyes, all@masculine, were fixed
upon me. / didn't hear the lecturer
very distinctly because there was such q
ringing in my ears, but l made good
pretense of taking notes and thought the
shock would wear off directly. But sud
denly became conscious of something
red and brown and big beside me. (
looked around and there stood the beadle,
the very angriest beadle you ever saw.
His face was redder than the facings on
his gorgeous coat, and the hand that
held his tall stick fairly shook with re-
pressed excitement.
You must leave here, mademoisel1e,
he said in French.
II tried to look calm and asked why |
must CO. The beadle got shade redder
and trembled little more violently.
Ladies are not allowed here he
whispered. Such loud whisper too!
But said, Il wish very much to
hear these lectures. will disturb no
one.
You cannot stay! You cannot stayr
said the beadle. Ladies never come
here, tell you. Neverr
''Well, of course, l had to go.
climbed up the benches, with the gor-
geous beadle beside me and the eyes of
every man in the hall on me, and took
my departure. But was not yet de-
feated. That night wrote to the min
lister of public instruction, stated the
case and told him what l desired. The
next day letter came giving me per-
mission to attend the lecture, and the
second day from my huniliating election
from the students benches I was seated
on the professors platform, and there
had my place throughout the course
The beadle? Oh, you never saw so much
disapproval expressed in human coun-
tenance as appeared in the beadle's
whenever he looked at me. But / gained
an entrance to the Sorbonne when no
other woman had. so 1 could afford to
srni'N oT'c-' '--''''' - hnadla frowned."