The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-25
An Initiation Into Greek
Letter Society.
BOY STOOD THE RACKET.
Co-Eis Take a Hand in the Inter-
esting Ceremony.
WORK OF THE CHIEF TORMENTOR


the hill every evening, and have been for
week past.
The secret societies have been having
their anpual innings and are getting all
the fun possible out Of the unfortunate
freshmen whe aspire to the Greek letter.
Every day and night some strange. out
lapdish creature Is seen on Westminster
street. but the passers look at him with q
look Of pity. smile and pass on. They un-
derstand what 1t means when they see a
young man dragging a toy goat on
wheels, sucking O baby's bottle In a
street car, turning crank OF hand-or-
gan. clad in dress suit. or doing some
other seemingly crazy thing. The resi-
dents treat it as q matter of course.
The "warmest time" however, is when
some unfortunate is taken to college
girls boarding house, whore the cc-eds
initiate him, with the assistance OF two
or three collegians. A News reporter had
the good luck and the necessary pull to
witness such an affair.
A crowd of about dozen or so CO eds
with the News reporter. were gathered in
the large parlors OF one of these girls
boarding houses few nights ago,
anxiously awaiting the freshman, the
centre Of attraction for the evening Sud-
denly far down the street is heard the
blast OF tin horn. There is pandemon-
ium In the room for minute and every
one rushes to the window, from which
they are Immediately pulled by some
strongm nded coed who has the courage
to stay away from the window.
In a moment the door toll rings and
the strongminded coed rushes to the
door. In the parlor all is still while from
the dark depths of the doorway someone
is saying in stentorian tones II ain Will
liam Jay Bryan.
"What do you want ?" says the strong
minded coed.
II am searching for the missing link, !"
Is heard in the parlor.
''well, you can come In and I'll see
about It,"
Presently the parlor door opens in and
In walks the freshman. lie is attired, In
aLair. OF dilapitated foot ball pants,
Brown. jersey. bonnet on his head, a
long flowing shawl on his shoulders, and
a bandago on his eyes, and two interest.
ing placards hang from bis neck--"I am
Freshman, and ''Blind in both ears /"
He grasps firmly IA large tin horn.
ana lovingly hugs an enormous rag doll.
He also wears a grim smile. He stalks
into the room, carefully feeling for any
hidden step. and, by the way. he Is
we'll known foot t-bsll player considerably
over six feet tall. Meanwhils the coed
bring the chief tormentor hand he trys to
delude the freshman with the idea that he
has the wrong house, but the freshman
only smiles more grimly and finally they
bring him into the centre Of the room
and he Is told to sit down, which he does,
in an extremely cautious manner, on the
floor, having been previously warned by
other unfortunntes who have been there"
of the dangers of sitting in chair that
is not chair. lie still wears his grim
smile, imperious 10 everything.
"Arise, Neophyte, SAYS the chief tor
mentor and the neophyte arises.
"Sing Where is Ny WanGerinp Boy
Tonight'with an appropriate dance step. -
emphasis, aud then meekly says. verify
my lord, the lines have escaped me- i"
He is invit,d to sing some other song.
and he starts "Swest Rosie O'GraGy"
with the appropriate dance step, until
be is stopped, as the plaster OH the ceiling
is beginning to fall.
He is then fed on lemonade, cracrers
and candy by the oo-eds.
The grim smile on his face changes
to surprised delighted one when he
realizes that ho is drinking lemonade in
stead OF vinegar, eating crackers and real
candy instead of some horrible comrina.
tion of salt, paper. mustard, castor oil,
and flour, or something OF that nature.
However he had some candy that was
considerably more red pepper than sugar
and which he pluckily nasticated for
about two hours and half.
The chief tormentor commands the
neophyto to lay aside the child and make
speech on intemperance. The fresh
man reluctantly gives up his infant tn
which he had become attached, having
carried it mp and down Westminster
street earlier In the evening. previous
to the ceremonies, and makes n thrilling
srcech. When he stops talking. ho has
a fan in his mouths firmly grssping his
nose, and mum bling in very uncertain
way. His knees are gently but firmly
Knocked from under him and ne is in
vitcd to sit down. which nc d)es in rather
a forcbIe manner. shaking the building
and n ost of the surrounding houses
He then gives - graphic account of the
last football game with his thumbs In
his ears and his hands gently oscillatinR.
At every other word no is vigorously
slapped with his rag baby. brought into
use again, ~ co ed. who seems to enjoy
tho task. This is tn keep him pucssing.
TIE crowning act of the evening comes
when he is commanded TO propose TO n
young lady, without knowing who under