The record-union., 1897-09-24

enon. In grief and humiliation she
went to a member of the college rae
ulty and in plain words told her STORY
There was nothing more for her to do
but await the result.
A faculty council followed. Some OF
the professors had surmised the truth.
Every one knew it now. President Tay-
lor himself advised that at so late
dav no official action should be taken
to prevent the girl from graduating
with her classmates. And so Miss
Hemming's fate was decided. But she
had worked harder than two-thirds of
her class and was graciously permitted,
as a favor, to take equal rank WIN
the members of that class.
Miss Hemming carried off the honors
of commencement day dn the circum-
stances it was not as happy an occa-
sion as her splendid record deserved,
but she made the best of it.
Having graduated she went at once
to Boston. Within a month her story
was given to the whole world. 1t Will
be a pleasant surprise to her, perhaps,
to discover how much broader the
point Of view is, sometimes, outside
of college walls. She has secured a po-
sition in the catalogue department or
the Boston Public Library, and here
she has begun her post-college ca
reer. She has already won the inter-
est of wise men and women broad
enough to appreciate her struggle with
a problem" larger than she is, and to
glory in the way she has solved it.
In the many conversations with her
since her story has been made public
Miss Hemming has attempted no de-
fense of her position other than to say
no one asked her while she was in col
| lege if she were white or colored- She
takes the ground that she was not un-
der moral obligations to announce her
origin. She says she entered college as
any student would enter, purely on her
merits and ability to pay the tuition de-
manded Since she has become so con-
spicuous she has had much difficulty in
avoiding persons who wish to see and
talk with her. She has been asked by
at least a dozen publications to write
her impressions of college life, and she
has had generous offers for manuscript
from many large newspapers. Her
work in the catalogue department of
the Boston Public Library occupies her
from IS o'clock in the morning until
< in the afternoon"
During her office hours nobody is per-
mitted to see her, and when her work
is finished she goes to the home of j.
H. Lewis. a colored tailor, with whose
wife. as before mentioned, she is liv-
ing during the absence of her family
at College City. In contrast to her coll
lege career, her life is a lonely one.
| She denies herself to all callers, ex-
cept her most intimate friends.
| Miss Hemming's own home is at No
Q Sussex street. She has two brothers
and a sister. One. of her brothers
Frederic-was graduated from the In
stitute of Technology last spring as a
chemist He is a dark and handsome
youth, much like his sister in appear
ance. He visited her at Vassar on sew
eral occasions during her life there The
other children are still very young, but
will be given educational advantages
equal to those of their brilliant sister
and brother.
Miss Hemming's parents, as has been
said, are both light in color. The father
| is FIVE feet six inches tall, has gray
/ eyes, good features, and wears side
whiskers cut after the English fashion.
His eyebrows are heavy and arching,
and his hair straight. Mrs. Hemming,
/ though darker than her husband, is a
fne-looking woman Her straight black
| hair is lightly streaked with gray. Both
parents are quiet, refined and exceed
ingly ambitious in behalf Of their chill