The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-11
THE GIRL GRADUATE.

florence III. roster, IN Globe-Democrat.
She is with us. White of robe, red of lip,
bright of eye. hopeful of heart. she is with
US to-day. By the score. by the hundred,
she is with us. In every city. in every town,
in every village. she is with us. Business
men, politicians, statesmen. warriors are
set aside for to-day, for to-day Is hers. And
who of us will grudge It to her? II you
only knew how she has planned. and
dreamed, and hoped. and-studied? -well,
studied. too. perhaps, to bring this day to
pass. you would not. you could not. grudgs
it to her. And you would spare her, yes, L
think you would spare her a little. just a
little, of your valuable time. 1 know it is
very valuable, so valuable that you never
waste one moment of it in gossiping, or in
Longing, or in hearing, or telling, or read
ing stories that were better left unheard.
untold, unread. Blu this hour will never
come to her again, so spare it to her.
You will? Good! Then here is a pro-
gramme for the evening or the morning.
And here is your seat, a good one, well to
the front. You take that seat, you take the
dainty sheet Of paper, and you are going to
read it, but your eyes go first to the ros-
trum in front of which you sit. and they
fall upon a sight that holds them there for
a while. at least. Now, isn't it worth more
to see that semi-circle of girlish faces, is it
not worth more than the price you paid for
your ticket to the last vaudeville show?
You are so busy looking that you do not
hear my question, but you presently find
haven't seen anything for a long while as
Iresh, as innocent. as ingenue as this. 1 fol-
low the direction of your eyes. and I see
that this" means for the moment the first
OF the sixteen faces in that semi-circle.
But let me whisper to you that comments
are not in order here You cannot tell who
may be your neighbor, and you haven't paid
anything for your seat and the privilege of
crlticisfng the actors on this stage. There
Is only one course safe, and that is to APP
piaud when the people near you do, to APP
plaud them with all your might and both
your hands. 1t does look fresh and innocent
and ingenue, the first of those sixteen faces.
As fresh and innocent and ingenious as the
upturned face Of a newly opened flower. But
wait and see what you Will see and hear
what you will hear.
There comes a crash Of music, then all is
still. and then the face that is like an OPEN
ing flower rises and floats forward above
all the simplicity which white muslin adds.
ten minutes you have served to you more
information upon international laws than
you will be able to digest in ten weeks. ]
dread at the programme which you hold, and
l think you must be new at this sort of
thing; The flower floats back: the innocent
- ~ AAAAeAAAl llllO u
old place, and down the aisle and from the
wings there come great heaps and pyramids
or 1ower-laden baskets-baskets of more
shapes and sizes than you ever dreamed
about. and stacks Of rbbon-tied boxes, great
and small. After many struggles they get
settled. those variously contorted baskets
about and around. before, behind and beside
the flower. And you see Their that these
tributes to the legal knowledge of the flower
nave not really moved themselves, and as
the painting ushers and small boys retire you
understand what has been the motive power.
1t is hard, 1 see. for you TO recover from
the queer state into which you have been
thrown by the incongruities of the situa-
ton. but you look up at last to find that
the second chair Is empty, and that the
central figure now is one which might have
stepped down from one OF Du Maurier's
sketches. And, shades OF Hebe, of Martha.
OF Lady Ibbetson, the tranquil voice which
to a series Of cheap witticisms, of local
hits, which call forth bursts of laughter
from those of the hearers who are initiated.
With a sense OF incongruity still heavy
upon you, you fail TO catch the amusing
features OF The play. and as you sit still
and watch the matches figure move to its
place You hear the applause of highly APP
preciative relatives and friends. you see the
vanloads of floral offerings. the armfuls
of CONNECTIONS piled for a good square yard
around the feet which a Trilby need not
have blushed to own.
Another pair of white-slippered feet car
ries another whitehead form TO the front,
another pair of red lips open. and for a
little while you hear. If you listen. some
thing you can't tell what, about flowers
and birds and stars. something which many
a schoolgirl might have written. something
which one schoolgirl did write, every word.
out OF her own unassisted, honest. curly
little head. You wonder. as you suppress
this, too. will win applause. Applause? Oh
course X does. and flowers and fruit and
candy enough to set Up a half dozen florists
and ccnfectioners.
You did not know I saw you then, but
did. when you consulted your watch. 1t ism,
halfway time to go yet. You've got to keeI
your seat while thirteen other muslin-claC
maidens read what they are here to read
what you are here TO listen to. They arr
going to do their part, / can tell you
whether you do yours or not. There Is moth.
| ing these girls are afraid of. You have thai
| fully verified when one OF them tackles the
tariff Itself. She understands It. too. mos