The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-07

~ Uncle Charlie said he feared
49, Aunt Louise did not appreciate
I48&f the democratic institutions of
~ her country.
Emmy Lou caught the word democratic:
later she had occasion to consider it fur
Their.
Aunt Louise said that Uncle Charlie was
quite right In his fear, and the end was
that Emmy Lou was started at private
school.
But 1t was not a school-it was only a
parIor; and there being a pupil more than
there were accommodations, and Emmy
Lou. being the newcomer. her portion was
q rocking chair and a lapboard.
There was not even a real teacher. only
an old lady who called one my dear"
At home Emmy Lou cried with her head
buried In Aunt Cordelia's new bolster
sham; for how could she confess to Hattie
and TO Resale that 1t was a parlor and a
lapboard?
Upon consultation Uncle Charlie said let
her do as she pleased, since damage TO her
seemed TO be inevitable either way. So
Emmy Lou, rejoicing, departed one morn
ing for the grammar school.
Public school being different from private
school. Emmy Lou at once began to learn
things. For instance, at grammar school
one no longer speaks OF boys in UNDER
tones. One assumes an attitude Of having
always known boys. AT grammar school
classes attend chapel. There are boys In
chapel. still separated from the girls, to be
sure, after the manner OF the goats from
the sheep; but after one learns to laugh
from the corners OF ones eyes at boys a
dividing line OF mere aisle is soon abridged.
Watching Rosalie, Emmy Lou discovered
this.
There was a boy in chapel whom she
knew, but 1t takes courage TO look out OF
the corners OF ones eyes, and Emmy Lou
could only find sufficient TO look straight,
which is altogether a different thing. But
the boy saw her. Emmy Lou looked away
quickly.
Once the boys name had been Billy; later,
at dancing school. It was Willie; now, the
principal who conducted chapel exercises
called him William.
Emmy Lou liked this principal. He had
white hair. and when it fell into his eyes
he would stand it wildly over his head, run
ming his fingers through it's thickness; but
one did not laugh. because of greater inter-
est in what he said.
Emmy Lou asked Rosalia the principals
name. but Rosalie was smiling backward at
a boy as the classes filed out of chapel. Aft
erward she explained that his name was Mr..
Page.
At grammar school Emmy Lou continued
to learn things. The pupils OF a grammar
school abjure school bags; a geography now
being a folio volume measurable in square
feet, it is the thing TO build upon its basic
foundation an edifce of other textbooks,
and carry the sum total to and fro on an
aching arm.
Nor do grammar school pupils bring lunch;
they bring money. and buy lunch-pies, or
doughnuts. or pickles-having done with the
infant pabulum of primary bread and but
ter.
Nor does so big a girl as a grammar school
pupil longer confess 10 any infinite abbrevia-
ton OF entitiement; she gives her full bap-
tismal name and is written down. as in EN-
my LOUIS case. Emily Louise Pope MacLau-
rem. which has its drawbacks: for she some
times fails to recognize the unaccustomed
sound of that name when called unexpected
~ from the platform
For at twelve years, an Emmy Lou finds
herself dreaming. and watching the clouds
through the schoolroom windows. The
reading lesson concerns one Alnaschar. the
BARRIERS fifth brother; and while the verses
~ 0AOAAA-oAg aAOIlQf NIt hdl5OInlItQ Ulue
walls fade. and one wanders the market
place OF Bagdad, amid bales OF rich stufs,
and trays OF golden trinkets and mysteries
that trouble not, purveyors and Mussulmans,
eunuchs and seraglios, khans, mosques.
drachmas-one has no idea what they
means. nor does one care: on every hand
in life lie mysteries, why not in books?
The thing is. TO seize upon the story. and
TO let the other go.
And so Emily Louise fails TO answer to
the baptismal fullness of her name spoken
from the platform. until at a noighbor's
touch the springs up, blushing.
But. somehow. she did not take the re-
proach in Miss Amanda's voice to heart:
Miss Amanda was given to saying re-
proachfully. Please. p-pIe-e-ase-youn
ladies' many mes a day. but after a brief
pause one returned to pleasant converse
with a neighbor.
Jokes were told about Miss Amanda
among the girls. and. gathering at recess
about her desk, her pupils would banter
Miss Amanda as 10 who was her favorite.
whereupon she. pleased and fiattered, would
make long and detailed REPUTATION of any
chow OF Partially.
Miss Amanda pinned a bow in her hair,
and wore a chain. and rings, and was
given TO frequent pattinS and pushing of
her hair into shape: was 1t possible Miss
Amanda felt herself to be-pretty?
Ordinarily. however. Emily Louise did not
think much about her one way or another.
except al those times when Miss Amanda
tried to be funny; then she quite hated her
with Inrcasoning nerceness.
Right now Miss Amonda was desiring En-
fly Louise MacLauren 10 give attention.
Once a week there was public recitation in
the chapel. Mr.. Psge considered it good for
boys and girls 10 work together. which was
q new way Of regarding it peculiar TO gram
mar school. for hitherto. boys. like the skull
and cross-bones bottles IN Aunt Cordelia's
closet. had been things to be avoided.
Tomorrow" Miss Amanda was explaink
ing. the chapel recitation will be In grand
mar: you Will eonjugate." Miss Amanda
simpered. the verb-to love-" with playful