The San Francisco call., 1904-08-14

seven any one calling at the
home of Mrs. Francis Gray was duly
Informed that she is at school," First
one and then another helper dropped
out, went to the country or had a con-
venient houseful of company Every
thing and any thing in fact, that sound
ed like a legitimate excuse was
proffered, until Mrs. Gray found her
self monarch of all she surveyed and in
a most enviable position.
And the teachers themselves. They
were another difficult nut to crack, but.
like all other difficulties, a way was
soon found out of it. It chances that
the Oakland Club devotees are mostly
members of the Ebell Club, and the
main difference between the two is that
one is social and the other phiIan-
thropic. Each active member was to
spread the tidlngs that teachers were
in demand. They were to come for a
certain day week, or even part Of a
day, and they were to come for a va
riety of purposes. The result was in
Simultaneous. Half the society girls of the
town who were not adding their mite
of frivolity to house parties responded
to the call just for the fun OF the thing
The Misses Alberta and Sybn Jones
went on certain mornings, and while
one permitted herself to be most glo-
riously painted with bright and fam
ing colors, the other sat at the piano
and wrestled with a song until the pa
tience of a martyr would have been
somewhat tried. Miss Elma Farnham
instructed in the mysteries Of weaving
and Miss Remillard pricked her fingers
and had frequent ships taken out Of
her frock, all in the same good cause
And in this way variety was added
1t might have become a little irksome
after weeks passed by with the same
teacher. but where every day, and fire.
quently every halliday. brought a new
face and new mannerisms, the fun was
kept at the highest pitch, for the same
pranlSs could be played any number of
times and with varying results
One branch of the summer session
was always crowded to it's utmost ca
pacity and it's workers were always
filed to bubbling over with enthu-
siasm. Whenever the principal said
cooking school, the youngsters
couldn't get their hats on fast enough.
for of all the classes this one alone was
outside the Tompkins School Among
other schemes that the club dabbles in
ell the time is. this sefsame kitchen
department, and they keep an excel
lently equipped school running through
out the year and a teacher who in
structs in all culinary mysteries. First
apple jelly is made, then a meat pie
with dumplings, and so on, varying day
after day and always getting more
dainty and complex, until the graduate
should be able to go home and wrestIe
with the pots and pans and do it in a
skillful, scientific fashion, too.
Saturday was the heydey and was
looked forward to throughout the length
and breadth of the week, for as regular
ly as it came around Mrs Gray took
her life in her hands and some fifty or
more children under her wing and SAL
lied forth into the country. She lined
up her regiment and counted to see
how many she had and every time she
moved from the spot that was marked
with the cross she counted all over
again to see that some of them had not
been lost in the shuttle
'Ill confess did not anticipate any
great amount of pleasure. but no one
else seems to care about taking them
and 1 don't like promises broken. So
went religiously and was duly thank
full when I got them all home safe and
sound"
Fancy wrestling with fifty lively
youngsters! Imagine herding that lot
on train or car and seeing that their
thousand and one wants We're cared
4 for during the day. 1t really isn't t.
S be wondered at that nobody else
e seems to want to do it," Somehow OF
e other, il doesn't sound especially allur-
e ing.
n The first thing in the morning, be-
+ fore the gates were unlocked. the early
S birds got into the yard any old way
t and camped serenely on the steps