The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-07-05

suppose it was because we
WOW thought it was Esther Hor-
necks idea. And we dis
liked Esther Horneck. II is a little
hard after You have been three years
in school. and you and your crowd"
have had things pretty much your own
way. 70 have new girl come in and
turn everything topsyturvy.
Esther started dramatic society and
a debating society and literary socl-
ETY. the first month. Imagine the work d.!
And also she talked self government.
She had two sisters in college, and did
not see why neutrality-suspicious. should
not have selfgoyernment like colleges.
Now self-government is not any fun,
at least, that is what we thought then
So long as you have a teacher to watch
and see that you do not break the rules
all you have to do is just to see that
you do not get caught. But If you are
on your honor, then you have to keep
every rule all the time
Now Esther is attractive and enthu-
siastic, and she was very popular with
,.
too And she talked and talked, until
at last Mrs. Sinclair herself said we
might try selfgovernment. that is. try
it in some particular first.
Our crowd did not want 1t. but
Esther's crowd got the majority All
of us old girls were angry enough to
find than the school was going to be
run by majority. We did not think
it was fair. At the school meeting
when it was all decided. Esther's
crowd was beamlng. They had heard
that Mrs. Sinclair was going to let us
have self-government, and the ques-
tion was, What should be the thing in
which we We're to make the xeperlmenl
first?
Should it be promptness at meals. or
going to bed at ten, OF order at opening
exercises, or what? Some people said
that Esther had a grand new idea
about this, too. In racket Of clapping,
Esther got up to speak.
She does speak well. Her eyes get
shiny and her cheeks get red and she
certainly can talk, Sometimes you al
most forget that it is Esther.
She said a lot first about what q
grand thing government is. how
much more womanly it is to watch our
selves than to allow ourselves just to
be watched. she said that the colleges
had shown how well girls could govern
themselves, and why could not board
ing-schools follow their example?
OF course. she said. we were not TO
have the entire discipline of the school
at first. But if we showed that we
could manage some one department Of
school government. then we could 90
and take up others.
Pretty soon she came 10 her proposal
as to what this department should be.
and what DO you think she proposed?
a fire-dril. Of all nulsances!
She said we ought 10 have a system
attic fre-drlll. 1t was dangerous not to
have an organized ire-brigade in such
a large school. or course. as this was
Esther's idea. it was cheered by
Esther's crowd, made into a motion,
voted on and carried before we had a
chance to turn round
Then Esther rose and talked some
more. There was a good deal Of talk
in the school, she said, about the diff
erent cliques. and how unfortunate il
was that they should pull apart as they
did She said that I'm history they
called cliques parties and factions. and
we ali knew how injurious these were
10 good government Ii was just the
same with school She wished tina!
when it came 10 school questions we
could put aside our personal opinions
and care more for the school than for
ourselves.
Esther sat down In q perfect storm
Of cheers, but everybody was not cheer.
ing and clapplng. although it sounded
like II. ! saw Natalie Jewett getting
ready 10 clap but l frowned at her
and she did not dare.
So we were in for are-drlls And
Esther herself was In for chief fire cap
tain.
Perhaps You think you would have
liked it! To be sitting peacefully study.
ing in study hour, with three "quizzes'
ahead Tor the next day and one OF
Carol Turner's > q. IN. spreads behind
you, and then TO hear whiz bang
clang! All the corridor bells breakin,
loose together You dropped you
books, rushed TO your room. clappe'
down the windows. banged the tran
som, snatched up towel, slammed tn
door and flew into the hall There
every twenty feet. girl would b.
standing, repeating like cuckoo-clock
Rally on third corridor northw o.
"Rally in the dining-roomw or Rally
Ia main hall, first floor"
And you must instantly fall into or
derly line, and march to the afOremen
toned destination, wherever il nigh
happen to be. and you must be perfect
ly quiet in the line. and obey your cor
ridor captain Just as II she had been
teacher, or Esther would be after her
and after you,
And Esther allowed just one hun
dred and twenty i've seconds between
the first changing OF the corridor bel
and the assembling OF the entiri
school at the rally. and II you wer,
late. We did not much enjoy beinl
scolded and ordered about by Esthe
and Esther's corridor captains. Jus
girls like ourselves
Sometimes the drill would come a
n.