The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1906-01-19
BY MARGARET e. sANGsTER.

When l was a schoolgirl we used to
look forward with great anticipation
to u annual school exhibitions. I do
not know why the powers that we're
then in authority made a distinction
between q girls reading her own essay
and a girls reciting a poem by some
body else. but this they did. Boys
were required to declaim and great
stress was laid in their education on
the cultivation Of ease before an audi
ence. But we girls, as a rule, sat
modestly in the front seats OF the
chapel, in our white frocks, while
members of the school committee or
local clergy man read our compositions
tor us. In ihe ideal of that day wom-
ans place was in the sweet shelter
and beautiful background Of her home,
and young girls were not encouraged
TO take part in public exercises of any
Kind. The exception was in favor of
the smaller girls, who were dressed
ike fairies n came tripping out to
eing a solo or recite a bit of verse,
and who were taught to curtsey deep
ly in response to applause from the
listeners.
In my later schocldays there came
q change. l remember very well the
first time l stood before what seemed
to me a crowd of attentive faces and
read a composition Of my own The
subject was Temperance" and 1t was
treated with great force by the H.
year-old girl who had chosen so big a
theme. In the middle of the reading
she became frightened, lost her place
n her voice, and could hardly have
gone N, but for a kind gentleman
who came and stood by her side, say
ing: Never mind them, my dear.
Read straight ahead. I'll stay right
by you" / still remember that man
most gratefully.
Still later, we had In our school
what today might be called a venture
in school dramatics. We of the senior
class decided that we must have a
May Queen, with court attendants,
fairies. elves, trolls, queens of flow
ers and Of grains, a Ceres, a Flora,
a Persephone, and a train Of people
representing different phases Of the
earth and the sea. Our scheme was so
ambitious that we could not find any
thing in print by-xhich we could carry
It out, and the girls with one consent
turned to me, saying: you must
write a play for us, or else our May
Queen will be q failure" Looking
back, l have always been surprised at
the way the teachers acted in the mat
ter. but u lovely principal when APP
preached was really most gracious.
why yes" she said. Miss M
may be excused from all her classes
for the next week, while she is writing
the May Queen play"
l wish I had it now, but It long
ago was lost in the limbo Of forgetful.
ness. The thing l can see with my
eyes shut is the beautiful pageant,
with the prettiest girl in school as
Queen of the May, and everyone from
the Oldest to the youngest taking some
part in her coronation, either singing
a song or making an address while
the whole school, drilled by the mu-
steal director, broke forth into fire.
Quent chorals.
School dramatics are very common
now. They afford a great deal Of di-
version to those who form the cast.
to the rest Of the class interested, and
to the spectators. In our colleges an
event of the year is the rendering Of
q play Of Shakespeare. such as "Mid-
summer Nights Dream" or Much
Ado About Nothing" The properties
are usually simple, and the stage set.
ting is necessarily whatever the girls
can manage with screens and portieres
and their own clever wits. But there
is far more than diversion secured
In the care and pains with which the
characters ore selected. in the many
rehearsals under the supervision Of
teachers, and In the fidelity with
which the girls repeat the lines as
signed them.
Whatever part a gl may take. she
Is expected to prepare for 1t with dill
gence aLi accuracy and to regard 1t
rs important. whether 1t be that of
. leading lady or Of a maid In wait.
ing. On the mimic stage OF the school
room there must be respect for the
work for the works sake; there must
be due Confederation of the honor Of
the school as . whole. and there must
DO also great patience and forbearance
among the girls themselves. because
when a group Of people are rshearsing
for . play there may be impulsive
criticisms Of those who blunder and
little frictions which. for the moment.
hurt the sensitive and annoy the
quick-tempered. Girls rush to superla-
tiyes at such times. We have to put
temper wholly aside Whenever W
are working towards : common end.
One OF the most Important lessons
n life. one that girls nsed 10 learn,
= how 70 work In harmony with 9th
m In this life ~ are all somehov