Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-08-04
Getting Ready

IL = Il uTeaulsa WIOt0 W
her girl friend. my graduation dress.
I mean. You Will rave over II. ]
know. or course, had to pay for It
with many a sleepless night that was
devoted to plotting and planning, but
1t was well worth all the exertion.
1t Is a perfectly sweet dress. ! love
it, that's all.
Father is so peculiar. It is most
amazing. l think It Is sign that he
is getting old. He looked like a thun-
der cloud last night when was Just
talking about my dress. Then ne
said: I forbid you to say another
word in my presence about that tire
some dress / have heard nothing
else for a whole month. My patience
is completely exhausted. II you
thought more Of your studies and less
of style and the clothes you wore. It
would be profitable to YOU
''Wasn,k. thai unsympathetic Of
father2a Why. IN felt perfectly dread
full ABOUT Bh} men are queer. all
exceptNB8b. Hoshnderstands me per
fectly. thank goodness.
"My graduation essay is Just as
beautiful as 1t can be. even If do
say SO myself.
Mrs. Dimple helped me write 1t.
She is our dressmalser, you know. but
before her marriage she was a school
teacher, so she knows an awful lot
about essays and things. While I
crammed for my Latin examination
last week Mrs. Dimple worked on my
essay. It is entitled 1.-THE Categorical
Imperative
Mother says that she cant under
stand at all why Mrs. Dimple accom-
plished SO little sewing this time
while she has been working for u.s..
should have explained the matter to
mother, for I'm sure If she knew she
wouldn't object.
Il read my Categorical Imperative
to Bob. After he had listened to the
whole fourteen pages he said: Be
lieve me, Dorothy, that's some COM
position Isn't he dear?
II am trying to memoriZe my essay.
but it Is very difficult task, espe-
cially when one gets no encourage
ment from ones family. was recit-
ing 1t out loud while taking my bath
last evening, sand father pounded on
the door and fairly shouted: Dorothy.
it's II o'clock! Has all this gradua-
ton stuff turned your head complete
ly? Your mother and want to go
to sleep. I'll see you in the morning
about all this noise Isn't father
peevish? Really, pity anybody who
makes SO much fuss about nothing.
Our graduation exercises are to
be held in the Masonic hall. There
are only four graduates-Tony Tyler,
Sue Perkins, Bob and yours truly.
Sue and are wild to know which one
of us two will have to walk down the
aisle with Tony. He's nice boy,
but can't forgive him because OF his
stiff, stick-up hair. Then, besides: he
has freckles, he lisps and he's cross.
eyed. Still, he is an awfully nice
boy. Don't you think that Sue ought
to let me walk down the aisle with
Bob?
II mailed 1875 invitations to friends
of mine for our graduation exercises.
Father said: don't approve of that
at all. It's like begging for presents
to send out invitation cards. Why,
it's no better than highway robbery
But that's just nonsense.
Il would much rather receive flow.
ers than presents, anyway. You see
I am to have four flower girls. and
think how humiliating 1t would be II
they had no flowers to carry! You
understand what mean, don't you
Marjory? Men are so dense.
II wonderk what Bob is going to
send me. Whatever 1t Is, I'll love It,
Decause-well, just because. am
giving him my photograph in per.
fectly beautiful frame. which EN-.
broidered myself. Next fall he is 60
ing away to a coed college. where
there will be hundreds Of pretty girl
students. l wanted him always to
have gentle reminder Of me on his
dresser, you see; although he insists
that he will never, never forget me,
even If he is thousands Of miles away.
Do you think he ever will forget me,
Marjory?
And now, dear. as must study
my Categorical Imperative I'll have
to close the longest letter l ever
wrote in my life. with oceans Of love
and kisses"