Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-10-13
Bales of Cotton for Tuition.
by Miriam RUSSELL

The principals of one Of the big Hudson
river girls boarding schools has offered.
! am told, To receive bales of cotton instead
of money for board and tuition for South
ern students. reckoning the value Of the
cotton at 500 per bale. If the story j. true.
Il i interesting on more ways than one.
IL means for one thing, that the prin-
cIpal l. a good business woman and that
she mas raith in American business 10
come back To normal before she has 10 wait
too long to dispose OF her cotton. Incl
dcntally, II was a shrcwd advertising move.
The right years for a girl 10 70 away to
school can not be- stored in a warehouse
10 await good business. They arrive and
pass swiftly. II her parents can not afford
To send her ta.s year and next. perhaps
her opportunity may be gone entirely. BY
making II easy for Southern cotton grow
err To send their daughters 10 school when
they need 1t, the school will build up graft
tude which will become a valuable asset.
AND If II j. a good school. thi, will be- the
beginning of nm increased southern trade.
And 1t seems a wholesome thing for this
country To be reminded that the DAYS OF
pioneering and barter are not % long gone
by. There was a girls boarding and dav
school IN Detroit some hundred years ago
kept by sisters from France. 10 which the
daughters of the French traders came
from hundreds of miles Of midwestern
country. One girl, quite the envy of those
who lived nraGaiaaHv naar ~. -
years IN a ship sent by her father from the
Island Of Mackinac. The other girls had
one OF two dresses ~ a time, but she had
with her the wardrobe for a whole year.
and II seemed quite wonderful Ia the young
folk, especially that last wear when She
had one six dress. Her tuition pay came
m the boat with her and formed 4 good
share Of the cargo. 1t was in the form of
skins. which the sisters could trade in Tor
butter and eggs, and smoked shoulders and
hams Of vcnison which helped IL feed the
hungry horde of Youngsters.
i il such a far cry from the French girl
coming down the lakes and rivers from cold
northern Mackinac in her father sailing
vessel with iurs to pay for her schoolin.
To the Southern maiden coming north ON
swirl trains with storage receipts for cot
ton bales 10 turn II in 10 the school treas
urert
a good old French priest. Father Rich
ard. who was Interested in the Detroit
school, observing one day the beautiful
needlework Of the students promptly sent
70 France for forty little spinning wheels.
some of them tiny things for the smallest
girls lie sand the embroidery was an very
well. but the iris were Americans now,
llving pioneering lives and il was fitting
that they should learn 10 spin and weave
lie hoped they might keep the accomplish
mcnts Of the French ladies who had beer
Their ioremothers, but they must add ia
them the handlcrattS that would make them
useful American women.
Will this big school on the eastern rive,
he a. wise with it, girls today ~ the school
on the blue Detroit a hundred wears ago.
VIII Il teach them a little French. n III.
Tie music. "A little superficial chatter abour
ar, 2 little false economies. n little fancy
dancing. 4 great deal Of snobbery and m
artificial attitude toward lifep
Or VIII Il teach q girl ~ BE- simple and
to be brave and to face life squarcly. IL
recognize fine souls in whatever rank n,
findS thcm! To be- able ia work CONNIE.
tcntly with her hands ~ well a. with he,
head, and above AL thing. else to think
straight
One hopes the woman IN authority who
mad common sense and patriotism enough
y suggest accepting the cotton will also
nave sense and patriotism enough to try
10 make 81 her girls fine anc useful Amer
can women.