The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-07-30

istied. My roommate arrived the day
before | did, and came down to the
train to meet me. Because we had
so many things to say to each other
we managed to elude the other girls
who were chattering and laughing
and calling out greetings to each other
after the summer apart, and we walk
ed toward the campus together.
"This is the beginning of the end,
said Phoebe, as we came in sight of
the college buildings.
- | didn't answer, because / couldn't
Something suddenly had come up in
to my throat and made it impossible
for me to speak. Three happy years
had spent in college. One more
year, not quite so happy because of
the knowledge that it was the last
one, and then l was to go back home.
In many ways, my senior year was
the most satisfactory of all my col
lege life. l had worked off. the
hardest course and so had more time
for all the college activities which
held such attractions for me. My
circle of acquaintances was large and,
as college standings go, Important.
My little group of intimate friends |
loved. 1t was pleasant to be looked
up to by the under-class girls. But
dispite all this, couldn't be alto
gether happy; for couldn't keep out
of my mind the fact that this pleas
ant life was soon to end. At the
most unexpected moment | would
find myself thinking: Next year l
won't be here. I'll be in that dingy
little town which | hate" Until the
Easter vacation, however, | was COM
paratively content. But when the
campus bloomed in all its loveliness
and my life as college girl narrow
ed itself down to days instead OF
months, | felt that | could not stand
it. One evening in May Phoebe and
| were walking across the campus to
our room. There was a brilliant
moon to give the last touch of beauty
to the old ivy-run stone buildings and
the ancient trees. AS we drew near
the lake, we could hear the dip of the
oars and the strumming of the guitars
as the girls sang. l began to cry.
"Why. dearie," said Phoebe, has
anything happened or is it just that
YOU are run down and nervous with
. all the preparations for Commence
, ment?" .,
81 don't see how l ever can stand
TO 90 back home to stay" l cried. 81
love college so and" my voice
trailed off into sob. When l look
ed at Phoebe l saw there were tears
in her eyes, too. "lt isn't SO bad for
you," | protested. You live IN
city. How would you like to live in
a stupid little place like Union Cen
ter?"
"Perhaps you won't have to stay
there long, DEAR" said Phoebe; some
thing will turn up"
"But what can? Only miracle
2 can get me away from Union Center ~
Miracles have happened"
"Maybe they have, but never to
me-"
Great waves of self-pity were
sweeping over me and yet saw clear
lv that the real defect was in myself
that is, if it can be classed as a
defect not to have any special talent,
my overmastering ambition.
"You see, Phoebe, | am just COM
monplace. Yes, dear, l am, no mat
ter what you may say. Stand mgh
in classes, of course, because L love
books and can concentrate. But
b. there is nothing original about me. If
| had to earn my living, | could do it.
But father and mother would never
hear of my doing anything but stay
ING at home and helping around the
house as they call it. If there was
something | really wanted to do, l
suppose | could break away. But
there isn't, and so Pm doomed to
stupid life in that slow little town.
"A town of twenty thousand isn't
so bad"
"You say that because you've never
lived in one. III just stick around
there and then finally, | suppose, I'll
marry"
Phoebe laughed then. "Most girls
don't speak of romance in that woebe-
gone way" she said.
"Who was saying anything about
romance? Romance is careful when
it comes to choosing localities; it
would fly away at the mere mention
of Union Center"
| have sometimes wondered how
nv life would have been if, instead OF
going home and helping around the
house had done differently.
think now, as l thought then, that
every young person should be given
freedom to work out his or her lie.
But at the time it seemed impossible
for me to do anything but acquiesce
in what my parents expected me to
do. My mothers health was not
good, my elder sister had married, my
Younger one was ready to enter col
lege.
at is so fortunate you are coming
home, lust as Rose and Alice are go
inc away. couldn't get along with
cut one daughter in the house" When
nv mother said that in her ge'tle
voice there was a little clutch at nv
heart. Then the reaction came and l
thought of the life in Union Center
for which I cared so little. Those
were days of mixed emotion. l was
ashamed of myself because | could
not devote myself intellectually to