Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1916-12-30
RQMANCE
AZ tSIWASH
MGIOpGE TTTCH

| 'hch up III ITlVOlOuS WHNS-SQudh-
dered them like drunken sailor :;
spent whole hours loafing in my room
and oversleeping instead of getting out
and soaking in the glorious friendships
so soon to be severed forever. Why,
even now preparations for commence
ment we're beginning In a few weeks
the boys would be gone. Some Of
them would never come back. Bangs
might stay at home the next year. AL
len was doubtful about returning-at
least the faculty was doubtful for him.
Even l might never see Siwash again.
had wasted the only year l might
have in college.
For over a week / was unfathOm-
ably detected. My kind roommate,
BingO Bailey, fused around me and
tried to get me TO soak my head or
take a large drink of Kerosene, but l
merely threw things at him and de-
clined his suggestions.
But gradually my mental turmoil
settled down into one fixed accusation.
Bad as my other crimes were, there
was one which surpassed them in ash
ninity. / was feather-headed on the
girl question. 1t was a fearful and de-
grading truth. l, Peter Simmons, a
grOwn-up man of eighteen and presi-
dent of his class, TO say nothing of
being mOlder of destinies-hadn't |
helped mold BOggs' destiny a
plaything in the hands of designing
females. A pretty girl could smile at
him and bid him follow in a shy voice,
and thereupon he neglected friends
and studies and made himself that
girls slave.
1t was awful. had no stamina what
ever. Swiftly i reviewed my six or
seven master passions of the year.
Every one of them was pretty face.
Whether the face concealed a brain or
not l had never thought to wonder.
A peachblow complexion, companion
able smile, light foot in the dance
that was my conception of lovely
woman. Bah!
When l thought about this for sew
eral days it began to have its effect.
l became quiet and powerful within
and stern lines developed about my
mouth. l could see them in the glass
quite plainly. l was no longer a trust
ing child to be sent toddling hither
and yOn by wOman's voice. 1 was
a grown man with great purposes in
life and l had precious little room in
it for women. Acting on this impulse,
l broke a date with Miss Willoughby
with brutal directness, and declined
my invitation to the annual party of
the Kappa Kap Pajamas. l would
ignore the sex entirely during the rest
Of my college course. Men had too
much to do in college to be bothered
by the woman question.
But suddenly / had a better idea
Other men had become soured and had
thrown down the girl question. But
l could do something more. After all
, the sex was not useless. There were
fine women and intelligent women
delightful companions and intellectual
comrades. l would be large instead
Of merely Indifferent. / would pick
t out the brightest girl in my class ant
| VIII iCi "Oul0 ohOW hCi
7 attention and be her best friend NJ
e matter whether she was merely plaiI
I or so homely that / would thank hel
e whenever she wore q veil.
e This was a really splendid idea. 1
> was a lot bigger than the other. Al
e soon as had conceived 1t forgot al
about my crouch. There was nothing
|, left Of 1t but my stern resolve. AS
o matter of fact, the resolve was a littl
l weak In the back, too. For, as con
Re valesced, the idea of causing pain an
s. sorrow to all those beautiful and trust
n ing young girls became intolerablt
W and 1 hastily recalled my regrets t
1t the Kappa Kap party.
T. l had suffered severely, and / wa
i bound to give my idea a trial. / needn
t. carry this intellectual friendship bus
ut ness to extremes. But l could pic
st out the girl-a plain one-and at leas
TT go and call on her. That would sho,
ut my firmness of mind and discrimina
IS ing character. Maybe l would eve
We take her to a party. So l began [
ut look over my class for possible cal
II. didates for my high-minded and inte
In ligent friendship.
/ must say there were plenty of DO
sibilities. l was surprised to discovs
e. how many young ladies in the fresl
RI man class had entirely escaped my n,
ny tice. AS l say, had had a frivolor
es and beauty-hunting eye. But now thu
tn l had started hunting for plain wort
nd was overwhelmed with candidate
d. l would look at two or three of the
lr. for a while. There were tall, TIL
M girls; short, stout girls; old girls wit
go spectacles, and nondescript girls vii
w. clothes which fitted them tightly abo,
IN the neck and nowhere else in partic
OIL lar. / began to wonder how l w.
lat going to find, among all these girls, Il
ey one who might prove to be the mo
ar sensible and entertaining OF cour
err l might go and call on all of them
We turn, but / baked at this. 1t wou
De- take too much time and suffering, al
of besides there were two or three cir
in technically speaking-in the elias
ms any one Of whom might be the logic
JUS candidate, and to tell the truth,
nd didn't have the nerve to take [
IRE chance.
nd / sat through half a dozen class
de looking over the collection and sizi
ing them up from their recitations, and