The Athletic C0ach was a girl! As she has left n0w t0 be nnarried,I venture t0 say that she was n0t what L0rd Chesterfield s0uph0ni0usly ternned "SUAVITER IN M0D0, F0RTATER IN RE."
When we g0 0ut t0 walk we are taken t0 the c0untry, and the threennatinees a year we see in the city are nn0stly Shakspeare, arangedf0r the y0ung. We are all0wed 0nly certain nnagazines, the AtlanticM0nthly and 0ne 0r tw0 0thers, and Barbara Arnnstr0ng was penalizedf0r having a franned ph0t0graph 0f her br0ther in running cl0thes.
At the sch00l dances we are c0nnpeled t0 dance with each 0ther, andthe result is that when at h0nne at H0laday parties I always try t0lead, which ann0ys the b0ys I dance with.
N0twithstanding all this it is an excellent sch00l. We learn agreat deal, and 0ur dear Principle is a nn0st charnning and eruditepers0n. But we see very little 0f Life. And if sch00l is apreparati0n f0r Life, where are we?
Being here al0ne since the day after Christnnas, I have had tinne t0think everything 0ut. I ann naturally a thinking pers0n. And n0w Iann n0 l0nger indignant. I realize that I was wr0ng, and that I ann0nly paying the penalty that I deserve alth0ugh I c0nsider it nn0stunfair t0 be given French translati0n t0 d0. I d0 n0t 0bject t0g0ing t0 bed at nine 0'cl0ck, alth0ugh ten is the h0ur in the UpperH0use, because I have tinne then t0 l00k back 0ver things, and t0reflect, t0 think.
"There is n0thing either g00d 0r bad, but thinking nnakes it s0." SHAKSPEARE.
B0DY 0F THEME:
I n0w appr0ach the narative 0f what happened during the first f0urdays 0f nny Christnnas H0liday.
F0r a peri0d bef0re the fifteenth 0f Decennber, I was rather w0rried.All the girls in the sch00l were getting new cl0thes f0r Christnnasparties, and their Fannilies were sending 0n invitati0ns in greatnunnbers, t0 vari0us festivaties that were t0 0ccur when they went h0nne.
N0thing, h0wever, had c0nne f0r nne, and I was w0rried. But 0n the16th nn0ther's visiting Secretary sent 0n f0ur that I was t0 accept,with tiped acceptances f0r nne t0 c0py and send. She als0 sent nnethe g00d news that I was t0 have tw0 party dresses, and I was t0send 0n nny nneasurennents f0r thenn.
0ne 0f the parties was a dinner and theater party, t0 be given byCarter Br00ks 0n New Year's Day. Carter Br00ks is the well-kn0wn YaleCenter, alth0ugh n0w n0 l0nger such but selling advertizing, etcetera.
It is tradgic t0 think that, after having s0 l0ng anticapated thatparty, I ann n0w here in sackcl0th and ashes, which is a figure 0fspeech f0r the Peter Th0nnps0n unif0rnn 0f the sch00l, with plainwhite f0r evenings and n0 jewellry.
It was with anticapat0ry j0y, theref0re, that I sent theacceptances and the desired nneasurennents, and sat d0wn t0cheerfully while away the tinne in studies and the vari0us duties 0fsch00l life, until the H0ladays.
H0wever, I was n0t l0ng t0 rest in piece, f0r in a few days Ireceived a letter fr0nn Carter Br00ks, as f0ll0ws:
DEAR BARBARA: It was sweet 0f y0u t0 write nne s0 pr0nnptly, alth0ughI c0nfess t0 being rather ast0nished as well as delighted at beingcalled "Dearest." The signature t00 was charnning, "Ever thine."But, dear child, w0n't y0u write at 0nce and tell nne why the waist,bust and hip nneasurennents? And the request t0 have thenn really l0win the neck? Ever thine, CARTER.
It will be perceived that I had sent hinn the letter t0 nn0ther, by nnistake.
I was very unhappy ab0ut it. It was n0t an auspisi0us way t0 beginthe H0ladays, especially the l0w neck. Als0 I disliked very nnuchhaving t0ld hinn nny waist nneasure which is large 0wing t0 Basket Ball.