Bryn Mawr (Pa.) -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Bryn Mawr College -- Fiction; College stories, American; Women college students -- Fiction
"Oh! then you consider me horrid and disagreeable, do you? Well, that's
flattering. No, I can't marry you. Such a catastrophe has never once
entered my head." Catherine grew pensive. "I can't imagine anything more
frightful than playing the piano, arranging flowers, and being charming,
to eternity." Jack had jumped up from his seat by the piano and stalked
over to the window where he stood biting his lips and beating the floor
with one foot, gazing out into the black night with an impatiently
reflective air. When Catherine finished, he spoke half to himself and
half to the night.
"Just what Charlie Dickenson warned me would happen. 'See here, old
chap,' he said, 'if you don't want to be the laughing stock of the whole
club you'd better steer clear of Catherine Neville. Those college girls
are chock full of notions. I suppose she does like you in a way,
because you listen to her theories. But it is a ticklish business.
Remember poor Harry Cockran, the trouble he had!' ... I thought she
liked me. But I see now that one can't expect anything sensible from
them." Catherine did not appear to listen. She was playing a series of
changing chords on the piano. But the chords grew louder and louder and
gradually passed into the minor key, until at the last word she spun
round on the stool.
"Sensible?" she exclaimed. "That depends upon the point of view. I think
we are extremely sensible. For we can be reached only through our minds,
not through our emotions. Any girl can fall in love. But few have the
strength of mind to see that they are needed for loftier careers. We
have ideals, aims, purposes."
"Exactly. You long to be strong-minded, to take to platforms, stand up
for poor oppressed womankind, and generally make a lot of trouble. Why
all the men say that nothing would induce them to marry college girls.
They think it's ruination of a nice, pretty, sensible girl to send her
to college, and let her head get filled with all sorts of ideas. I tell
you it ruins them with the men. But I had rather hoped you were an
exception, or at least above the average."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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