Boarding school students -- Juvenile fiction; Boarding schools -- Juvenile fiction; Teenage girls -- Fiction
“Come on, then, we’ll go with you if you don’t mind. There is hardly
time before luncheon to take you through the grove or down to the beach,
but we can look around a little.”
The girls paired off, Grace with Hilary, Eloise with Cathalina, arm in
arm. Eloise’s heavy, dark hair was braided about her head and crowned
with a bright scarlet bow. Her face was full of animation and her light,
active figure was a match for Cathalina’s grace, but Eloise had the
suppressed energy and nervous force that Cathalina seemed to have lost.
As she talked to Cathalina she frequently turned to look at her with a
pair of starry brown eyes which quite stirred Cathalina into a lively
enjoyment of her present adventures.
Crossing the lawn in front, they stopped a moment at the fountain where
two plump cupids were catching water in a sea shell.
“That building so close to Greycliff Hall is Randolph Hall,” explained
Grace, as they strolled by. “It was named in honor of Miss Randolph’s
uncle, because he gave a lot of money to endow the school. Almost all
the recitation rooms are there, and the hall where we have chapel and
other doings. Over there is the Gym and the Domestic Science building.
And there are the stables and riding pavilion.”
“Come around by Randolph,” said Eloise, “If you want to see the rest.
The Music Hall is only a frame building and they are trying to raise
money for a better one. But we have a fine pipe organ in Randolph. The
studios are all prettily furnished and they have good pianos. I’m
practicing on a fright, though. And a girl right over my head, with the
same practice hour, keeps time with her foot—or did last year. I’m going
to speak for a different piano this time. Look over to your left now.
That’s the Pest House.”
“Pest House!” exclaimed Cathalina, “do you often have contagious
diseases?”
“That is our name for the hospital We have two nurses and one of them
isn’t much older than some of the girls.”
“That makes me think,” said Cathalina, “I notice that some of the girls
seem so grown up, like college girls.”
“Why, you know there are two years of college work here. We call them
Junior and Senior Collegiate, or Junior and Senior C. I’m Junior
Academy, what are you?”
“Father said Junior Academy, I think, but I’m not sure. I didn’t read
the catalogue; it was too much trouble.”
“So am I Junior Academy!” cried Hilary, and turned inquiringly to Grace.
“Me, too,” said she laughing, “how jolly!”
“You can usually tell the Collegiate girls, Cathalina, by their looks
and ways and the way they do their hair. Sometimes they try to be smart
with us. As soon as there is enough money there is going to be a
Collegiate Cottage, and a building for art, too. All the girls have for
a studio now is a room on the upper floor of Greycliff Hall.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account