Newspaper Page Text
THE CAMPUS MIRROR
3
SPELMAN’S MID-YEAR
HOLIDAY
Augusta J. Johnson, ’32
One is likely to think of most things as
having a beginning. But here is one that
you may imagine has no beginning. At least
that is what I found myself assuming, when
I first came to Spelmati. When I asked
about the origin of this holiday, all I could
get was, “We’ve always had it.”
A holiday had always meant to me a day
of festivity, a departure from the regular
routine, or a celebration. I dared not ask
anyone what was done on this day, lest she
think I did not know what a holiday was.
1 noticed the calendar did not record any
historical event on this day. I then con
cluded that my first two definitions would
fit the day. There would be no classes;
'twould be a day of festivity. As the day
approached, I came to know its purpose more
clearly. Since it came on the day after mid
term examinations, it must have been de
signed simply to rest us. This thought was
the one ray of hope that was present during
the ‘exams.’
Some days before the expected Friday, a
notice on the bulletin board read like this:
Directions for Cleaning on Friday
Clean rooms thoroughly
Wash all windows and transoms
Sweep down walls
Clean all drawers
Turn mattresses
Clean beds
See hall matron for cloths, soap, etc.
I was informed that to follow those direc
tions required a whole morning’s work. Never
before did anything strike me like that. I
felt that I had been deceived through no
fault of my own.
The holiday was no holiday, but was a
demonstrated labor day, and no one could
escape. The directions applied to each stu
dent.
Looking hack at the “Mid-year Floliday,”
after it had passed, I began to realize that
it was a real holiday, after all. It was rest
ful to have your thoughts depart from stud
ies and dwell on lighter and brighter things,
such as a newly polished mirror. There was
the whole afternoon to rest. The night rest
was more secure now that the friendly rats
had moved from the stack of papers in the
closet.
The fun came in when you tried to give
your roommate the first chance to display
her tact and talent in tackling the windows
and radiators, and she modestly preferred to
give you the honor.
I remember the parade. Cobwebs, dilapi
dated umbrellas, empty vaseline bottles, va
cant powder cans, retired face cloths, stock
ing caps, and dwarfed pencils marched, with
out music, to the already densely populated
waste basket.
It wa* a celebration. In this sanitary way
we commemorated that honorable imaginary
time when some one was kind enough to
think of beginning this annual holiday.
Y. W. C. A. NOTES
Elnora James, president of the Y. W. C. A.,
is at home recovering from a serious illness.
The members of the Y. W. C. A. and other
friends feel keenly the loss of her presence
on the campus and all wish for her speedy
recovery and return to college.
The Vice Presidents of the Y. W. C. A.
quietly presented Miss Chadwick, of the
Leonard Street Home, with a sum of money
to help pay for a rolling chair for one of
her little charges.
The officers of the Y. W. C. A. received
a note of thanks from the Day Nursery, for
gifts of fruit that the Spelman girls carried
to the children there.
IN LOVE WITH SNOW
By Ruby L. Brown
“Christmas is near,” said Mary to her room
mate, “and no snow yet. I’d like to get up on
Christmas morning and find the ground
covered.”
Just a few nights before Christmas when
Mary had actually forgotten her w'ish that it
would snow, the snow came dowm so quietly
and softly that nobody could hear it.
“What a big surprise I shall give Mary in
the morning,” thought Mr. Snow. “She’ll just
love me, I know.”
The next morning, December 22nd, Mary was
awakened by the sound of much joyful noise.
“What in the world is happening?” she thought.
Then she went to the window and found the
ground covered with snow. “Oh, Sarah, Sarah,”
she called to her roommate, “do get up and
look at the beautiful snow. Wishes do some
times come true, don’t they? How gently it
must have fallen in the dark night. My, I love
it. White and pure and clean as it is, I wonder
why it waited until the dark part of the night
to come? I wanted to see it falling.”
“But, Mary,” said Sarah, “Mr. Snow wanted
to be a pleasant surprise to us. We are glad
of this visit and wonder how long it will last.”
Exclamations of : “Flop!” “I’ll get you yet!”
“Oh, Oh!” “So it was you?” All these
noises and more called Mary to the other
window to see girls bundled up as though they
were going to take a trip to the north pole.
How they hurled snow balls and trampled
around in the snow.
“My, I don’t like for them to ruin the snow
in that way,” exclaimed Mary. “They will make
the visit end before Christmas at that rate, and
I do so much want to see our friend here on
Christmas day.
Mary soon discovered a beautiful white snow
man that some girls had been patient enough
to make. It made a beautiful appearance in
the center of a patch of campus ground.
“Sarah,” said Mary, “aren’t the trees lovely?
Nature’s fringe work of icicles ought to be left
forever. But if they were, we could not see
the other beauties of nature on the trees, could
we? There is a time for everything, I must
realize.”
‘Sarah, I simply must get out, because there
is too much fun in this, for me to miss it.
“SURPRISED BY JOY”
By Ercell Powell, ’33
Because she had never spent a Christmas
season away from home before, she was sure
that it would be unpleasant for her here at this
place. However, early Christmas morning she
realized that it would be enjoyable here.
Early that morning she was awakened by
strains of sweet music beneath her window.
She thought, “At home the same thing is hap
pening.” Then for about fifteen minutes she
lay there and imagined what the folks at home
were doing. She saw her father, mother and
brother rubbing “Old Man Sleep” from their
eyes and opening Christmas packages. It
seemed as though she could hear the rustle and
bustle of the paper as they opened their gifts.
Unconsciously, she began to smile and be merry
with them. She was not aware of her sur
roundings, until she was disturbed by a "Merry
Christmas” from one of her hallmates. Thus
she began a pleasant Christmas day.
VISITORS ON CAMPUS AT
CHRISTMAS
Ruby Mickens (H.S. ’27), Wilksboro, N. C.
Mrs. Annie Latimer Anderson (H.E. ’20),
Conway, Ark.
Zimmie Retha Jackson (A.B. ’29), Daytona
Beach, Fla.
Thelma B. Brown (A.B. ’29), Winston-
Salem, N. C.
Mosetta Miles (A.B. ’29), Calhoun, Ala.
holia Butler (A.B. ’28), Americus, Ga.
Sadie Brown (A.B. ’29), Tuscumbia, Ala.
Hark, From the Tombs
"Theodore R. Coxey Funeral Co. Those
whom we serve show their appreciation.”—
Bay City, Mich., paper.
Look at the girls kodaking, already. Isn’t the
white background lovely for pictures?”
Mary dressed very hurriedly and went out.
Just as she touched the bottom step Sarah heard
a peculiar noise. Mary who had been a little
over-anxious had slipped and had found the
snow cushion wasn’t so soft.
She became angry and said, “All those girls
have been out for a long time, why did I have
to he the first to fall? I don’t like the old
snow after all.”
At this, she returned to her room and sat by
the window, but could not be satisfied. “That
snow,” she said, “which I’ve just admired is too
beautiful for me to frown upon it now. I’ll
try again. If others can, I can too.”
She went out again and played in the snow
and not once did she fall. She was careful
this time and paid attention to the way she
walked out into it. “One can never be too sure
about anything,” she thought.
Mr. Snow stayed until after Christmas. Mary
cried when the sunshine and the rain, without
which we could hardly be happy, came and
forcefully drove away our dear friend. She is
hoping for another visit soon. Her’s was a case
of love at first sight since this winter is the
first one she has ever spent out of Florida.