33

THE BOOK OF THE CLASS OF NINETEEN-ELEVEN 25









they stepped out of the cloister door, for it made a vast difference. Often the rhythmic beat-
ing of the tin pan by the fountain and the shuffle and sway of the line overcame their sense
of obedience and caution and they would burst into song, only to be suddenly hushed by the
person behind. On the whole, Lantern Night went off well and the class was very graceful
in its acceptance of compliments on the singing. No one said a word about that galley ser-
vice in the moist morning when we staggered and tottered into the cloister before breakfast
trying to achieve that most difficult of feats, to keep our breath and our balance going down
steps.

In looking back you realise that those were grand days. Our feeling for freedom per-
mitted us to sing any song any way, not caring who wrote it either, how, when, or why. Each
singer felt at liberty to put forth her own interpretation and often there were as many render-
ings as there were girls to rend them, but on the whole the effect was fair and anyone with
a sufficiently wide range of musical knowledge could come somewhere within ten composers
of the song we were singing. For let it be known that our choice was exceedingly varied,
extending from Wagner to Weber and Field.

Now I have spoken only of those dear lost voices, and they were lost, through no fault
of their own. Let us turn for one brief moment to the people who really did the musical
work and rode hard on the outlaws and uncertain members. It was Norvelle Browne who
for two years gave us a clear firm starting note and had voice and faith enough to keep many
people on the key and some people somewhere near the tune. Among these latter ones were
a few staunch adherents, who knew a good thing when they saw it, noticeably Leila, who
would get near enough the air occasionally to strike a fine alto. —

Most of this happened Freshman and early Sophomore year and was in the golden age
of our singing life, when it never dawned on the class that it was not a body collected solely
for the purpose of regaling the campus with song. Then no one was discouraged and
everyone sang.

About the middle of Sophomore year was introduced a regular system of Black Hand,
which kept many of our most lusty members under a sort of vocal cloud from which they
could but occasionally burst forth and could shine only when out in such company either
where it was thought that they could do no damage, or where kind friends could not get at
them to remonstrate more forcibly than by savage glances. By the end of Sophomore
year the reign of terror was having an excellent and most salutary effect on the fractious ones,
and the busy pens, pencils, and brains of Betty, Delano, Mary Frank Case, Amy, P. Rice,
and many others were putting out enough songs to keep the class busy on the athletic field,