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THE BOOK OF THE CLASS OF NINETEEN-ELEVEN 205

How wonderful then is the transformation scene which follows! Suddenly a strain
of music falls upon the air. Enchanting, wonderful music, and as one listens, the room
about one grows oppressively small while the campus becomes more enticing every
moment. Oh, to be out with the others! Whereupon a period of increasing torture
ensues, then a hurried preparation and one is out.

At this point oné’s own responsibility is over, for it is my opinion that the band not
only furnishes the occasion, but in addition ensures the most delightful conduct on the
part of everyone. I have seen some of my friends display such elegance of manner at
these times as to make them altogether unrecognisable and I may say of myself that I have
never conducted myself anywhere as I have on these memorable occasions. Only in
dreams have I used such mellifluous words while my manner each year has left nothing
to be desired. With the music always in the distance I have seen myself step up to some
formidable stranger and conduct her to refreshments as though she were the Countess de
Saldar and I myself no less than Lady Joscelyn’s daughter. |

I must confess, however, that in the attainment of the aforementioned refreshments
I frequently lost this delightful identity. Yet even now I am regretting that we can never
again with decency force our way up to the caterer’s table as I used to do then. And I
was always sorry when the end of garden party came, and the campus was deserted, until
the lights heralded the approach of another festivity.

Estuer Stuart CorRNELL.

That, my friends, is what Esther thinks of Garden Party. Myself, I think it’s great.
It is almost too wonderful that anyone should feel that way about the occasion. However,
although the account is both cheering and interesting, it is not, I fear, sufficiently representa-
tive to stand alone. My own views may approach the other extreme, so the average
undergraduate can take her choice.

I can say more about garden parties than most people, largely because I have more
time for reflection during them than others, and also because I have been to four. The
way that happened was as follows: Freshman year the Sophomore play caste stayed over
commencement week to rehearse with Mr. King, and coming out of such a rehearsal in the
library, late one afternoon, we found ourselves at Garden Party. It wasn’t our fault. If
Garden Party would be in one place we could take care to be in another, but Garden Party
is everywhere and we—that is Leila and I, especially Leila—cannot be nowhere, so we were
at Garden Party. She, I have reason to remember, had on a girlish white frock with what