APRIL, 1955
THE BENNETT BANNER
Page Three
THE PROFESSOR AND THE NECKBONES
“My dear,” said Mrs. Fayette, as
she opened the door of the study,
“my dear, excuse me for disturb
ing you.”
The old professor looked up and
laid his pen on the desk. He
noticed that his wife was dressed
in an old red broadcloth dress
with a black rayon coat around
her; and he saw the gentle smile
on his wife’s face which she had
kept ever since they had been
married.
“What is it, my dear?” he asked.
“You’ll have to go to the post
office and see if we received any
mail today,” she said. “And then,
on your way back, you might stop
at the meat market.”
“I’d better stop at the meat
market first,” said Mr. Fayette.
She replied, “Whatever you think
best, my dear.” He put on his
old wool brown coat with the black
warm collar and pulled his cap
down on his head. And after
giving a look of mixed melancholy
and regret, he went to the kitchen
and took down the old greasy shop
ping bag with small holes in it.
“You’re not going to scrub the
kitchen today in this rainy weath
er,” he said. “Well we can’t live
in a dirty place all the winter,”
The only fire they had was in
the study because it was necessary
for him to try to continue his great
work on THE LIFE OF VICTOR
HUGO and his works. They had
a couch in the study and they slept
and ate in here.
Despite the fact that she was
becoming old and had occasional
heart attacks which frightened him,
he could not afford her a servant
or even an occasional lady to help
her do house cleaning. As he
began walking toward the meat
market, all of these ideas came to
him. He felt very sad. He had
.never had enough money to give
his wife the opportunity to take
a vacation.
There was a long line of people
already waiting on the sidewalk,
composed of women and children
all muffled up with different
colored head scarfs tied under
their chins, and large handbags in
their hands. They were pressing
against the closed gate of the meat
market like ants against the corpse
of an earthworm. As the Professor
stood watching the women gossip
ing he began to think of his great
work On Victor Hugo, which for
him was his goal, and he drew up
his shoulders.
All around him there were faces
grown blue with cold. He knew
some of them from having met
them every day, waiting anxiously
before the meat market. He knew
that old peasant woman with her
lips drawn like a wine press had
walked from the country to stand
in line for her daughter who
worked at a shirt factory. All
kinds of rumors were being dis
cussed, and the professor was
smiling although he was not in
terested.
The meat market was now open
and he was moving up at the rate
of one step every five minutes.
He saw several baskets of mussels
and several trays of neckbones.
“There’ll be enough for every
body,” said a woman beside him.
Another lady said, “there’ll not be
enough for everyone if the next
customer buys as much as Mrs.
Green did. She does not care
whether anyone else eats, she is
only concerned with herself.
What always inspired the Pro
fessor was the common sense of
their women, and their courage.
In reality, human beings were
worth much more than he had
realized when he stayed at home
with his, nose in his books.
He advanced a step; the baskets
of mussels were being rapidly
emptied and there were a few
neckbones on the trays-. “There’s
no use waiting any longer,” said
the woman behind him; there won’t
be any left for us. When the last
piece of neckbone had been sold,
the Professor left.
He went by the postoffice and
it was closed and he was disap
pointed because he was too late
to get any neckbones and too late
to get the mail. So he walked
home slowly, his old greasy shop
ping bag hanging empty over his
arm. He finally arrived home.
His wife asked him did he get
anything. “No,” he replied. After
all he should have left home
earlier on his own effort. He
should have stopped working on
his thesis of Victor Hugo’s works,
and not waited for his wife to ask
him to do so. He was aware of
the fact that his wife denied her
self for him.
Anethyl Melvin
The Y. W. C. A.
The Campus Branch YWCA is
one of Bennett’s leading organi-
zaions of which there are sixty-six
active members. So far this school
year, the members have accepted
the responsibility of organizing
appropriate ideas for the success
of the “Get-Acquainted Hour” and
the Installation for new members,
the Thanksgiving hike to the
County Home, and the Thanksgiv
ing White Breakfast.
On February 13th, an interesting
panel discussion, sponsored by
the “Y”, was witnessed in the
Union. The subject was “The Di-
lemna of Women.” The splendid
presentations of Misses Jimmie
English, Wilhelmenia Webb, Mary
Ensley and Mrs. Jarrett excited a
series of questions and comments
from the audience.
For the months ahead the “Y”
calendar is full of exciting projects.
A big issue before the group is
concerning plans for entertaining
“Y” organizations at A&T. The
students who intend to remain on
campus for Easter may anticipate
new and enjoyable activities for
that season, as the “Y” is shaping
together a variety of ideas for a
delightful Easter vacation.
The officers’ roster is composed
of: Julia McClain, president; Se-
neith Reynolds, vice president;
Wilhelmenia Holmes, secretary;
Vera Kernodle, corresponding sec
retary; Shirley Diggs, treasurer;
and Edith Kernodle, assistant
treasurer.
DAISY MILLER
By Henry James
Henry James is such an inter
esting author because of his am
biguity. That is, his novels are
written in such a way as to give
the reader ample opportunity to
use his imaginative and thinking
powers.
James in his novels, often deals
with American innocence and
ignorance clashing with European
sophistication and near evil as in
the novel, DAISY MILLER.
Daisy Miller was a young Amer
ican girl from New York state who
was travelling abroad with her
mother and younger brother. She
makes the acquaintance of Fred
erick Winterbourne at V e v e y,
Switzerland. Winterbourne, al
though an American, had traveled
abroad so much that he had become
accustomed to the social mores
observed by Europeans. As a re
sult, he was shocked that Daisy
Miller seemed so forward and at
ease around young men. She con
stantly traveled about at all hours
of the day and night unchaperoned.
Winterbourne hears tales from peo
ple concerning the Millers and
learns that they are considered
crude and unrefined by other
Americans and are thus avoided.
The Millers eventually go to Rome
and establish residence and there
Daisy meets a little Italian who
becomes very attached to her.
I HATED THE HOUSE I LIVED IN
News From Campus Organizations
Sigma Rho Sigrma
Sigma Rho Sigma is a national
honorary society organized to in
crease interest in the social sci
ences among students majoring
and/or minoring in that field, and
thereby to help them to attain a
desire to excell in the social sci
ences. Candidates for membership
must maintain an average of “B”
in the social sciences, and must
be Juniors or Seniors.
At present, the members of the
Sigma Rho Sigma are designing
a Social Science Seminar with the
expectation of arousing the atten
tion of Freshmen and Sophomores
in particular.
The organization anticipates a
large number of Sigma Rho Sigma
probates in the near future.
Its officers are: Thelma Vauls
Harris, president; Yvonne Stead
man, vice president; Shirley Diggs,
secretary; and Margaret McCor
mick, treasurer.
The governor of a state de
clares Thanksgiving to be a holi
day. The President can declare a
holiday only for the District of
Columbia and territories.
THE LIBRARY STAFF
The Holgate Library Staff of
^tudent assistants headed by Miss
Loretta Free recently held a Quiz
Program in the Staff Room of the
Library based on their knowledge
of procedures and practices in the
Library. Top honors were shared
by Misses Shirley Hudson and
Oshia Brown who answered all of
the questions correctly.
In addition to the individual
winners, the girls were divided into
Teams “A” and “B”. Here again
there was a tie because each team
answered all of the questions put
tc them directly. Other partici
pants in the quiz included Loretta
Free, Evelyn Gary, Phyllis Henry,
Jay Harris, and Margarie Mays.
The questions asked were based
on the Thomas F. Holgate Library
Staff Manual. Compiled by the
librarian, the Manual is an admin
istrative device which assists great
ly in the running of the Library.
It is being used at present as a
guide to the Morgan State College
Staff whose spokesman recently
wrote that “. . . it is simply and
clearly written and the compilers
seem to have had a delightful sense
of humor.”
When I was a sophomore in high
school, we moved to another city. I
didn’t mind moving. It was rather
fun, I thought. Besides, I was
used to it for my father was a
minister and v.’hen you are min
ister’s folks and go to a new place
to live, the people are very nice
about introducing you and inviting
you out to dinner.
The first night we were there, a
girl by the name of Nancy Gupton
came by to see me. Her family
went to our church and she said
that she would like to call for me
fcnd take me up to school the next
week. I could see right awawy she
was the kind of girl I liked and
when I met her friends I liked
1 them too. The school was much
larger than the one I had come
from. The assembly hall was so
iiuge I got very excited the first
time the whole school got together
for the morning program. You
wouldn’t have thought anything
could make me miserable. But it
did. And I’ll tell you what it was:
the house we lived in. Since my
father is a minister, we always
have to live in the parsonage and
take what we can get. The house j
we lived in before was so much
nicer. It was right beside a beauti
ful park on a lovely street where
there were trees, big lawns, and
gardens. This house was hitched
onto the church, built right again.st
it, with a door between. It was
made of the gloomiest looking
brick that you have ever laid your
eyes on, a kind of dirty brown.
If we didn’t remember to pull down
the shades at night everyone who
passed by could see everything we
were doing.
There wasn’t even a back yard,
just a small cement court. When
the trolleys went by every window
in the place rattled. And that’s
not all. The living room was
papered in bright green with a
border of pink roses at the top.
The roses were as big as cabbages,
and the background was a shade of
green that would make you sick.
1 certainly got a grudge against
that house. I hated coming home
from school and having strangers
see me turn into it. It was worse
having to come out the front door
in the morning and meet Nancy
and Emma Lue on the walk out
side. Emma Lue was Nancy’s
niece, and we used to walk up to
school together. They lived a few
blocks away and it was a marvel
to me that they would even come
by for me, with having the kind
of houses they did.
They lived on Nicholas Avenue,
and everyone in the city knew
what it meant when you said you
lived on that street. The Gupton’s
house was one of the nicest there.
When you rang the bell, a maid
in a blue dress and a white apron
answered the door and while she
went to tell Miss Nancy Gupton
you were there, you sat on a gold
chair in the reception room. The
rugs were so thick you went right
down into them when you stepped
on them. And Nancy had a room
that was a dream. It was so large
you didn’t bump into a thing when
you walked around in it. In my
room I was forever hitting the
corner of the dresser when I went
from my bed to the closet. And
every time I went home from
j Nancy’s I would think of all the
things she had that were just right
and all the things I had that were
just wrong, especially our house.
Lucelendia Massenburg
German air pilots, now allowed
to fly again, are being re-trained
in Switzerland.
* * *
Cellophane, celluloid, and bakelite
are all man-made products.
* * *
Many of the people in Japan
sleep on hard wooden pillows at
ijight. The pillows are shaped to
fit the neck.
They are seen together constantly
which causes much talk among the
other Americans. The little Italian
is considered a fortune hunter by
the other Americans. Daisy in
sists upon her friend taking her to
a garden to look at the moon late
one night. As a result of this
excursion she contracted Roman
fever and died.
Daisy Miller was most interest
ing because of the way she inno
cently defies the social mores of
European society by being con
stantly seen in the company of
one man with no chaperone. Daisy
is a very gracious person who
tries to be charming toward all
but will not stop doing something
simply because it meets the dis
approval of others when she be
lieves that she is doing nothing
wrong. Daisy appears oblivious to
all the gossip she causes among
the Americans and Europeans.
DAISY MILLER was first pub
lished serially in the CORNHILL
MAGAZINE in 1878. It fir.st ap
peared in an English publication
because it was rejected by a Phila
delphia publisher on the grounds
that it was an outrage to American
girlhood and a criticism on Ameri
can manners. Despite these views,
DAISY MILLER became one of
the author’s most widely read
novelettes.
Yvonne Ireland
k Lenten Challenge
“We have feasted while others
have gone without bread.” But we
shall have a chance to make
amends during this Lenten season,
because now' we have an adopted
“little Bennett Sister” to provide
for. This tiny African girl is
placing her trust in us. She is
hoping that we might deny our
selves some of the little extras
that we like to buy, in order that
she may obtain just a few of the
things so needful to her. Thus,
she is our dependent for forty
days, and we dare not let her
down. Let us give what we can,
for the sheer joy which will be
our reward.
Barbara Brown, Chairman
Mid-Week Vespers Committee
ANSWERS TO LITERARY QUIZ
1. John Steinbeck
2. Yes
3. Great Expectations
4. Alan Paton. Too Late The
Phalarope
5. Black Power
6. Oscar Wilde
7. Any three novels of Jane
Austen
8. Elizabeth B. Browning—Son
nets from The Portuguese,
No. 43
Miss Phyllis Henry and Miss
Evelyn Gary responded to the
nuiz, but did not give all the
correct answers.
SNACK BAR
SERVES
THE STUDENT BODY
BENNETT COLLEGE
SHOP AT
MOORE'S GROCERY
FOR COURTESY AND EFFICIENCY
967 E. Washington St.