Page Four. ^ THE SALEMITE April 12. 1946.
Roommates ..
by Martha Boatwright
The window was up, and a aool
spring breeze made the organdy
curtains flutter back and forth
across the window sill. The room
was just like any other college
room . . . two cots, a desk, two
dressers, two chairs, and a lavatory.
However, the furniture had all been
painted white, and this made the
r,oom a little more cheerful than
the others with their dark brown
furniture. The rugs were made of
old stockings, dyed a darker shade
of green than the chintz counter
panes on the cots. Pennants were
hung at all angles on the walls, and
a bulletin board full of odds and
ends was taeked beside the door.
The top of one dresser was cluttered
with bobby pins, tan no. 1 pan
cake, raven red lipstick, mascaru,
and the picture of a handsome lieu
tenant. The other dresser was al
most bare. On it were a few pins,
a light shade of powder, and a
small tub? of tangee lipstick.
Seated at the desk trying to solve
a chemical equation, was Penny
Adam?. She was an intelligent look
ing girl with short brown hair that
curled softly about her round face.
She wore odd-shaped blue rimmed
glasses that ju.st matched the blue
in her eyes. Her lips had only a
faint tinge of pink that comple
mented the natural glow on her
cheeks.
As she finished the last equation,
she heard someone running up the
hall. She listened to the rapid foot
steps. Yes, that was Cherry. Penny
adored Cherry. They had roomed
t|0^ether for two and a half years,
and during that time Penny had
grown to love Cherry as much as she
did her own little sister.
Tt is surprising that the two girl?
got along so well together, because
they were exact opposites. Cherry
was a beautiful girl with long blonde
hair and soft green eyes. Her noso
tilted at just the right angle, and her
lips were the size and shape every
girl longs for. She was five feet
five inches tall and weighed 112
well-distributed pounds.
Suddenly the d,oor banged open,
and in ran Cherry.
“Penny, I have the most wonder
ful nows.” Her face was flushed
and her eyes danced excitedly.
“I’m going home this very day.”
"Are you out of your mind?”
asked Penny, who was quite startled
at such a remark. “It's only Tues
day and you know you don’t have
the cuts or the overnights. Have
you forgotten you flunked lit.?”
“I don’t care if I flunked every
thing. I’m going home and I’m not
coming back! Terry just called me.
Penny, we’re going .to be married.”
Cherry turned away from Penny and
went over and gazed at the picture
on her dresser.
“B-b-but you can’t,” said Penuy,
when she had recovered her senses
“You’ re so young!”
“Xineteen’s not ao young any
moie. Why, I know girls that marry
when they’re seventeen.”
“But those girls are different.
They don’t have the opportunities
you do. They can’t go to college and
get an education. They can’t ...”
“I’ve had two and a half years
of college. I’ve probably learned
everything I’ll ever learn anyway.
You can’t talk me out of it. Penny.
You know how this whole year had
been. I’ve lived for the hours when
I would be with Terry. Everything
reminds me of him. I don’t enjoy
anything without him. Even that
week-end at Dartmouth was no fun
because all I could think about was
how it would have been with Terry
there. And in classes it’s just as bad.
I can’t listen to the prof because
I’m day-dreaming of that week-end
at the beach last year with you and
Jim and Terry or the time we went
on the picnic to the top of Grand-
father’^ mountain. I can’t study be
cause my mind is always where
Terry is. If I stayed here it would
only be torturing myself, and may
be mean losing him. Terry wants
me to marry him, and that’s what
I’m going to do.”
By this time. Cherry had pulled
her largest suitcase out of the closet,
and had begun to take things out of
her drawers.
“Are you going to tell your par
ents?” asked Penny, who saw there
was no use arguing with Cherry.
Penny knew that once Cherry made
up her mind she never changed it.
“1 wasn’t going to, but Terry
says I must. I guess it’s better in the
long run. They would probably never
forgive me if I didn’t tell them. I
know they will put up a big fuss,
but they’ll Stoon give in to me. They
always do. Terry’s going to tell his
parents, too. He told m6 to tell you
and no one else.”
Cherry was throwing things hap
hazardly in her bag.
“C-can I help you pack?” asked
Penny, still dazed by all that was
happening.
“Would you mind? You know
how I hate to pack, and I’m so ex
cited I hardly know what I’m do
ing. You pack and I’ll get dressed.”
Penny took the things Cherry had
thrown in the bag out again, and
began folding them smoothly.
“lou won’t have to pack every
thing,” Cherry added. “I’ll take
only the things I need. Then after
the wedding and honeymoon, Terry
and I will come back and get my
other things.”
“What time are you leaving?”
Penny asked without looking up.
“The six o’clock train. That will
get me home at ten-thirty. Terry
said he would meet me. Be sure to
pack his picture.”
“Aren’t you going to tell the dean
or anyone that you are leaving?”
‘■‘I’m going t.0 sign out to go
home for a few days. After I get
home I’ll call and tell them I’m not
coming back.” Cherry turned around
quickly and faced her roommate.
“Please don’t tell anyone, will vou,
Penny?”
“Of course not,” Penny laid
another' skirt in the bag.
“I knew I could trust you.”
Cherry glajiced at Penny. “I’m
going to miss you. Penny. We’ve
had such fun together. I’ll never
know how you put up with me
so long. You’re so sweet and study
so hard. I’m selfish and hate books.
If it hadn’t been for you, I would
♦ ♦
have flunked everything I’ve ever
taken.”
Penny still did not look up.
‘ ‘ I hope you can get another room
mate. Anyone wiU love having you.
Maybe you and Betty can room to
gether. She and Mary fuss all the
time.” 'Cherry slid a white sweater
down over her head and turned to
look at herself in the mirror.
“Is that all you want to pack?”
asked Penny as she Ipoked around
the rjoom and into the closet.
“Yes, I think so. You’ve been
a lamb to do it for me. I’m all
dressed now and ready to go.”
Penny looked at her. She was
more beautiful than ever before.
She was radiant all over, and
looked as if she were just leaving
for her first day at college rather
than for her wedding.
“Are yflu sure this is what yon
want to do. Cherry?” Penny asked
almost pleadingly.
“Yes, Penny, I know it is.” It
was seldom Cherry was serious, but
she sat on the edge of the bed now,
and pulled Penny down beside her.
‘I’m not like you, Penny. You’re
smart and intelligent. You’re the
type for college. I hate studying,
you know I do. I’ve learned all I’JJ
ever need to know. I was going to
marry Terry when I graduate next
year . . . everyone knew that.
There’s no sense in putting it off
until then. I’m not going to get any
more out of college, and it’s just
a waste of money and time for me
to stay here. Please try to see it my
I way, Penny. I love Terry and he
loves me more than anything in the
world. He’ll be going back overseas
soon, and this time I want him
to know he’s got a wife waiting
and not just a scatter-brained col
lege girl. Maybe I’ll come back to
school again after he leaves. I don’t
know now. But the fact remains . . .
I love him, and I want to marry
him.”
She paused. Penny didn’t say a
word. Then Cherry went on.
“Can you understand my side,
Penny? Please do, because I want
you to more than anyone else. After
all, you introduced me to Terry.”
Penny stood up and looked at
Cherry. For a moment neither of
them spoke. Then Penny said, “Iin-
Utopia
by Boberta Huffman
I used to think that college stu
dents in the Middle Ages must have
led horribly dull lives, constantly
studying Greek and, worse still,
Latin. I had visions of emaciated,
pale-faced scholars sitting motion
less in their hard chairs hour after
hour while the stern, eagle-eyed
professor stood before them' with
a Latin book in one hand and a rod
in the other. How mistaken I was!
It was the students, not the
teachers, who ran the schools in the
Middle -Ages, and a rowdy bunch of
students they were, too. They had
a set of regulations for the teachers
to follow, and the teachers abided by
these regulaions or were awfully
sorry they did not. Teachers could
never be late to class, and they
had to close the minute the bell
rang. If, however, they did not
cover all the material in one period,
were fined. If a teacher wished to
get married, he must get permission
from the students. If the students
approved of his fiancee, they gra
ciously allowed the teacher one day
for his honeymoon, only, of-course,
after he had paid a fee for his ab
sence.
The Medieval teacher led not only
a rather restricted life but a danger
ous one. It was no uncom,on occur
rence for a student to throw a
rock at a teacher if the teacher ven
tured to disagree with him. Of-course
there were fines for throwing rocks
at teachers. After all, even a
teacher had to have a little pro
tection. For throwing a rock at
a teacher and missing the mark, a
student was fined about three cents.
If, however, the teacher was not
til one minute ago I never thought
marriage should interfere with col
lege, Cherry. I know now that you
really love Terry.
Cherry got up^ kissed Penny on
the cheek, picked up her bag, and
ran out of the room.
Penny was alone. For a long time
she sat on Cherry’s bed and gazed
out of the window. Then she got
up and walked slowly to her desk.
She picked up her pen and her
stationery. A tear fell on the blue
paper as she wrote, “My dearest
Brother Terry ...”
agile enough or too old to do some
expert dodging and the student
did hit him, the poor student was
fined six cents. Once a particularly
bold, forward sort of teacher ac
tually dared to throw a stone back
at a student who proceeded without
delay to cut his throat.
Although Medieval students were
not burdened with academic regu
lations, they did have social regu
lations and etiquette books to follow.
Etiquette books recommended very
highly to the students the practice
of washing their hands when they
got up and their faces too, if they
had time. And if a Medieval stu
dent wishfed to be considered a gen
tleman, he certainly had to have
good table manners. IJy good table
manners, Medieval etiquette books
usually meant the proper procedure
for eating fowls. A student was to
scrape every morsel of meat off the
bones with a knife, but it was not
considered the very best form to
gnaw bones. When he was through
with his bones, a gentleman always
threw them under, the table—^nevcr
in the middle of the floor!
Now I see that the Medieval stu
dent was in no sense the frail crea
ture of dust I once thought him.
He was, on the other hand, quite a
healthy lad; and the student who
sat awe-stricken before an abun
dance of learning was an exception.
(If you are unwilling to take my
w,ord for all these amazing facts, run
over to the library and plow through
the three volumes of T?he Universi
ties of Europe in the Middle Ages
by Hastings Rashdall. Believe me;
it’s a lovely way to spend six
weeks.)
Easter
Greetings
—From—
GOOCH’S
The Store on the Corner
ARDEN FARM STORE
Opposite Salem College
WINSTON-SALEM, N. C.
EASTER GREETINGS!
Harbingers of Spring are the flower fresh fragrances in clear toilet
water, sagjbets and perfumes by Mary Chess. Gifts for tlie bride,
hostess or friend from these delightful Mary Chess creations will
be as happily welcome as good news!
An outstanding collection of silver—some very old—has just arrived;
there are lovely new bowls and vases for your spring flower ar
rangements; there are strikingly handsome pieces of costume jewelry,
and many gifts of distinction for every occasion.
Our stores are again filled with the most agreeable collection of
gifts imaginable—gifts that are truly lovely to live with. Come
in and make your solectionj from the smartest gift shop in town.
ARDEN FARM STORE
Down in Old SaleAi
^ FRSHDN 5HDP
AT TRADtf
“The Store Thai Confidence BuiW* t
The outstanding name in
Ready-to-Wear, Shoes,
Millinery
and Accessories