The next Saturday was fixed upon for the first meeting. During the week Katy proposed the plan to the elect few, all of whom accepted enthusiastically. Lilly Page was the only person who declined. She said it would be stupid; that for her part she didn’t set up to be “proper” or better than she was, and that in any case she shouldn’t wish to be mixed up in a Society of which “Miss Agnew” was a member. The girls did not break their hearts over this refusal. They had felt obliged to ask her for relationship’s sake, but everybody was a little relieved that she did not wish to join.
No. 6 looked very full indeed that Saturday afternoon when the S. S. U. C. came together for the first time. Ten members were present. Mary Silver and Louisa were two; and Rose’s crony, Esther Dearborn, another. The remaining four were Sally Alsop and Amy Erskine; Alice Gibbons, one of the new scholars, whom they all liked, but did not know very well; and Ellen Gray, a pale, quiet girl, with droll blue eyes, a comical twist to her mouth, and a trick of saying funny things in such a demure way that half the people who listened never found out that they were funny. All Rose’s chairs had been borrowed for the occasion. Three girls sat on the bed, and three on the floor. With a little squeezing, there was plenty of room for everybody.
Katy was chosen President, and requested to take the rocking-chair as a sign of office. This she did with much dignity, and proceeded to read the Constitution and By-Laws of the Society, which had been drawn up by Rose Red, and copied on an immense sheet of blue paper.
They ran thus:—
Constitution For The Society For The Suppression Of Unladylike Conduct, Known To The Uninitiated As The S. S. U. C
Article I
The object of this Society is twofold: it combines having a good time with the Pursuit of VIRTUE.
Article II
The good time is to take place once a week in No. 6
Quaker Row, between the hours of four and six P. M.
Article III
The nature of the good time is to be decided upon by a Committee to be appointed each Saturday by the members of the Society.
Article IV
VIRTUE is to be pursued at all times and in all seasons, by the members of the Society setting their faces against the practice of bowing and speaking to young gentlemen who are not acquaintances; waving of pocket handkerchiefs, signals from windows, and any species of conduct which would be thought unladylike by nice people anywhere, and especially by the mammas of the Society.
Article V
The members of the Society pledge themselves to use their influence against these practices, both by precept and example.
In witness whereof we sign.
Katherine Carr, President.
Rosamond Redding, Secretary.
Clover E. Carr.
Mary L. Silver.
Esther Dearborn.
Sally P. Alsop.
Amy W. Erskine.
Alice Gibbons.
Ellen Whitworth Gray.
Next followed the By-Laws. Katy had not been able to see the necessity of having any By-Laws, but Rose had insisted. She had never heard of a Society without them, she said, and she didn’t think it would be “legal” to leave them out. It had cost her some trouble to invent them, but at last they stood thus:—
By-Law No. 1
The members of the S. S. U. C. will observe the following signals:—
1st. The Grip.—This is given by inserting the first and middle finger of the right hand between the thumb and fourth finger of the respondent’s left, and describing a rotatory motion in the air with the little finger. N. B. Much practice is necessary to enable members to exchange this signal in such a manner as not to attract attention.
2nd. The Signal of Danger.—This signal is for use when Miss Jane, or any other foe-woman, heaves into sight. It consists in rubbing the nose violently, and at the same time giving three stamps on the floor with the left foot. It must be done with an air of unconsciousness.
3rd. The Signal for Consultation.—This signal is for use when immediate communication is requisite between members of the Society. It consists of a pinch on the back of the right hand, accompanied by the word “Holofernes” pronounced in a low voice.
By-Law No.2
The members of the S. S. U. C. pledge themselves to inviolable secrecy about all Society proceedings.
By-Law No.3
The members of the S. S. U. C. will bring their Saturday corn- balls to swell the common entertainment.
By-Law No.4
Members having boxes from home are at liberty to contribute such part of the contents as they please to the aforementioned common entertainment.
Here the By-Laws ended. There was much laughter over them, especially over the last.
“Why did you put that in, Rosy?” asked Ellen Gray: “it strikes me as hardly necessary.”
“Oh,” replied Rose, “I put that in to encourage Silvery Mary there. She’s expecting a box soon, and I knew that she would pine to give the Society a share, but would be too timid to propose it; so I thought I would just pave the way.”
“How truly kind!” laughed Clover.
“Now,” said the President, “the entertainment of the meeting will begin by the reading of ‘Trailing Arbutus,’ a poem by C. E. C.”
Clover had been very unwilling to read the first piece, and had only yielded after much coaxing from Rose, who had bestowed upon her in consequence the name of Quintia Curtia. She felt very shy as she stood up with her paper in hand, and her voice trembled perceptibly; but after a minute she grew used to the sound of it, and read steadily.
TRAILING ARBUTUS
I always think, when looking
At its mingled rose and white,
Of the pink lips of children
Put up to say good-night.
Cuddled its green leaves under,
Like babies in their beds,
Its blossoms shy and sunny
Conceal their pretty heads.
And when I lift the blanket up,
And peep inside of it,
They seem to give me smile for smile,
Nor be afraid a bit.
Dear little flower, the earliest
Of all the flowers that are;
Twinkling upon the bare, brown earth,
As on the clouds a star.
How can we fail to love it well,
Or prize it more and more!
It is the first small signal
That winter time is o’er;
That spring has not forgotten us,
Though late and slow she be,
But is upon her flying way,
And we her face shall see.
This