Page:The Fraternity and the Undergraduate (1923).pdf/152

 southern correspondent to one of the journals, and breathing of soft music and palm trees, has the tender sentimental touch:

"Haying given an unusual amount of smokers and dances, we drew the scholastic year to a glorious close with our annual Commencement Banquet. Were I to attempt to recount in detail all the pleasure and glory given to Alpha that night I would consume more than our space. Let it suffice to say that there were more than forty seated 'round our festive board' including ourselves and our ladies. The banquet hall was decorated with more than a hundred college pennants, Florida palms, and pitcher plants. Soft music drifted from behind the palms while we slowly, and with dignity, sacrificed eighteen delightful courses. Ever and anon the laughter of the girls and the 'speel' of the boys were silenced by the thundering oratory of the toastmaster and his toasters. So much for the banquet."

I recall that O. Henry has one of his characters say with reference to a bibulous young fellow who had kissed a plain-featured waitress and who afterwards apologized for his rudeness, "He wasn't no gentleman, or he'd never have apologized," which suggests to me that no one but a southerner ever takes a "lady" to his annual dance.

I have never gone into the history of these