The Days Of Gloria, Part 7

September 23, 1896
Margaret Spooner

The Paper

When Dreams Die

We are all saddened by the recent death of Gloria Hill. It is always tragic when one so young with so much potential is taken from us, but we must recall, God has a plan for us all. In the aftermath of loss the plan can seem incoherent and even cruel but with time and perspective, we learn all things happen for good reason.

There have been changes at Primrose College. There has been an insinuation that the girls of Primrose are academically equal to the men of Brown. This remains a blatant fallacy, but the insinuation is ever present in the form of our peers attending classes beside these girls. However, the insinuation is only superficial as any probing quickly reveals.

The young men are held to higher standards with even a minor infraction of the school rules resulting in permanent and uncontestable expulsion. The Primrose girls face mild to moderate spankings for similar misbehavior and yet we are to believe this is equality? It is hardly so, but the pain goes deeper.

Primrose Girls are now burdened with the shame of not only their fellow girls but the men of Brown as well. Who among us wishes to be present for the necessary chastisement of a girl? If she were to be your betrothed would you not rage at the thought of your peers seeing that which should remain for the privacy of your eyes? Is that not the right of every man? So it seems the charms of our girls are no longer sacred.

This of course is no more true than calling night, day. Gloria Hill is the proof if you need it. This unfortunate girl was stripped of her sacredness and bared for those to see whom should never have seen. It was horror and shame beyond that which any girl can or should be expected to endure. Gloria Hill was a good girl, a loving daughter, an eager student. She behaved, as girls often do, without thought and slaved to her emotions. It was Mr. Bard’s responsibility to correct her and so he did.

It was not that he wanted to take anything away from her. His intentions were for her betterment. As appropriate and necessary, he disciplined her. The shame brought to Gloria Hill from this was not commiserate with the lesson to be taught though. The male audience was a result of politics and policies placed on Mr. Bard from the school board. Gloria Hill was a victim of politics gone amok. When our directors are more concerned with making political statements than they are about the welfare of the students in their care, tragedy is unavoidable.

Gloria Hill paid the price. Gloria Hill could not live with the shame of failing to do her homework. She behaved as all girls do from time to time but she paid a much higher price in shame. The shame drove her to commit the ultimate sin, but it God’s plan at work. His message could not be clearer. Girls are not men and to treat them as such will destroy them and us.

Let politics interfere no more with common sense. It is time to end the great social experiment at Primrose College and bring sanity back to the campuses of Brown and Primrose. We are not equal, we shall never be equal. Gloria Hill has given her life to teach us this lesson. Let us learn and let us honor her memory for teaching us truth that hurts.

I read it twice and still did not believe it.

Only words on a page but when we are gone, all that remains of us can be those mere words. What does it say of us that remain when we are careless with our words in respect to the departed? Do we not care or is political posturing more important than decency? I would ask these questions of Edgar, but I dare not for fear of the inevitable repercussions.