Show Dixie 4 It was was Washington's birthday dinner t. t at a prominent Northern college for j women women the the name nam of I will not give give and and the viands had been disposed of with the avidity which only school schoolgirls schoolgirls girls can understand Course after course had been removed rem ved and now there th re came a lull in the clatter of knives and andr r forks forks though not in the clatter of girlish tongues The girls at the senior table especially were having a jolly time of it Nan do you ever have such a dinner as this down South said a bright haired dark-haired girl to her opposite neigh neigh- bor bar The person addressed looked up k quickly smiled and said Just J us you try us and se see If youve you've never eaten an old fashioned SOu Southern hern dinner well dinner well youve you've missed missed- half your life and I pity you A general laugh arose at at this and her companion a faced bright-faced girl from Maine said roguishly Ah Nan you'll always take up for Dixie wont won't you II Trust her for that put in the girl who had ventured the first remark but here the conversation was suspended for the class president rose to speak Nan Gordon was probably the most popular girl in college Her mind which was sufficiently brilliant for her herto herto herto to glide through her course without much study had paved the way to popularity with the teachers and her lovable disposition disposition disposition dis dis- position had won for her the hearts of her classmates She was not pretty and yet her face possessed an interest and indefinable charm all its own She had sensitive features sparkling black blackeyes blackeyes blackeyes eyes eyes- and oh crowning piece of misfortune mis mis- fortune hair fortune hair a brilliant red It was not a red that could be softened or qualified qualified qualified by the charitable terms of golden or auburn it was positively uncompromisingly uncompromisingly uncompromisingly promisingly redA red A less tempered sweet-tempered and sensible girl would have spent many a bad ter-of-an-hour ter over the jokes indulged in at her expense but not she Bless you no She did not care If her hair afforded afforded afforded af af- af- af forded any amount of amusement for h her r loving fun-loving classmates so much the bet bet- ter After all she knew well that the jokes were made in n love not malice malic and she took them in like lik spirit The girls were fond of quoting of her on all occasions occasion Little Nan Gordon With the red hair- hair Down on the senior floor You know where slightly changing the old stanza But if she could not be teased on that score there was a point on which she shewa was wa intensely sensitive She was Va a loyal Southerner to tl the e he hearts heart's ts t's core core- and ancI woe 2 U i J to o th the girl who who ventured ventured a remark un uncomplimentary uncomplimentary uncomplimentary un- un complimentary to the South or its its' peo peo- pIe Her quick and ready tongue was often called into service in the defense of her beloved Southland and g generally succeeded in turning the joke on her antagonists Because of her loyalty to Georgia her native state and to the South in general the girls had dubbed her Dixie and the name clung to her heras as such names will It was the time-honored time custom of the college that at the conclusion of the dinner on Washington's ms m's birthday the girls should join in singing the national songs and the class dass president now led ledin ledin ledin in the chorus of America To a chance visitor it would have been a pleasing sight to have seen those long rows of faced bright-faced girls in their many-colored many dresses and to hear hear- their fresh young voices ring out in inthe the songs My Country of Thee Star Spangled Banner and Red White and Blue which followed in quick succession succession succession suc suc- cession sung with spirit every girl joining in Nans Nan's clear soprano mingled with the voices of the others but she was las nevertheless nevertheless nevertheless never never- thinking of something quite foreign foreign foreign for for- eign to their thoughts Her face was illumined by the fire of a sudden purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose and and s she e was evidently struggling to conceal her impatience Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and there was a sparkle of daring in her eyes as she sat and bided her time And it came As the last notes of Red White and Blue died away the girls were startled by something not exactly on the pro pro- gram In a clear ringing voice Nan struck up the tune of D Dixie xie Pure and sweet and true the notes sounded through the hall The room was elec electrified elect trifled with astonishment In an instant every Southern girl in the room had caught the spirit and joined in jn in the s strain n maki making g the long hall rl with ith k t 4 n the chorus Then was wa was music those sweet Southern voices united in singing singing singing sing sing- ing that beloved song I As the room was still resounding with with those those first in inspiring inspiring inspiring in- in strains the Northern girls recovered recovered recovered re re- covered from their astonishment at such unprecedented behavior There was was a hurried consultation a whisper ran along th the lines and they rallied for the repulse Without a signal yet together every Northern girl raised her voice in that well-known well Union song Marching Through Georgia completely drowning out Dixie by the force of numbers When Nan realized what had happened happened happened hap hap- she grew pale then flushed clean to the roots of her red red hair Her eyes eyes' filled with angry tears she rose impetuously impetuously impetuously im im- from the table and left the room It was too much for her loyal heart to bear She put her fingers in her ears to shut out the out the hated rhymes and ran down the till she reached the stairs where she flung herself herself herself her her- self down weeping helplessly As she sat there sobbing in a passion of wounded pride and real pain suddenly she raised her head Could it be true Surely her ears deceived her I The halls and of that great building were re-echoing re to the strains of Dixie sung as she had never heard it sung before before before be be- fore I i Her generous gener friends were paying a tribute to the girl they loved so well and she as she sat alone on the stairs received the message and her heart was glad Dixie had triumphed triumphed tri tri- Dottie I-Dottie I Dottie Scarborough in Baylor Literary |