The Vagabond

The eager fellow beside him was starting a new page, but Vag quickly capped his pen to free his hands for action. He listened intently as the professor capped his pedantic climax with rhetorical summing-up, cleverly designed to wake the sleeping in time to applaud. Three Cheers for the Reading Period, Vag thought, as he led off the clapping, and then pushing past the knees of the notebook-filler beside him, found the aisle at last and then the stairs.

Stepping across the Yard, Vag took a short fix on the Mem Hall clock and suddenly ducked aside, just in time to miss a Radcliffe troop coming the other way. Such happy looks on their faces, he mused--and then almost dropped his pipe. Of course, he thought with a start, the Emancipation Proclamation was in effect--co-education was here to stay. In his daze, he narrowly cleared another covey of skirts and sweaters. He could distinctly hear the 1896 Gate squeaking its hinges in disgust and any time now, the Mem Hall bell would start up a dirge celebrating the end of an era. What would the old grads think as they rolled over and bent an ear? What, indeed.

With a sigh, Vag circled University Hall and beamed a troubled glance on Old Jawn. Well that was all right--he was still unbowed in his solitary splendor. At least we have our tradition, Vag thought, but now, Fair Harvard, when thy sons to thy jubilee throng, the masculine spirit of year will be somewhat diluted. Those mellow occasions when the alumni used to contemplate "the good times we had with Copey" would have a strange air about them now when they realized there were others (he straightened his tie) who shared the same memories. Was that fair? There would be no more classes in that cherished man-to-man tradition when the professor would begin with "Gentlemen" and suit his words to his salutation. And no longer could a man feel exactly right in class--for now his privacy was invaded and his guard (and his socks) were up.

Vag shook his head. First they won suffrage and now--This. He might get used to the idea in time, but it would take quite a while. And what's more, he thought, as he knocked the heel from his pipe, he would always live in fear of seeing girl cheerleaders at the next Harvard-Yale game.