Susan, another similarity between us. In grade school I attended St. Hugh of Lincoln in Huntington Station. Even at 4th and 5th grade we talked about which of the high schools we would attend. I am sure Brentwood was one of the choices, but I don't remember the name St. Joseph's. What was the uniform? I remember a green one (must have been a St. Patrick's nearby) and a plaid one. And why did they cut your hair. (Oh, we moved to NNY in the middle of 6th grade where I finished elementary school in a tiny Catholic school, but then on to public high school.

Trying copy again I attended boarding school for my high school years. I was quite young (11) when starting my freshman year. I recall that I was very homesick the first couple of weeks. The nuns were very kind --they baked a birthday cake for my September birthday. Once I recovered from homesickness I joined the routine of the school. Although there were a few private rooms most of us slept in a large dormitory room with our 'cells' separated by curtains which could be drawn open and shut. Furniture consisted of a bed, a chair and a washstand with a pitcher and bowl. Our closets were lined up at one end of the room. To the best of my recollection our weekdays started at about 6:30 when the nun in charge of the dormitory went up and down the aisles ringing a small bell. We went to the communal bathroom to fill our pitchers with warm water which we used for our washing up, We filled a glass with cool water for tooth brushing. When we were washed and dressed we went to the chapel for daily Catholic mass. Following that we had breakfast in the refectory (dining room.). We had some time to ourselves before we assembled in the study hall before classes began. Bells were rung when classes were over and we moved from room to room in orderly lines. At noon we had lunch in the refectory with some time to ourselves before afternoon classes After school we went to the kitchen for a snack which varied from bread and jelly or peanut butter to some sort of cookies or crackers. Every afternoon following the snack one of the nuns took us out for a walk of about a mile. We were required to stay in line, two by two. After the walk there was time in study hall again, then dinner, then recreation. There was no TV in those days. I remember how excited we were when we got a radio. Sometimes one of the girls would play the piano and we would dance, the older girls teaching the younger ones. Dinner was served at 6 o'clock with an hours recreation following, then more study hall. Around 8 o'clock we went to the chapel to say the rosary, then had more time to ourselves before bed around 9:30. Sometimes on weekends we went downtown to see a movie, We had a large lawn with a tennis court and benches where we could sit and enjoy the outdoors. Saturdays and Wednesdays we signed up for our turn to have a real bath in one of the several tubs. There were no showers. On Saturdays we could press our clothes, mend, shine our shoes, set our hair, polish our fingernails, read or play games. Sunday we attended mass at the church across the street. Aside from an hour in the study hall to write letters or do homework we were pretty free to do as we chose. We could not leave the school without permission.

Seniorgal, I've been enjoying this so much. I hope you know how much we appreciate your sharing your writing with us. Some of it comes close to home. My mothers eldest sister (born in 1920) also went to live with another family to finish classes. She helped with the children and some household duties for food and a room. She told me she missed her family so much that when someone from their church offered her a last minute bus ticket to come home for Christmas, she jumped at the chance. And didn't even think until later what a predicament she may have left the woman of the house, with no help for the holidays or with the children while she carried out entertaining. Auntie Marg doesn't remember that even being pointed out to her, no hard feelings at all but understanding instead. I skipped forward to your blog you pointed out. I have my fathers slide rule in its leather case and remember him using it. I have no idea how it works but love having it.

This is a novel, but I found nothing false in the depiction of the girls in the school. It's not all about friction. There is also bonding, however much of that is in defense against other 'bonded' girls. It's also sad. Regimented and religious boundaries are as focused on the girls' chastity as they are on education. This focus promotes an unnatural understanding of all tenderness, let alone a pure love. The result is girls who are repressed witches, while boys in the boy's school must perform their assigned roles as villains. This stage of life is always difficult, but the confines of boarding schools appear to make it even more intense. If you don't believe that pre-adolescent and adolescent girls can be *terrifyingly* competitive, ask someone who teaches middle or high school. The same undercurrents exist in college sororities. Does female/female competition ever end? Is it new, or a remnant of primate behavior?