Nadine's Diary, "Flirting with Some Boys"

Wednesday, Nov. 14, 94.  Got up in time to go to breakfast.  Hodges and Warne were not there.  In school, in Elocution class*, some girls tried awfully hard to get Hodges to talk to them.  He sat with us girls.  Miss Delay smiled and winked at him.  I didn't pay much attention to him but Clara tried to get me to treat him better.  Went from there to dinner.  Hodges, Warne, Clara and I went to noon day prayer meeting.  Had lots of fun.  They walked home with us.  Hodges went to class.  Warne came on over to the Hall.  We saw Lion and Moss coming and Hodges told Warne to watch me that Moss didn't get to talk to me.  Clara & I came in and broke right for Nannie's Room and there stood Warne at the top of the stairs and down he rushed and brought her back to her room and when I came in he said he was going to tell Hodges.  I told him I wouldn't do it again.  He brought an iron down from his room.  Said some person had left it there and we could have it.  He was pretending he would hit me with it if I didn't stay away from Moss.  Clara went to class.  Mr. Lion & Moss started home, but Mr. Moss stopped in the hall to talk to me.  Mr. Lion went home.  Came back to get Nannie to show him where the Shorthand lesson was.  Mr. Moss came in the room.  Stayed a little while till Nannie came in to ask me where the lesson was and then she came in again and wanted me to go to the office with her.  So Mr. Moss went with us.  He locked my door, and when he gave me my key he didn't do a think but smile real sweetly and squeeze my hand.  He didn't pay one bit of attention to Nannie.  Think she was a little jealous of me.  Came from the office to Mr. Stinsons' office.  Paid him for 5 weeks board from there to our rooms.  Helped Nannie sew on her blue dress.  Got ready for 2 oclock Short hand class.  Had lots of fun in the class but felt most mighty blue all evening.  From there to supper.  We told Hodges & Warne we had been flirting with some boys and etc.  They got so huffy they turned on us and was as mean as could be all eve.  They walked up home with us.  Came in for a few minutes.  Nannie Whitlaw came in and the boys were provoked.  Hodges started home and didn't say he was going or any think.  Fred left in a few minutes.  Clara went to one of the girls rooms.  Nannie stayed a little while and went home.  Clara & I went to chapel room to be organized in a debating section.  Had lots of fun.  Flirted some.  Messer Limons & Loffler ask us to join their section so we did.  Loffler wanted to come home with me but did not let him.  Went from there to Perrine's store.  Got  an elocution book.  From there to Union Hall with Clara & Nannie.  I stopped to talk to Mr. Kelley for my East Hall room while the girls went on to the Hall.  Came up home and studied.  Mr. Garland called for a few minutes in the morning.  Got a letter from Mamma.  She sent me $1.00 bill and some stamps.

*An Elocution textbook from 1895:  Simplified Elocution:  A Comprehensive System of Vocal and Physical Gymnastics by Edwin Gordon Lawrence.  Nadine never specifies which textbook they used, but this will give an idea of what Elocution class entailed.  Here is another volume from 1890:  Aids to Correct and Effective Elocution by Eleanor O'Grady.