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American History
The Woman's Building


     What was called, The Woman's Building, could have been a stately old mansion with a wide porch across the front that was more like a veranda. As far as I could see it was never used but simply rested across the front of the building as decoration, even though it could have been a wonderful place for lounging chairs since the view took in the rolling lawn going up to the lake.  The quiet lapping waters were pleasant and peaceful. Geese wandering in about the shores and their bobbing on the waters were lovely. Their waddling ways and soft quaking sounds lent an air of levity to the scene. At night the mercury light on a tall pole gave drama outside my window with the look of being always moonlit. The busy ways of the teachers who lived there didn't give them much time for lounging even though the building in its stately manner wanted to allow it.

      Upon entering the double front doors there was a very large great room. A hall way took off to the left and stairs led to the apartments upstairs as well. To the right were large French doors. It was through these doors employees went to be seated at the elegant dining room which was called, with little creative naming, “The Café.”  Unmarried employees were the ones who usually frequently the café for their meals. The food was not costly because it was a part of a training program for those who were taking café management as their vocation.  A few of the girls who had worked for me at the office when I was detailed to that, as a student,  were now,  the one's who took our orders. They always treated me in a special way which also made the meals nice, too.

      Fresh white table clothes, crystal drinking glasses, and complete table settings made the dining elegant. Every part of the menu had extra thought given to it, for instance, if you ordered orange juice it was freshly squeezed, real orange juice.  Life was good and actually held little comparison to the many meals I had off metal trays in the massive cafeteria styled dining room when I was a student.

      Our little group was seated and enjoying our morning meal when one of the recently hired bachelors came in late to join us.

     “You are late,” someone reminded him.

     “I know.”  His grin was wider than usual and it made us know he had a reason for his tardiness and he was going to share it with us.

      “The goose parade held me up.”

      Of course, we all knew what he meant. For some reason the geese seemed to choose the most opportune time to leisurely amble across the road. Anyone who happened to be caught in their car on the road at that place had no choice but to sit and wait patiently until each and every goose had made its way across the road.

      “One of these mornings......”  His joking about it told us  the running down of one of them was only a threat.

      After the school closed there was no one to take care of all the maintenance of the stately old edifice. The steam pipes burst in the building. All the beautiful maple furnishings in the apartments went to pieces. The walls and floors were also destroyed.


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