CHAPTER XXX “GOODNIGHT, GLENWOOD, GOD BLESS YOU!”

“Am I not proud of my Little Captain?” said Major Dale, leaning on Dorothy’s shoulder as they slowly wended their

way out of doors.

Roger was at her other hand, and Joe nearby. The boys had left their own school a day or two early to come and “see

sister graduate.” Aunt Winnie had congratulated “her daughter,” as she was proud to call Dorothy, too.

“Ned and Nat are only sorry that they could not come. Indeed, I had forbade it. We will go to their college instead

to help them ‘receive’ on Commencement Day,” Aunt Winnie declared.

“And there is a big surprise in store for you, my dear,” she added, pinching Dorothy’s cheek; but what it was we

can only learn when we meet Dorothy and her friends again in “Dorothy Dale in the West.”

Now there was so very, very much to do in getting ready to leave old Glenwood for the last time. The girls had yet

to pack; they would sleep one more night in the old room. Then the class would scatter¹, perhaps never to meet again!

249 Of course there were hundreds of promises to write and to visit, and plans for the summer were being discussed

right and left. Dorothy felt more serious than she ever had felt before; but Tavia was so excited that she could

scarcely keep both feet on the ground at once.

“You are really glad to leave dear old Glenwood,” said Dorothy, after they had drunk tea with Miss Olaine and come

up to their room again.

“I never did like school as you do, Dorothy. But I love the old crowd, and I’m sorry to lose the fun we have here,

” Tavia admitted.

“The whole world’s before us now,” sighed Dorothy.

“Dish-washing, and sweeping², and bed-making, and all that is before your humble³ servant,” laughed Tavia. “I’m

going home, as you know, to keep father’s house for him spick and span. Mother will be glad. She hates housework.”

They packed their trunks more soberly than they had ever packed them for removal from the school before. Down from

the walls came every keepsake and picture that they owned.

“Nix on the decorations!” Tavia said. “Jumble them all into the boxes. Never more shall they hang from the

battlements——”

“What a lot of them there are, too!” sighed Dorothy. “Not half room in this box for my photographs.”

250 “We might throw away all the boys’ photographs,” said Tavia, giggling⁴. “You know, we have foresworn boys. Is

that right, Doro?”

“Oh, yes; boys are only a nuisance—except our brothers and cousins. Don’t you say so, Tavia?”

“Sure! And a few thousand more,” she added, sotto voce. “But we’re going to marry twins if we marry at all. That

is decided⁵, Doro?”

“Certainly,” returned Dorothy, gravely.

It was growing late. The nine o’clock bell meant nothing to the girls of Glenwood Hall this night. There was bustle⁶

in every room, laughter in the corridors, and a running back and forth⁷ until late. Suddenly Tavia had an idea. It

grew out of the over-crammed boxes and trunks of “loot” from the walls.

“Goody-goody-gander! I’ve got it!” she announced to Dorothy.

“I know you have—St. Vitus’s dance,” groaned⁸ Dorothy. “I have been expecting the announcement for ever so long.

”

“Miss Smartie!” responded Tavia. “You’ll see.”

She flew about, whispering to the other graduates. In half an hour, just as Dorothy and Tavia themselves were in

their nighties and boudoir caps, a knock came at the door, it flew open, and there filed into Nineteen almost the

whole class with arms full of a “great debris” of articles, as251 Tavia called them, which had plainly been torn

from the walls of the various rooms.

“Come on, Doro,” giggled⁹ Tavia. “This is a donation party. We’re going to donate to the girls who are left such

adornments, and the like, as we do not wish to carry away with us. You know—‘We who are about to die salute¹⁰ you,’

and all that. Come on!”

Dorothy entered into the spirit of the affair. There were many trophies¹¹ and pictures that would merely gather dust

in the attic¹² at North Birchlands, she knew; she grabbed for these, and the procession took up its march from room to

room.

The lights had been left turned on in the halls; even if the girls were in bed they were routed out to receive the

donation from the departing class. Mrs. Pangborn—even Miss Olaine—were conveniently blind and deaf.

Tavia made the most extravagant¹³ speeches. The most ridiculous presents were given with a ceremony that convulsed

everybody. It was a fine, hilarious¹⁴ time.

“Oh, and the last bit of fun we shall ever have in old Glenwood Hall,” said Cologne, sadly, as empty-armed at

last, the big girls made their way back to Nineteen.

“We’ll never have so much fun again, no matter where we go,” sighed Ned Ebony.

252 “Never is a long time, Neddie,” said Dorothy, cheerfully.

Molly Richards had her arms around Dorothy. “Miss Cheerfulness!” she said. “When the skies are gray and the birds

do not sing, Doro Dale will always be exuding¹⁵ sunshine—eh?”

“And we’ll all miss you—oh! so much, Doro!” cried Nita Brent.

“We’ll miss each other,” admitted Dorothy. “But let us hope, even if we do say good-bye to Glenwood and the old

crowd, that we’ll all meet again some time.”

Tavia had been strumming on the banjo strings¹⁶ lightly, not having packed that joy-giving instrument. She broke out

suddenly into the old school chant—and they joined her, softly:
“Good night! good night! good night! good night!
Good night, again; God bless you!
And oh, until we meet again,
Good night! good night! God bless you!”

The echoes of their sweet young voices died away. They kissed each other warmly and in silence. Then the others

stole out of the old room that Dorothy and Tavia had occupied so long, leaving the two chums to the silence of the

June night and their own thoughts.
 
The End

1 scatter   

vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散

参考例句：

• You pile everything up and scatter things around.你把东西乱堆乱放。
• Small villages scatter at the foot of the mountain.村庄零零落落地散布在山脚下。

2 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

3 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

4 giggling   

v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• We just sat there giggling like naughty schoolchildren. 我们只是坐在那儿像调皮的小学生一样的咯咯地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I can't stand her giggling, she's so silly. 她吃吃地笑，叫我真受不了，那样子傻透了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 bustle   

v.喧扰地忙乱，匆忙，奔忙；n.忙碌；喧闹

参考例句：

• The bustle and din gradually faded to silence as night advanced.随着夜越来越深，喧闹声逐渐沉寂。
• There is a lot of hustle and bustle in the railway station.火车站里非常拥挤。

7 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

8 groaned   

v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• He groaned in anguish. 他痛苦地呻吟。
• The cart groaned under the weight of the piano. 大车在钢琴的重压下嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 giggled   

v.咯咯地笑( giggle的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The girls giggled at the joke. 女孩子们让这笑话逗得咯咯笑。
• The children giggled hysterically. 孩子们歇斯底里地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 salute   

vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮

参考例句：

• Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
• The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。

11 trophies   

n.（为竞赛获胜者颁发的）奖品( trophy的名词复数 )；奖杯；（尤指狩猎或战争中获得的）纪念品；（用于比赛或赛跑名称）奖

参考例句：

• His football trophies were prominently displayed in the kitchen. 他的足球奖杯陈列在厨房里显眼的位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The hunter kept the lion's skin and head as trophies. 这猎人保存狮子的皮和头作为纪念品。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

12 attic   

n.顶楼，屋顶室

参考例句：

• Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
• What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理？

13 extravagant   

adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的

参考例句：

• They tried to please him with fulsome compliments and extravagant gifts.他们想用溢美之词和奢华的礼品来取悦他。
• He is extravagant in behaviour.他行为放肆。

14 hilarious   

adj.充满笑声的，欢闹的；[反]depressed

参考例句：

• The party got quite hilarious after they brought more wine.在他们又拿来更多的酒之后，派对变得更加热闹起来。
• We stop laughing because the show was so hilarious.我们笑个不停，因为那个节目太搞笑了。

15 exuding   

v.缓慢流出，渗出，分泌出( exude的现在分词 )；流露出对（某物）的神态或感情

参考例句：

• Water-soaked exuding spots occur in the bark near the growing shoot tips. 靠近生长着的稍皮内有水浸出点，使该处膨大。 来自辞典例句
• Leaders get into everyone's skin, exuding positive energy and optimism. 深入到员工们中间，向他们传递积极的活力和乐观精神。 来自互联网

16 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。