BOARDER OR DAY-GIRL ?
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] Sta,—After reading the article as to whether it is better for the daughter of the house to be a boarder or a day-girl, by Mabel Howat, I feel that I must question and contradict some of her statements. What, I wonder, makes her think that we girls are a herd, and that there is no individuality amongst us ? I, who have been to a day school of two hundred girls and am now at a boarding school of three hundred girls much prefer the latter.
It is indeed true that we do not go beyond the gates of school very often into the outside world, but the outside world is brought to us—in the form of lectures and concerts. Also papers and magazines help to broaden the outlook which would otherwise, I admit, be very " schoolified."
If Mabel Howat thinks that we are lonely and bottle up our thoughts within ourselves, she is entirely wrong. We have special friends who share all our secrets and troubles. This, however, is done in a sensible way and not sentimentally as Eric did in Eric, or Little by Little. Please, may I remind Mabel Howat that though nine months out of twelve are spent in school the three which remain to be spent at home are time enough to learn the useful things which can only be taught at home ? I suppose that I have a thick skin since I like boarding school !
We regard school as the beginning and end of all things, do we ? I am inclined to think that there Mabel Howat has made a guess and she has made an unlucky one. The three months which we spend at home prevent us getting a narrow outlook, and I am sure make us realise that though at the present school seems a big part of life it will not always be so.
As Mabel Howat makes such strong statements it would be rather interesting to know whether she went to a boarding school or day school !—Yours faithfully, E. HAwES.
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