The Blue Laws of Mt. Holyoke Female Seminary were so-called, not on account of their strictness, but because in 1857 they were printed on blue paper. They were as follows:
Absence from school exercises.
Absence from table.
Tardiness in retiring.
Tardiness in rising.
Tardiness at domestic work.
Absence from domestic work.
Entering rooms.
Communications of the first kind.
Communications of the second kind.
Failure in walking.
Absence from church.
Delinquency in composition.
Spending time with others when it is not time for entering rooms.
Delay in space way
Speaking loud in space way.
Interruption in half hour.
Specified time on lessons.
Absence from rooms in study hours.
Breaking of fire laws.
Money locked.
Rooms in order.
Entering or delaying in basement.
Silent study hours.
Closing doors.
Loud speaking after retiring bell.
Conversing in reading room or Seminary Hall.
Throwing things from the window.
Marking the building.
Purchasing eatables.
Sitting or lying upon the quilts.
Making things warm in room.
Riding without permission.
Taking company to room without permission.
Broken crockery.
Calling at room of those not able to go to table.
Taking tea out without permission.
Making calls without permission.
Exchanging chamber furniture or bedding.
Taking any not given.
Sleeping with door closed.
Sending papers without permission.
Debts.
Rising before the rising bell.
Exposure of health.
Wardrobe in order.
Account books balanced.
Time devoted to composition.
Speaking above a whisper in washroom.
Doing five minutes' work or offering to do it.
Tubs rinsed.
Washboards in place.
Using pumps properly
Changing circles without permission.
Omitting washing without permission.
Passing over wet floors.
Tardiness at close of ironing.
Putting flat-iron on ironing board
Speaking above a whisper in ironing room.
Carrying holder or duster.
Exchanging articles.
The Fire Laws, as we have been able to gather them were:
Leave no matches out of the safe.
Carry no lamps to the wood room.
Place the fender before the (wood) stove on leaving the room.
Leave no wood or kindlings on the stove hearth or zinc.
Carry no fire from one room to another.
Do not leave the upper door (coal stove) closed.
Do not leave a lamp burning.
Each room was provided with poker, tongs, bellows, etc., and a rule was to keep fire utensils in place. The lady who kindly sent us the "Blue Laws" writes: "We had bellows, tongs and pokers to aid us in our struggle to keep fire in our Franklin grates. There was a little strip of wood fastened to the wall, on which these articles hung, and we were supposed, like good house-wives, to keep them in their places when not in use (which was most of our leisure time). I believe we spent more time on our knees before those grates than we did in our half-hour devotions."
One rule was: Avoid lighting matches on the wall (usually corrected by the girls to read: "Avoid lighting on the wall").
Some of these rules may seem amusing to the later graduates, but I can assure you they were not so to us. They were as rigidly enforced and as binding as the ten commandments. To quote again: "They made us almost saints, if perseveringly observed. We were ready to be canonized. But they made bright, active, earnest, know-what-you-are-about women."
Have not you younger graduates observed a sort of halo about us older women? Now you can account for it.
When I was at the Seminary, there was a parody on the Fire Laws in circulation, that I thought you might like to hear. It is somewhat suggestive of the red-tape of the old regime.
If a fire breaks out in the Seminary, the young lady who first discovers it may have permission to pour a pail of water on the fire, even if it is in silent study hours. If it is not then extinguished, she may go at once to Miss Ward, who will give her permission to go to the North Wing Parlor and inform Miss Edwards. Miss Edwards will give her permission to go to the room of her section teacher, who will send her to the bell-girl and cause a long bell to be rung. The young ladies will then assemble in the Seminary Hall, and Miss Ward will rise and say, "Good morning" or "Good afternoon, young ladies," as the case may be. "We have ascertained that a fire has broken out in our building, and it will be necessary for you to do some benevolent work All who are willing to assist will please arise." Their names will then be taken in alphabetical order. Then Miss Ward will say, "You may all rise. Those who have leaky pails may remain standing, while the rest may be seated." Their names will be taken, and then they may go to their rooms, take their pails and carry them to the long drying-room, and exchange them for whole ones. The bell will then ring again and all will meet in the Seminary Hall. Each section, with its section teacher at its head, will then march to the Connecticut River, fill their pails and return.
To avoid confusion, no two young ladies must empty their pails on the fire at the same time. No one must leave her place until the one immediately preceding her has returned.
If it becomes evident that the building will burn down, a long bell will ring again, and the young ladies will meet in Seminary Hall. They will then be told to go to their rooms at the close of the exercise, put their rooms in order, being especially careful to dust the upper shelf in the closet and the top of the mirror. Each will then pack her trunk very neatly, remembering to put dresses on the top. Money must not be put in trunks. Each will lock her trunk and place it in the hall. No one need call upon Cornelius for assistance, as he will be otherwise engaged, but when he has time he will take them down stairs.
The seniors and senior middles will then march promenade step out of the south door, the juniors and junior middles side step out of the north door. Then as the young ladies will be scattered through the town, a long bell will be rung throughout the streets, and they will all march to the graveyard, where a teacher will be found seated on a monument, ready to excuse all excusable exceptions made during the fire.
N. B. - First-class exceptions will not be excused.
A.M.R.
This paper was read before the Philadelphia Alumnae Association and printed by request of the Association, for the benefit of the Fund for the Student Alumnae Building.
[The last line helps us date this booklet circa 1916, when construction on the Student Alumnae Building began. There are too many A.M.R.'s to make a guess at who she might be. Julia Ward ("Miss Ward") was in the class of 1857; she taught until 1862, and became principal of the Seminary in 1872. Anna Edwards ("Miss Edwards") was in the class of 1859; she started teaching at the Seminary in 1868 and became associate principal of the Seminary in 1872. That helps us date the parody of the Fire Laws to 1872-1883.]