State

First Lady Her quiet dignity, .simple eharm. friendly manner and ready sympathy will assure her suc¬ cess in the position which she will occupy for the next four years. By MRS. MAX AHERN ETHY LITTI.K .lid I think when I used to cat pickles and стеком in ■class behind my French book with Alice Willson that sonic day I would salute her as North Carolina's First Lady. Yes, this same Alice, whoso high, brown pompadour and lovely complexion wore the envy of all her classmates, is now Mrs. J. Melville Broughton, and so will pre¬ side over the Governor's mansion for the next four years. Alice Harper Willson was Urn and reared in Raleigh and so will have the distinction of being the first Governor's Lady from her home town. As the daughter of William W. Willson, who was Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Masons of North Carolina from 11*17 to 1!»2S, and his wife Alice I'artin Willson, a former school-teacher, she grew up in n home of culture and many interesting contacts. Her father was also city clerk of Raleigh for a number of years and she is a grand-niece of Donald Bain, one-time State Treasurer; so you cun see that this fascinating game called polities does not find her without previous experience. Childhood Days It was happy business growing tip in a family of four children, and looking backward Mrs. Broughton has many cherished memories to take with her into her new position. For instance, who was generally accepted in family circles as her father's favorite child and she still likes to remember those days when, as a very small child, she met her father on the corner as he came home from work and put into his hand half a stick of candy or an apple that she had saved for him. Then there were those cold winter nights when her father would сото in late from some lodge meeting and wake her up to eat with him the hot oysters that he had brought homo to her; and those Sunday mornings when they would go in the kitchen together and help with the family breakfast just for fun and much to the annoyance of the family servant. When school time came for Alice she recalls skipping to grade school in a dark woolen dress with its short skirt standing out straight from the two lace-edged cambric |»ettieoats underneath and protected l»v a white apron trimmed ill Hamburg em¬ broidery. She carried an apple for the teacher ami her .«(telling hook, which was always to I-- her favorite study, and which accounts for her Ih;- ing the good speller that -he is today. There was no lying late in lied for her during these days. Professor Levin, a well known German musician of his day, would arrive at her home ul 7:30 in the morning to give her music lessons for he insisted that music could he best mastered when the mind was fresh. She recalls if she did not know her le— on the kind¬ ly old professor would rap her knuck¬ les with his pencil and «ay to her in his broken Fnglish, "Get those notes right.” Trouble in School Still reminiscing of her school days she remembers the time she and I were locked in the eoatroom for pass¬ ing notes; and the day we left the high school grounds without permis¬ sion at recess to run to the corner store for our favorite snack, pickles and crackers; how we were caught by Miss Eliza Toole who threatened us with expulsion and sent us to the principal, Mr. Hugh Morson. The latter, who probably remembered his own uncontrollable apjietite at our age, dismissed u- with a sound scold¬ ing and thus saved the family honor. Feminine curiosity will never he satisfied perhaps until we have heard something of the early romance of our incoming Governor and his wife. Alice and Melville Broughton knew each other through their school years and more than once the serious, digni¬ fied Wake Forest student said to him¬ self, "Some day 1 am going to call on that girl.” But it was not until they both went on a hay-ride given by the Baptist Tabernacle Sunday school that the two young people be¬ came seriously aware of each other. After ibut young Melville was a con¬ stant visitor at the Willson home. However, he did not seem to be getting much encouragement, so one night when leaving he said to Alice: “Do you think it is worth-while for me to continue coming to see you t" "Just what do you mean*” asked Alice. "Is there any chance for me Г ho countered. (Continued on page sixteen) a