The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-10-10
ACollcge AneCd ote.

"A COtIcSe AneCQotes a.ft
Trident "Spiit;" The perusal Of &
certain little anecdote in one of your re,
cent numbers, has brought before my
mental vision "reminiscences of ever,
college scrape in which l participated
during four of the most laborious, We,
merriest years of my life. One, in par.
tlcular, looms pre-eminent in my remsm.
brance. Deign, oh, long-suffering and
patient Esprit" to bear its ihfliction.
Billy B. was my especial fdus
.aehdtss during college life. We were
classmates. missionaries, and room
mates. We ate from the same table,
belonged to the same societies, and to
crown all, there was as reasonable sim
ilariry between our various tastes and
dispositions as any one would wish to
see. .lI.
Bill was a universal genius. The pop
ular voice said so, and, in college, the
popular voice is sometimes correct. He
played the flute and fiddle to perfec-
ton, and half" the musical amatures in
the hall where we roomed, would con-
gregate under the windows, Of fine
evening, to hear his inimitable perform
ance of"Old Uncle Ned" He would
walk all day over the toughest country
that ever 'ruinationed" sole-leather;
swim like duck; and as for his shooting
verify, if his trigger-hand hath not
lost its cunning, and he ever finds time
to become gentleman at large" let
Crank" look to his laurels In the
Recitation Rooms he made the most
perfect ''rushes,' and at the "Wood-
cock" the most correct ''punches, +"
'cobblers," and "smashers, /" that have
charmed tutorial ears, or fabricated
thirst-roughened throats. Alas, for the
changes of time! Bill is now ':piling
rocks" in California, and lam luxuri-
ating over my third post-prandial cigar
at the ''Irving." frr~- d :.
A nos moatons. The ''Laws" of our
venerable University, among other ini-
quities, were death on card-playing in
all its varieties; and, throughout the en-
tire faculty, none was more strict in the
enforcement of this particular section
than tutor E, a talented and worthy
man, but ID of a diciplinarian. One
evening Bill, myself, and couple of
select friends, were driving away "care
and SORROW" alias, thoughts Of ''iz-
zle'' IN fuisse, ''funk'' IN esse, and
warning" IN posse, by social little rub
Der, in connection with long pipes, and
occasional esculations of certain black
bottle, which contained something, neither
air nor water. A "supper, such as
can be cooked with Olmstead stoves, in
the shape of a small kettle Of mush, was
Kissing on ours, and jug Of milk, with
various bowls, spoons, &c.--no matter
how obtained-were awaiting its advent.
Just as "deal" was over, and I had
convinced myself Of the pleasant fact
that / held the three highest "honors,"
with two aces and king in other suits
"a knock, well known to our practiced
ears as emanating from the knuckles of
Tutor f -, resounded at the door,
In moment we were on the move. The
cards went into somebody's pocket, the
black bottle into false-bottomed trav-
elling trunk; and Bill, with betting
gravity of phiz, moved to open the door.
But before reaching it he paused-a
brilliant idea irradiated his features, and
he said, in that drawling "slang" Of
which he was perfect master
''Boys, Pm going to 6r that hoss!"-
He deigned no explanation beyond
quiet wink, but stepping to the table mo-
Toned me to open the door. Quite in
he dark, l obeyed, and in walked the
Tutor. rr...f'.Y asg e4I
"Good evening gentlemen; I thought"
-. Here his quick eye fell on Billy
Is he was in the act of snatching an i'm
lginary article from the table, and put
ing it hurriedly into his coat pocket
This changed the Tutors "book." He
walked up to Bill, who bowed, in an ap-
guilty, confused manner, and
without any other preface, remarked
"Mr. B, have you been playing
:ards this evening!" -.
Bill answered, with hesitation-sI
lope, Sir, that am not suspected of
uch acts"
= ~ "HiS" e"us TeSPouueolu ubor e.,
n manner meant to. be quietly sarcas-
not, Sir, but thought | |
aw you place something in your pock-
I just now; might inquire its ma
ures ?" f7'i .t'-' fT'-es
Bill stammered "No - nothing.
'ir."' gar ars s.e,r,ssq ,-.-x ~
Sand what is nothing, Sisi-a pack
E cards eh9" agi lssf ssea sasigee-d
r"Upon my honor, Mr.. E., I" pro-
ested the worthy Bill, with an assump-
ion of conscious innocence, "nothing |
ut hasty-puddihg." irG, ,slag -
Mr.. E. was taken rather aback, |
y what he considered the perfection Of
ool impudence; but he soon recovered
Pretty well, Sir, anything more."