Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1860-05-23
dItIIIulIy TUuIo,
QUISBY QUlRK.
For the Express.
Farmers Home Institute.


CLINTON, May 10, 1860.
One often feels the inconvenience OF liv-
ing in quiet town,fa away from the stir.
ing scream of the locomotive, the jar of
machinery and the hun of business life;
but these advantages are more than CON-
pensated by the rural influences and social
benefits which can only be attained in the
country The lack of press, through
which one can communicate bis thoughts
to the great family of mankind, without
recourse to the saddle bags of uncle 'Sam-
uel, !" is, however, the greatest privatior
which is felt by one who has been accus
toned to the ready benefits of "sanc
tum" and the sunny smiles of an editorial
friend. But life of ease is not apt to bt
life of duty, and those ready convenieD
ces are often unappreciated, when enjoyed
so, perhaps, it is as well to rusticats in
the country, as to luxuriate in town, Of
rush madly through life in the busy haunt:
of men.
Clinton is quiet place. It's old, brown
buildings seem to have slumbered from
generation TO generation. as if dreaming o
time. The green sward and variegatinl
shades renew their dress annually; bu
little, or no change is wrought in the staic
and quiet population. 1t needs only The
descriptive pen OF an Irving to reproduce
in lis ideal, the dreamy legends of "Sleepy
Hollow" Not even the establishing of 8
Military School within its borders has
served to awaken the people to realizing
sense of the awful realities of progress
The drum beat and measured tread of the
Institute Companies are received as neces
sary results of some unforeseen cause; and
| the occasional advent Of a new Cadet ex
cites no remark, as the entire line Of hi
ancestry can generally be traced by tn,
"eldest inhabtant.' The banner flaps
and the Band performs on the balcony, bu
the good people are too much absorbed il
their quiet duties to notice the wild prank
of those young men from town. The ad
mirer OF nature comes here to enjoy tn
meditative silence of retired grounds ant
quiet shades; the lover of fun, to enjoy it
novelty; and the mad cap from town I,
play pranks upon his unsuspecting com
rades: but no sooner does he don The sobe
gray of the initiated Cadet, and watch lo
the first time the expiring sunlight, as i
glances among the trees and fingers upol
the glimmering ripples of the slow moving
river, than these associations vanish, an'
he feels like one awakened in the midet O
a quiet assemblage in a strange place.
Exceptions to this rule will OCCASIONAL,
occur. Students from other colleges an,
schools will sometimes excite these laten
sensibiliiies to mischeivous fun, by the re
lation of tricks and practical jokes, tha
linger among the memories of their pas
associations; and the new born idea serves
ia its practical application, TO relieve th
monoteny of school decorum, and furnisl
gossip for foreign circles; but never dis
turbs the quiet of the town. These Incl
dents generally have an individual appli
cation, and some young Caesar must thel
bleed for the good of Rome.
But reversal of this rule sometime
occurs, as the following will illustrate.-
A plan was recently conceived, by som
waggish fellow, to re-enact an old bu
rather serious-COliege joke upon the stu
dents and faculty, by administering an &C
tive emetic TO the entire school. Durin
the afternoon large number asked leay
TO absent them selves from the Chapel an