The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1864-1911, 1867-06-19
HOW SET ABOUT TO Paw M q
.. BEgSES. .,-
AN OXFORD STORY.

"Now, my dear Frank" said my father,
replenshing his glass the whIlG2 with some
verv particular port the old butler had
brought out that evening ~ my honor. as
you start for Oxford early 10 morrow, l
may as well say now what little | wish. to
say to you respecting the lmportert step,
you are about taking in entering university
I i'e" 's ,.tF 11;s5n
! Itook some flberts and listened atten-
tiyeIy. - .ss
a"Ihe social advantages Of the hnivers-
ity," continued my father, are, i hold, Of
very great Importance; but | 90 not wish
YOU to sacrifice its educational advantages
to--to--it's ahem! :. ~
ooh mol certainly not" / interposed,
(somewhat vaguely, perhaps }
80 ] shall expect yoa' to- take your de-
rrec in the usual course; if as mere pass
man, well and good; it with honors, all the
better. Although you viii not have to
earn your bread lin the accepted use. OF the
world), you will find such advantages Of
use" "a
I assented to all this, inwardly deriving
no small consolation from the fact that !
should not be obliged to encounter any ex,
animation at once, as my matrlculatlon had
already been triumphantly accomplished.
II shall allow you $500 a year and the
expenses of horse" added my father;
''and | shall give orders for you to be sup
plied with sound and wholesome port On
this I shall except you to live without IN
curing any debts. II you do run INTO debt,
you must discharge all such liabilities out
of your own earnings. ~ b
,x,,, E., thay'c uraat characters tlnS
was frmness. His was genuine tirmness,
and it had nothing to do with its weak
counterfeit, obstinacy. | knew that he
meant what he had said about my paying
all debts by my own earnings, and tilat 1t
had not been added merely for the purpose
of giving weight to his warning, or season.
ing his advice with the condlment called
Solemn chaff." OF course, l had no IN
tcntion then of incurring debts; but | felt
that should have to accept the aterna-
tive if did.
. : A few words shall dismiss my university
experience. Five hundred a year, with the
EXPENSES of horse Ito which servant was
added), and gratuous supply Of port wine,
seemed in contemplation mine OF wealth
that would be fully equal to all my neeessi-
ties So, relying on the plentitude of my
resources, | started a econd horse, and
even third during the hunting season. |
liked lin common will all other Oxonians |
ever made acquaintance with easy chairs
and luxurious furniture was fond of
looking at handsomely bound books, if |
did not read them very carefully; and good
pictures | had quite u passion tor. L took
great delight in music; so grand piano.
forte, hired at rate that would have paid
lis nrice once year, formed a conspicuous
feature in my rooms. All these likings land
MANY others of an expensive nature might
be added together with great taste for
pleasant and genial society, suficed to ren
der nv career an expensive one. One thing
7 can conscientiously aver; if money was
wasted thoughtlessly on caprecious whims
and measures, it was not wasted on any
pursuits that could be condemned as vicious.
The result of all this expenditure may be
easily guessed.
was never ploughed; but in these peri
odical encounters with the examiners, che
university rules oblige me to engage in, L
may say that the former always died game.
Never shall forget those last final rounds
conducted across that awful green table,
wien all one mental pugilistic science was
brought into play to make very partial
knowledge reach the whole length Of a
subject; while enthusiastic friends with mis-
taken kindness, looked on in breathless 81
lence, and encouraged me with smiling
glances or imaginary pats on the back, as
turned towards them with sickly smile OF
recognition, and hollow pretense of being
quite at my ease.
But the time came when all these ordeals
were safely passed, and | was going to put
on nv gown next degree day. So | sent
round to collect my various bills, deter.
mined to be business-like, and to arrive at
an exact knowledge of my position. After
some persuasion, the coy tradesmen sent IN
their bills, not to ask for payment, but
pledges, as it were, of their confidence in
my honor and solvency. After two or three
efforts in addition (compound) that brought
varying results, | arrived at the conclusion
that | owed nearly 9S00. My father
words recured to me, not by any means foi
the first time, and set myself to wonder
/ ing how / could earn it. Literature-tht
writing of q successful novel that should
1 accomplish the whole matter as by the mag
/ ic of O fairy wand--was the Fl st idea tina
presented itself as believe it does to very
4 many others under similar circumstances
| I dismissed the thought as impracticable
| A brighter one succeeded. / would get