St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-06-23

Der that dcSulatc room a cIcaky Ol
brdatcad, with lis cording Of rope, i
straw paillasSe and husk mattress file
one conner. Near the window, with ii
light from the left, stood an old famil
desk, covered with well worn, ii4urc
baizc, with its clumsy super-struCturc-
made by myself in the farm carpenter
shop-for the stand up work of har
study. A stove, so indispensable in th
winlIy months of the New ENGLAND eli
mate, occupied its accustomed corner
a strip OF rag-c;lrpct, woven by m
mother many years before, eXtcndr
alone the front ot the bed and opposit,
the foot of that bed, high up near th
ceiling, hung little Dutch student clock
with lis long weight cords almost reach
ing the iloor-su that its sl.ril peal o
alarm. ut cock crow, could have Il full
minutes time To save me from Il tardl
mark at murnln" prayers. A few tex
books occupied their places ON the desk
anon" them well used set uf Cam
bridge Mathematics "Ainswur Lat
IN and ''Dunnr"an's Greek Lexicon,
"DaI les, Ic~cn,lrr," "Iodd's Student
ManuIG-l can remember the names ut
some ot them, you scr. Perhaps | rr
member, also, something Of their con
tents Even rs II recent exploration be
meath Jerusalem discovered the iounda
tons of Solomon's Temple, ;" might {;
shaft sunk through the experiences ot
twenty five years strike the bed rCck o
college education. But do you ask t,
count the stones Of the old work, 10 scaI
lis architecture and crilici>e It's plan
l he debris and rubbish of years hav,
buried it So far beneath the surface that
It's restoration would cost as much rs
the ORIGINAL structure. Who is there, al
| forty five, who has not tur9ottrn NOR,
than lac knows The mind is like Il riv-
cr: lis excessive floods may fill the ocean,
though il- banks contain but one at Il
| time
Now it so happened that, three times
Il day, | had To climb that tire-omc ''llill
of Science" Ia attend the customary
college exercises. Anon" the old max
inns OF education, we were taught that
''thc carly bird catches the worm =
that ''a- the twig is bent the tree Is in
clined." 50 the New England fathers
trusted 10 habits of early rising, formed
i'll youth, 10 iuro>tall the usually slotliul
tendencies of professional lie. And thus
our Faculty fixed the hour of morning
prayers 1T five o'clock in winter OF
course | was too poor t own Il horse.
Out ot the Sl2J per year that | earned
Il school-tcachlnI and book pellling
durin" vacations, and which paid every
dollar ul my maintenance and education
during that four years couIsc, there WAS
naught To spare for IuXuIics OF that kind
SO, winter and summer, my siX miles of
walking per day, alternating, ut suitable
hnnrs, with sfuIy :ina rest and meals
built up for me sturdy constitution.
W hen | graduated, there was one, Of my
class Of thirty, whose marks led mine
l;ut was the only one who could walk
forty miles day, swim Il mile without
stopping, ur row Il boat for ten hours ON
Il stretch without blistering the hands.
" ould that the old gentleman were still
alive, 80 that could thank him a"ain
for that daily walk. Were it not for
his intrNiblc will. might-likc two
thirds of my cli~<-havc been Ion" since
laid low amid the clods of the valley, in
stead ot rnInyina, at tnrty-livr fair
prospect "i living 10 tram my labyhoy
in the way my father taught me.
But at the time, this discipline seemed
hard No other student, out cf a hun
drcd or more, had any such burden land
upon him Sometimes, Of course, | en-
jnycd it. In summer, when the wealth
cr was iinc--thc sun Just risen, the birds
in full cnnccrt-an early walk was r>htl
GRATING indeed. Not 80 IN winter. when
,ntcn recalled the refrain
whenever it -noWs
And the cold Wind how.
unce and ones nose.
Are almost fruz,."
And when it was dark. rainy, windy, OF
slu>hy, tins Getting ont ut Il comfortable
bed at such unreasonable hours seemed
more and more unnecessary, especially
rs | became intimate with my fellow
students who roOmed in or near the col
lc"c buildings, and who soon BEGAN tn
crack their jokes at the expense of my
tilial obedience. SO again and again, |
bcsought my father TO allow me to change
my quarters. Nothing could change his
resolution when founded on his con, ic-
tlon of duty. Compelled, therefore, TO
submit to his authority, need | say | did
so unwillingly, and chewed the cnd OF
bitter fancy while irettim% over my IA
vorite grievance ?
While indulging in this morbid frame
of mind, | was aroused one dark, gloomy
morning in the fall 10y the now detcstcd
rattle of my little Dutch clock. As had
been usual with me lately, my nlortu-
nate situation rushed into my mind.
lay awake for Il moment 10 think of it,
before mastering courage 10 get out OF
bed iancied myself once more on foot
for my regular Saturdays tramp Of four
niles to my fathers house. There again
[ pleaded, with my heart in my mouth,