Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-10-03
Conc TO College.

Conc TO College.
Another school term is upon us. Once more
Learning opens her doors and irvokes our
patronage. Teachers are fastening home
from their rambes. ready for the tolls of anoth-
er session. Bookstores are thronged with
blushing girls and sly.eyed boys in eager pur-
suit of maps. grammars, states, book-bags III;
lcrs and pencils. Each morning shows proud and
loving parents vending their way to our var
ious halls of science, for the purpose initiating
their children and Of securing for them it pos
Sible, seats near the stove-on account, OF
course, of their peculiar constitutional tendon
cies to contract colds in winter weather.
This also is the trying season when our
boys arc sent away to college. La most taml-
lies, this is a stirring event For weeks be-
torehand the mother is busy with needles,
sponge and soap, in putting those indispensa-
bic clothes in faultlcss trim.
The old gentleman has had several very dry
letters from tho secretary OF tho fortunate COL
lcyc to which his radiant sou is going. tic has
made frequent calculations of the expense
each too low-examined his baua account over
and over asain-decided three or tour, times
that he could not afford the thing, aud after
all has concluded To s''scnd him anyhow. -
Bills Of UNUSUAL size have been made for
clothes, shoes, hats and trunks Numerous
solemn, but poorly valued, lectures have been
read to the young genius, on the sublime
themes Of taking exercise, strict economy and
temperance. Tho subject of coming home
Christmas has been often agitated moth
CT tavoring, the Old gentleman very much tho
other way.
With the boy, it is glorious time. There
is something majestic and romantic IN the
naked idea Of going to college. From the
time it was determined to send him: his brain
has been in a constant reel of Intoxicating de-
light. He has not been able to appear in pub
lie, since without straitealns himself to
grave and conscious dignity and fancying that
every eye was fixed upon him. He has tried
70 look grand and manly. He has spread with
marvellous industry the news that he was gong
10 college Hc feels new interest in rail-
roads. moustaches, and postage stamps lie
combs his hair behind his ears and feels very
intellectual tie begs everybody to write to
him aud promises each boy OF his circle to
write to him every other Saturday. lie begs
the girls for their pictures and rings and pro-
forget him. He gives away his bandy-stick,
his old overcoat and German top lie buys
photograph album and crowds it with every
picture he can find.
At home he swells into new and immense lm-
por;ance His father treats him with respect
bordering on reverence, and gives him new
watch and chain. His mother counts and
marks his socks and handkerchiefS and consc-
Grating them with stray tear or two, gently
deposits them in the tray. of his large new
trunk. His sister pets him fondly, makes him
silver beaded watch case, and reveals to HIM
that she Is engaged to be married. Little
brother sits in his lap constantly, hugs him fu-
riousIy and greatly to the damage Of his paper
n Il. IL aI-
and actually cries to sleep with him, ''coS nc Is
voin away" Even the sable old cook looks in
To grin and admire and to solicit something to
remember him by.
Finally the day comes for him to go-hack
at tho door-old mans voice husky-mother
embraces him and weeps and promises to send
a box of eatables-sister, being engaged, and
looking for her future support, that very even
ing, bears the departure of her brother with
great firmness-little brother, having broken
his whip, is out of humor and sternly refuses
to indulge any valedictory courtesles with the
young collegiau-crack, goes the whlp-away
flies the hack-aud the boy is out and Sono to
college Petersburg Progress.
GILMORE IN CLOVER. The irrepressible P
$. Gilmore, whose great concerts OF guns,
drums chimes, go ngs, to say nothing or string
ed Instruments by scores, wind instruments by
hundreds and human voices by thousands, have
80 far cclipsed the fame even OF Jullen-that
illustrious musician in immaculate kids and
spotless expansc of shirt front-Gilmore, we
repeat, is, according to the London dispatches,
preparing new triumphs for himself and his
country He has projected it is known, an
International peace jubilee or musical iestl,,
val. dcsl gued to surpass even the great one heid
at Boston two years ago. We arc told by tele.
graph that the English secretary of war, MIR.
CALDWELL has given attentive consideration to
his scheme of q grand international musical
festival" to be held in Boston, Mass, on the
18th Of June, and has finally promised to the
protector of the festival the use Of the splendid
band of the guards. Mr. Gilmore is next going
to Berlin and Paris at which capitas he hope
to obtain permission from the governments OF
Germany and France for the use of some of the
best bands in their military service.
BARNARD SHows.-The English have been
accustomed to ridicule our baby shows and tat
men exhibitions, but they have lately got up
some far more absurd and Objectionable, to
good taste at least. Of their own. There is GER
tainly nothing particularly attractive IN the
puking of children, as they complain, or the
obesity of number of ovcrgrown Dutchmen
but they lack the folly of IN exhibition of cats,
or a show of barmaids both of which have
lately taken place in England. Than the latter
nothing can be conceived more reprchenslble
Fifty hashily-dresSed girls were cnnSregated il
saloon near London, and all the roucs OF the
metropolis brought down to oglc them. They
dispensed, meanwhile, their viands and thel
liquors, along with their coquetrlcss and theil
SMILES and It may easily be imagined that il
was q speculation highly productive to tho en-,
treprencur, though not likely to be conducive
to the advance of morality. " I. S''r.
0O7 : FEED: POI