Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-14

this Society dear son Of whom they ha'
just reason to be proud. When good meI
die, ripe In years, have not felt 1t IN ml
heart, for some time past, to deal III tht
language Of lamentatiOn. When 1 th'nI
they have gone to s'Jef1salem, the golden,
| as I think of this man-for knew hin
Well--while the tear will start 70 my eye
for those that are left, for him that Is taken
I take up the refrain of those precious
words: "Blessed are the dead which die il
the Lord. Yea, saith the Spirit, for they
rest from their labors." ttA -
Since. ia the providence Of God, ouI
chosen orator is lost to us, we have had, as
it were, to improvise something to I'LL that
gap ia our proceedings. Our friends have
chosen to devolve that duty on me. Being
an old man, and not now very much con-
cerned about the good or Ill success Of an
effort like this, 1 suppose 1t is better that
should be put forward rather than some
younger man. III make failure it Is no
great matter to me. Still, frienGs, i crave your
sympathy aud indulgent judgment, for no
man can undertake to address, on short no
tice, such an audience as this, and on such
an occasion, without fearing that he may
prove tame and tedious, or even something
worse. | shall not venture on any literary
topic, or take any single theme for the Occa-
sion. Having hastily arranged some scat
tered thoughts, propose to give you what
we win call ga glance at Nashville College
life forty-ive years ago." Il will be essen
TALLY a narrative, on which may string q
few reflections.
Forty-fve years ago e
elbow many thought of faded pains and plea
Those whispered syIlables have brought
From memOry's headed treasures?
The fields-the forms-the bets-the books
The glories the disgraces;
The voices of dear friends, the looks
or old familiar faces"
Forty-fve years ago then, your speaker
was a youth of eighteen, full of life and
hope, with eye lifted to those gorgeous
@castles in the air, (which have long since van
ished from his sight. Forty-five years since
then have fed and oh, what years of labor
and anxiety Of hopes and fears, of profess
sional struggles, of political contest, Of good
professional success, of domestic peace and
pleasures, and then, oh then, of the pro
lOnged dread of impending outrage and OPP
pression-the unavoidable confict-the ter
rible four years of carnage and destruction
when two brave soDs laid down their lives;
the heart-breaking close of utter discomtt-
ure and defeat! Oh! it was sorrowful, so sor-
rowful. And yet, after all is it not some
thing to thank God and take courage about,
that the old man with his grey beard, is per-
mitted in the good providence Of God to
meet again in this way some of the friends
Of that early day and many Of the sons OF
old alma Mater of the intervening genera
tons /? hail, you, brothers, one and all,
with tull and joyous heart.
propose to give you, friends and breth-
rem a familiar talk about Nashville
College life in my day. 1t will, of necessity,
smack of the ego good deal. You viii
pardon that, l hope, friends. What pro-
pose to do cannot be so well done in any
other way. Personal experiences, autObiO-
graphies, always give the truest pictures of
life and manner.
. Your speaker entered the University in
the summer of 1927, aud after examination
was allowed to enter the Junior class half
advanced, and graduated with the class Of
1928. l brought along my old diploma in
the elegant manuscript OF my old friend,
Rev. Mr.. Fall, who then prepared all our
diplomas. If any one is curious, when l
am done, he can find here the autographs Of
Philip Lindsley, Andrew Jackson, VIM. Car
roll, Sam Houston, Felix Robertson, John
Roam, Felix Grundy, John Bell, and other
eminent men of that day. The enly survivor
of thirteen names is my venerable friend,
Francis B. Fogg. All the rest have passed
into the unseen world, and have pleasant
fancy that they are around US, and among
us now. Shades of the noble dead, all
hail
Let us take a glance at the Faculty of
that day. There comes our dear "DomiDe"
In his old gig and old white horse. He is
dressed in a suit Of black. His light form
is stopped little. Meets a group of boys
at the hall door-raises his large lustrous
hazel eve, as he passes, and bows slightly.
He hears a class in Greek recite to-day.
Some luckless fellow misses Greek verb
or the proper tense Ofa Greek Yerb-"Guess
again." in his deep under-tone and passing
the tip of his tongue slightly along his
lips. This man was wOrshipped-adored
By our fellows, at least by all the thought
full. And well he might be, for few men OF
broader brain, profounder learning, clearer
Judgment, or finer finish, whether in his
mental or moral make up, haveever adorned
this, or any age, or country, than Philip
Lindsey.
Who is that small man with sandy hair
and soft quiet manner? That is James
Hamilton, Professor of Mathematics, and
one Of the very ablest of his day in that de-
partment.
And there is slender gentle
men, holding himself stiff and
erect. with countenance composed
and grave: that is Nathaniel Cross, Profess
sor of Ancient Languages, a man thorough
ly up to the duties Of his chair, and great
student.
And there is Prof. Bowen, our young and
rising professor of chemistry, giving the
fellows, at their request charge OF eXhilar-
ating Gas at the labOrary or the compass.
See how they carry On-One fellow goes to
fighting; another to Laughing; another to
dancing. l remember l was Of the dan
cling set, and some high cspers they said l
cut.
Then there is our tutor, the modest and
worthy Mr.. Sewers, who held prayers in The
chapel of mornings. Mr.. Sewers always
praved with his ewes shut, and so kindly
allowed fellows who came wrapped up Ofcold
mornings in camblet cloaks to slip out as
soon as PRAYERS begun and 60 back to bed.
This was all changed when Prof. Hamilton
took to saving prayers; for he always prayed
with his eyes open, and kept good look
out while he was praying "Watch and
prav'' was practically his rule, and this the
fellows did not relish half so well as Mr..
Sewers way, and at first devised various
WAYS of annoying the Professor when at
prayers. Some Of them very funny, but
not exactly proper to describe here. One
morning we absolutely broke up his prayer,
and what glee and exultstiOn it made when
we got out of chapel. The fellow who led
in that deviltry was hero from that time
forward. The Professor had stopped in the
midst Off prayer to check some disorder,
and forgot to resume it, and we called it
busting up old Hamilton's prayer.
There is another worthy of whom must
make honorable mention before | conclude
the college staff. This was none other than
that good old darkey uncle "Cage." Cage
was an Observation-Disclosures our boots,
made our fires, cleaned up our rooms, went
OF errands, was good natured, smart, dill
gent, and rascally, at any rate if it was to
serve his boys, as be called us, Alb, there
is no telling what Cage could not do for us
or would not do for us when we stood in
need. Signaled us when professors were
coming; loaned us money sometimes when
we were short; carried love-letters on the
sly, and brought in more good things both
to eat and to drink than now choose to
mention. He is gone too, no doubt to his
LONG homo. Peace be 10 thy ashes, good