The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-05-29
WHAT BECAME OF HIM.

Horace E. Scudder in Appletons' Journal
Forty years ago, a little slip of paper
was passed to me as | sat wearing out a
three hours examination with the rest of
my college class at ST. Johns college.
knew, by the queer twist Of the scroll, that
it came from my crony. Ralph Ives, and
of an idea which Ralph's thought always
seemed to take. 1t read, as near as can
remember its phrases
"When does man begin to be a college
examiner? and what are they made Of?
What blight comes upon juicy fellow by
which he is destined for use in the world
And can ysu look around you and point
out the man who is predestined to sit in
| one of those chairs and examine our sons p
must have made some jesting reply.
have forgotten, and should hardly have re-
membered his words, had they not, like
some invisible writing which drop of acid
| brings into distinctness come into my men,
| DRY, one day last summer, by circum-
stance which started all the old juices in
my dry frame. For, by dint of being be-
fore the public as clergyman a genera
ton or SO, was looked upon by the au-
thorities of my alma mater as fit subject
to be set in an examiners chair, and made
to strike either terror or curiosity into
the breasts of the young rogues on the
| benches.
We settled to our task. The president
sat in his box, rubbing his hands softly
over his thinly-thatched head: the profess
or first in charge, looking like some dis
guised executioner behind his green Cog
giles, took up the catalogue and began skip
ping among its names for victims; while
we, furnished each with catalogue, stud
led the objects of curiosity before US. these
sixty young fellows, who all had names,
and answered to them. l was reading the
names of the class in the catalogue, when
| | came to one of Ives. Often before in
forty years had seen that name, and had
heard it without thought of Ralph, for il
was common one in my section, and be-
longed, indeed, to several in my own par.
| ish but here, on these seats, could moi
read it without my heart leaping up and
threatening to break over all bounds OF
propriety, ay, even to sending tears out OF
my eyes.
"Candido Ives, San Antonio, Tex Z
&. II" was the catalogue entry, and
watched for the young man with interest
just because of that surname, that was start
ing SO many old memories, joyful, mystic.
rious and profoundly sad and distressing
The name was called finally and youth
rose from his seat near me. had not seer
his face before, as he half inclined in an in
dolent way against pillar; but now as he
rose, and was aware that the class was
slightly magnetzed by his presence, saw
a handsome fellow, with olive complexion
and dark, curly hair, and u face that could
liken to nothing but that of a sorcerer
Yet should be false to the impression i
made upon me if l left that word unguard
ed, for there was no trace of malignity
about it; simply the look Of one whose ma
ture has sudden turnings, and who newt
ably suggests dark and secret thoughts, or
if one will have it so, dealings with darl
spirits.
was fascinated by his face, and looking
at it with that other face of Ralph Ives il
my memory, was possessed with the no
ton that the friend of my boyhood was re
appearing here, strained through some mesl
not known to me. l thrust away the fancy
for it was painfully interesting. Never
theless, my eyes again and again returned
to his face; and, as if he wished TO teas,
me, there passed forth CLEANS of resem
blance that l could not help noting, tone
of voice that sounded as if they came acros
a lapse of forty years with all the heartines
and sympathy of my old comrade.
This friend, the light of my eye, had gon
out in utter darkness, made more wretche
to me by thick cloud which could b
felt even IN the night, to reappear now 70
the first time, thirty-seven years after, i
the handsome yet enigmatical form of thi
young man. Had he, indeed, answere
the impassioned cry OF Shakespeare, an,
''lived twice" maxing him ''another self,
so that
Ellis tender heir might bear his memory"
We had passed through college together
growing into firm affection, although
was sober and quiet, while he was exuber
ant in spirits, and possessed of an ingen
uity of mind which seemed perpetually o
the hunt for some queer idea, and Quic
spirit, which blazed with roaring sudden
ness into devouring fame of moral in
dignation at any baseness. Quick-tcmper
ed and generous he was, indeed; fertile i
expedients, foremost in every frolic, bu
honorable and keenly sensitive, superb
cast, indeed, and offering, | often though
in my speculations as to his disappearance
, just the kind of nature which would b
wronged and taken prey through its yer
nobleness- disdainful of traps, and unsu,
picious Of any subtlety of evil that migl
scheme against it.
We left college, to travel for two year
before beginning my theological studio,
he to enter on the study of his profession
medicine. One thing after another kel
Ms apart, until at length he wrote me thu