Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-06-17


years before beginning my theological
studies, he to enter on the study OF his
profession, medicine. One thing after
another kept us apart, until at length he
wrote me that he was to have a masters
Grafton at the coming college commence
ment and begged that we might be
together then. l believe masters ora
tons ere out of date now-I am not
sure-but in those days the class that
graduated came up to college, three
years after, to take, such as chose it,
and could pay the fee for registration, a
degree of master of arts, and two of the
number were selected by the faculty to
pronounce orations. Every one was glad
that Ralph was to be one of them.
He was poor-poorer than l quite
knew then; for he had not merely a
pride that buttoned over his poverty, but
true contempt for poverty as for some
thing that should never stand between
him and any friendship he might form
or aim he might set before himself. He
would not let so base a thing as shame
at the absence of riches mar his pleasure
in all lasting and worthy things; and so
ii was that he made me forget his pow
erty even when the evidence of it stared
| me III inc lace.
wrote him when should be at ST.
Johnsbury, and he, coming from another
direction, promised to meet me when |
arrived. He was there, with the same
hearty, swinging grasp Of the hand, with
a trifle more seriousness in his face,
thought, but with the old, sunny smile
breaking over it and deepening into a
| strong, self-reliant and resolute glow. OF
| course we knew many OF the seniors,
who had been freshmen when we gradu-
ated, and we enjoyed the easy superiori-
ty which they cordially allowed us. AS
| we were passing one with word of
! recognition, Ralph suddenly stopped and
said:
u say, Treat, can you spare us
was my nickname) land | are going to
sleep out tonight and, as have to speak
| tomorrow, | want a muller"
Certainly" said he; come round to
my room in East College, after tea, and
help yourself"
what capital idea" said I. 81
wonder | had not thought of that" and
remember how | laughed at Ralph's
off-hand way of making the request and
telling me of the plan in the same breath.
p"
old haunt, Pulpit rock, bowlder on a
hillside, which had been the silent wit
ness of many burst of eloquence in re-
hearsals for public performances and
there we went, that July night, Juggling
our two comiortables up the hill and
laughing at the figures we cut-such
| awkward birds, with such clumsy twigs
for their nest, as Ralph said. He was to
speak on the morrow and so we fell to
talking of his Grafton.
cit all depends" said he, "on the way
pronounce my first sentence. If | can
get through that with the right intiec-
| tion all Will go well; but If l fail to get
my audience on that first sentence |
never shall get them at ALL and shall be
like man running after stage coach-
| the only effect will be that | shall keep
my audience a little longer in sight than
| if | stopped as soon as | lost them.
Now, hear mel" he added, standing the
| atrically ON the rock, land see if you
know what mean:
Thought is the devil
II say, Shrub, how do you feel after
that? You ought to SILVER and catch
your breath for the next sentence, or it's
no use for me to go on !"
1--WE shivered,n said !; ago on"
"'But the devil himself was an angel
of light before he FELL Now, you see, l
must be meditative when ! begin. /
must come forward on the stage in a
thoughtful, downcast way like st.
Johns Hamlet--half lift my eyes and
calculate my first sentence, hesitating
after the word thought, as If had come
to the conclusion of the whole matter,
and then come down hard on devil, as
if had banged him down on the stage.
Then in sort of allegretto movement,
you see, / announce the complimentary
phrase, and my theme is fairly before the
| startled periwigs."
How otten-how very often l have
gone over this scene and repeated our
conversation for a clew to aftersilence,
so that his words are deeply embedded
in my mind. 1t is needless to give our
talk. We rolled ourselves in our COM
| fortables and lay side by side on the
| rough rocks, looking up at the stars.
| The heavens looked kindly down; they
| seemed to hold fair future for US both.
| We talked of college-days, but not 50
much as of days to come. The night
! crept on and our talk grew mere in
| frequent. At length, AS | felt drowsi-
ness come over me, heard his voice for
the last time:
! Goodnight, Shrub Everythings"
eyes, Ralph. Eyerything?"
! Eyes"
1t was an old formula, eternally end
| ing quarrels or differences. Read in
! full it meant :" Do you forgive every
thing have said or done that was un-
| fair or unkind?' and many time since,
when wearied with doubt and specula-
ton concerning my lost friend, have
whispered 10 myself, Everything
Ralph:" and so have striven to Danish
every possible injustice to him from my
mind | went to sleep, and slept sound