Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-08-02

them Will Sc0n at what nave written, uart
say, if they chance to read it. Well, that is
well enough. 1t is the old college way and
good fun no doubt. But if any graduate
who has long been for away sees this he will
not laugh. A vision of the blue lake and
the great Champlain valley will come before
him. lie will wonder whether it will be
his fortune to come back some day, hardened
and careless. bold as a lion, to the beautiful
place, and feel the courage ooze out of him
as he meets what | have described and
realizes the sharp contrast between his
youthful vision and the hard reality of life
These memories of college are powerful
If an old boy who has been long absent
thinks he can bluff them down in the Queen
City, let him try it. Let him go there alone
some Summer day during the vacation, and
walk around "the old brick mill" and sit on
the steps in the shade He will find it very
still there. The janitor may heave in sight
but he will not disturb the stranger. lie
knows what is going on. lie has seen it be-
fore The old boy will soon begin to cleal
his throat and realize that he is uncomfort-
able. If he is bachelor do not know but
it will be all the worse for him. (Yes, Miss,
you have me there. ! give it up.) He will
remember Charlie or Jack or some chum at
college, who was the best friend he ever had
in the world. And then the wonderful val
ley with its vast landscape and grand envi-
ronment of mountains will have its effect also.
1t would be useless to tell the Burlington
folks about the scenery, for they see it
every day. But they can have no
idea of its thrilling power when it comes
down upon an old boy who is struggling
against it, If he is ever profane he may
swear little If he is from New York
city he will probably feel for his cigar box
and matches. If he is from Albany he will
wish he had glass of beer. But it will all
be of no avail, Alma Mater " ill triumph over
him. She will wiring her tribute from his
heart and perhaps from his angry eyes.
| do not mean to insinuate that the
graduate whose experience am narrating
sat for this picture for that graduate does
not swear nor smoke nor drink. | take
this opportunity to advertise him in these
respects But with the above items out the
picture is well enough. The graduate did
fight and struggle and was wo.sted during a
walk to the college, as he had been at the
church. Then he returned to the hotel
again that Sunday afternoon and talked with
the landlord. On Sunday evening the land
lord found out who his guest was, and that
he had class-nate near by. The class
mate was summoned and came.
There is no use OF telling about the meet
ing. That is an old story that has been
told hundred times in print. The short of
it Is, the boys are always Just the same to
each other, even if they arc ninety years
old and have not met for sixty years. 1t is
Tom and Charlie Just the same. think
there is theory that classmates, and es-
pecally chums, will continue to be such in a
future state of existence. If there is no
such theory, then there ought to be one i'm
mediately. Because age does not change
these matters at all. Mishaps are nothing.
What did these two old boys who met that
evening at the hotel care, as they went out
and walked again the familiar streets Of the
town, about age and ship-wreck They
could laugh at these. True they had start
ed out like brave captains from Nantucket
to catch whales, and after seventeen years
had only few little skip-iacks. But that
was the joke of it to them. True they
were getting old, and one was very gray !;
but the flush Of immortal youth, whose glow
at such moments is proof Of immortality, was
lever so bright with them before. Ii you
can get two old boys together they are all
right 1t is touching to see how tender
each is of the others pride, ard how kindly
absent classmates are spoken of. | remem-
Der that Calvin Pease wrote to me year or
two before his death about this strong tie
that exists between college friends. lie
was amazed, he said, at its power and per-
msnence.
Friends, is it time to stop? | think so.
Old boys are apt to be garrulous. l will
just add, however, that when the graduate
went south on the boat on Monday morning
he again disgraced himself, to his own in
tense disgust, by mingling few salty tears
with the fresh waters Of Lake Champlain.
Let us hope that he was squeezed out dry
and sensible at last.
l shall add my moral to this sketch,
will not be cheated out of it by any sugges-
tions Of tediousness. Whit | mean to say
is that man cam OF afford to be without q
country nor to neglect his family ties nor to
ignore his college. Young fellows, you
may as well understand that when you are
graduated you leave youth behind you. You
will not find it again, and you will not
make such friends of your youth again in
this life. There are springs here which
Nature feeds. As you grow older the deeper
currents in you will run dry if you neglect
these youthful associations.
And now, old boys. perhaps you know all
about it. | expect you to laugh at this self
revelation on my part. | am willing you
should. shall send it to some of you if
can get copies Of the paper. can stand the
joke. can shed your witicisms as croco-
die sheds rain-water. You have no advan-
tage over me in this matter Some of the
best OF you have confessed, that if you could
have seen what was coming when We lett
college, there would have been more notices
Of mysterious deaths, from unaccountable
accidents, in the papers. will not expose
our weaknesses. l only make these "few
small remarks" to let you know that your
position is clearly visible to the naked eye.
We are not likely to return to college, many
of us, with flags flying If you have not
been there in long time it may be pain
full shock to you when you do go, and
college dreams come back to mock you
Possibly your main dish at Commencement
dinner will be humble pie But you will not
cat it alone. II you look sharp you will
see that nearly all have some. For there is
always gap between the ideal and the real.
And now, in conclusion, as the preachers
say, experience proves that it is better not
to slight Alma Mater. She may have her
faults; she may be as proud and sensitive
as her boys are. She has had her troubles,
no doubt, and has her impcrfections But
VIC cannot afford to forget her. If you are
too busy at Commencement time, try to 60
at some other time, as often as once in year
or two. Write to your classmates and col
lege friends. Keep up the old associations.
1t will pay. And if you are very. very busy
grinding in the mills of some large city,
living where Satan's seat is and plenty of
beer, you need all the more to visit Alma
Mater. where she sits in her beauty and
pride among the green hills in the grandest
valley of New England. These visits will
help to keep you young, and prevent vulgar
i.y from entering your soul.
GRADUATE.