The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1878-02-01
HOW BARRY BECAME A HERO.

HOW BARRY BECAME A HERO.
AT the unripe age of thirteen, Barry
Munson and Tom Finch were fast
friends. Social differences did not trou-
BILE them. Their interest in base ball
was equally intense, and their antipathy
for algebra was equally deep rooted.
Tom worked out Barry's mathemat-
ical problems, and Barry wrote Toms
compositions; and either would have
made any reasonable sacrifice to secure
for the other admission to the circus.
When Barry Munson's sister Louise
said that Tom Finch was not "proper
associate" her brother defended his
friend stoutly.
81 guess he knows more'n you do, OIL
that goggle-eyed Maynard either.
This was a doubly cruel thrust. Miss
Louisa Munson had finished her educa-
tion-had any one doubted it, she might
have produced her diploma from the
Raritan Seminary-and moreover, Miss
Louise Munson was all ardent admirer
of Mr.. Friedrich Maynard.
AS boys, then, Tom and Barry were
the best of friends. They had but one
quarrel, that was, of q serious nature, land
that was caused indirectly by Bessie
Charlock. On his thirteen birthday
Barry gave party, to which, in spite
of many protestations from Miss Louise,
Tom Finch was invited. When it came
to supper-time, Barry offered to escort
Bessie Charlock TO the dining-room
Bessie refused to go; she "had COM
pany." Barry was at first astonishcd
and afterward indignant. Not, howev-
er, at Bessie. 1t was perfectly right
that she should keep her word and go
with the somebody else, as she had
promised. Barry's Indignation turned
upon that somebody else, who proved
to be Tom Finch.
81 wanted to take Bessie Charlock to
supper" said he, later in the evening.
"Why didn't you ask her, them?' re-
joined Tom.
"'Cause you got ahead of mel
"Well, if she would rather go with
me, s'pose it's all right, isn't it?'
This was more than Barry could
stand.
"She wouldn't rather go with you,"
he said, feeling the blood mount to his
face. "She went because she knew no.
body else would go with YOU"
"Oh, wouldn't they, now?" demand.
ed Tom, Indignantly. "T guess any
girl would have gone if I'd ask her
and If she hadn't, wouldn't go blub.
bering round to the fellow who got the
best of me-"
"You just wait till tomorrow !" said
Barry, as he moved away from the COR
ner where this unpleasant dialogue had
been held.
"What's the use of getting mad about
a glrlW said he. And this conciliatory
overture effected perfect reunion.
Tom and Barry became closer friends
than ever.
All this, remember, at the unripe age
of thirteen.
At seventeen Barry went to college,
and Tom went to work. Then it was
that they began mutually to appreciate
the dissimilarity of their lots in life.
When Barry came home at the end OF
his freshman year, he treated Tom kind
ly, but with certain patronizing air,
which was more offensive to the Young
mechanic than insult direct. The lusty
friendship of their boyhood was at an
end.
AT the end of another year Barry's
college training began to make itself
conspicuously manifest. His sister
Louisa, now Mrs. Frederick Maynard,
had no need to caution him against the
impropriety of associating with Tom
Finch. Along with his Eschylus and
calculus, he had learned some other
things not laid down in the college cur
riculum.
"Tom Finch is good fellow, but
ffesh-exceedingly fresh"
1t was apparent that time had effect.
ed q striking metamorphosis in him
This same magician, with gentle touch
had wrought also a change in Bessie
Charlock. He had moulded her girlisf
figure into outlines of symmetrical
beauty, crowned her with a wealth OF
luxuriant brown hair, deepened the
rich color of cheek and lin, and fresh.
ened her with the vigor of perfect health
She was amazingly pretty. Barry said
'Deucedly charming" He met her
not many days after his return TO Bar
borough, at a croquet party. They
were antagonists in the game, but the
best of friends between shots.
81 hoped you would come up TO com
mencement with Louise and Fred
said he, twirling his mallet over his fin
gers, as his alma mater had taught him
to twirl cane.
81 should have enjoyed IL, / am sure, ,
answered Bessie "Your oration, |
suppose was the best of them all. Wha
was II about?"
"The effect of Platonic philosoph,
upon modern thought" replied Barry
with an unmistakable consciousness o
the depth of his subject.
"Gracious mel" exclaimed Bessie
raising her curved eyebrows. "How
interested l should have been in that
Can't you repeat some of 1t now, MIR
MunsonH
In spite of himself, Barry felt his
cheek grow hot. This girl Of nineteer
knew nothing about Platonic philoso
ply, of course. Yet her ridicule mad,
the self.satisfied bachelor of arts wine,
not q little.
"Yon would find IL decidedly stupid
Miss Bessie" said he at last.
"Oh 70, l shonldn'tl How could
anything ie stupid that comes from
your pen? And then Piato-how nice
II must be to tell the world all about hi
philosophy! Let me see. Was he thu
one who loved good things 10 eat? No
of course not. That was Ep-Ep--"
"Epicirns," suggested Barry.
"Yes. How ignorant in me not tt