Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1879-08-23
AGANEnyoN,s CAREER.
TIL. Result. of a Novel System of Edu-
cation. 70

mad been to number of colleges, indeed,
but he mad never completed his course
in any one. He had continually fallen
into some difficulty with the authorities.
Il was singular, for he was oil an ipquir-
ing mind, and had always tried to find
out what would be expected OF him, but
had never hit upon the right. thing,
Solomon John thought the trouble
might be in what they called the elective
system. where you were 10 choose what
study you would take. This had always
bewildered Agamemnon good deal.
"And how was feller TO tell" Sol
ONION John had asked, "whether he
wanted to study thing, before he tried
IL? 1t might turn out awful hardl'
Agameinnon had always been fond Of
reading from his childhood up. He was
at hts book an day long. Mrs. Peterkln
had imagined hewould come out great
scholar, because she could never get
him away from his books. irais ~ =
And so il was in his colleges; he was
always to be found in the library, read
ing and reading. But they were always
the wrong books. .
For instance: the class were required
TO prepare themselves on the Spartan
war. This turned Agamemnon's atten-
ton to the Fenians, and to study the
subject, he read up on "Charles 0'Mal-
o lew and sHarry Lorrequer," and some
later novels of the sort, which did not
help him on the subject required, and
yet took up all his time, so that he found
himself quite untitled for any thing else
when the examination came. In con-
sequence, he was requested to leave.
Agamemnon always missed in his
Rotations, for the same reason that
Elizabeth Eliza did not get on in school,
because he was always asked the ques-
tons be did not know. II seemed pro-
soking; if the professors had only ask
ed something elsel But they always hit
upon the very things he had not studied
up. $500. t.e..r. ,..
Mrs. Peierkin felt this was encour-
aging, for Agamemnon knew the things
they did not know in colleges. In col
leges, they were willing to take for STU
dents only those who already knew GER
tain things. She thought AgamemnOn
might be a professor in a college for
those students who didn't know those
things.
al suppose these professors could
not have known a great deal, she add
ed, ''or they would not have asked you
so many questions; they would have
told You something"
Agamemnon had left another college
on account of a mistake he had made
with some of his classmates. They had
taken a great deal of trouble to bring
some wood from distant wood-pile to
make bonfire with, under one of the
professors windows. Agamemnon had
felt it would be compliment to the
professor. -l.,
II was with bonfires that heroes had
been greeted on their return from sue
cessful wars. In this way, beacon
lights had been kindled upon lofty
heights, that mad inspired mariners
seeking their homes after distant ad-
ventures As he plodded back and for
ward. he imagined himself some hero
Of antiquity. He was reading "Plu-
tarch's Lives with deep interest. This
Lad been recommended at q former col
lege, and he was now taking it up in
the midst of his French course. He
fancied, even, that some future Piutarch
WAS growing up in Lynn, perhaps, who
would wrife-of this night of suffering
and glorify its heroes. - 1915
For himself, he took sc vere cold and
suffered from chillblains, in consequence
of going back and forward through the
snow carrying the wood.
But the flames Of the bonfire caught
the blinds of the Professors room, and
set fire to the building, and came near
burning up the whole institu-
ton. Agamemnon regretted the
result as much as his prede-
cessor, who gave him his name, must
have regretted that other bonfire on the
shores of Aulis, that deprived him of a
daughter.