Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1880-04-14

got 10 us ucStluatlOn before 0lm.
1t was letter. Taking it up, br
broke open the envelope, aud found
inside a few words from WiIlistOi,
with a check for five hundred dol.
lars to defray the first years col.
lege expenses of his old classmates
son.
"You are n stranger to me, SIR
said my travelling companion, at
this point; "but | think you will
appreciate the feeling with which
poor Mr.. Blake stood in his bare
and dingy study in the old farm
parsonage, holding that letter in his
hand, aud lifting his faithful eyes
in thankfnlness TO God"
EYES," replied. "Williston did
just the right thing. too. Aud how
was III Did the son show that he
deserved the bplpi"
My acquaintance looked away
from me at the rich country through
which we were passing. Then be
said:
"Sam Blake was q good .natured,
olTdient fellow enough, and WAS
greatly pleased to have the expense
of his first college year taken of
his fathers shoulders; but this sense
of duty didn't 90 very far. The
Rev. Mr.. Blake bought "a new coat.
aud Sam entered Harvard that fall;
and there matters stopped for "a
while.
"a freshman has a great deal TO
learn, YOU know; but | think the chief
thing Sam learned. that term, was
the great difference there ia between
Harvard and a little village like
Embark, aud the great difficulty
OF working and playing at the same
time.
"Tkcre he had society meetings
tn attend, and rooms of his own,
with u chum. where good deal of
smoking WAS done by himself and
friends. And then there was base.
ball, into which it appeared indis.
pensable for the honor of the class
thar he should enter actively, on
account of his strong legs, wonder.
| iul wind aud ground batting.
He could not refuse to 60 to the
theatre occasionally with his richer
companions. Sam took a natural
interest in the society of Young
ladies, too. and had to give mp some
time 10 its cultivation. He also
thought II moderate amount of
practice in the gymnasium was de
sirable to prevent his health from
breaking down under the cOniine.
ment of study. SO, on the whole,
the actual work that he did in the
college course was not very extern
| sive.
This didn't seem to have any
bad effect till well along in the win
ter, when the habit of Sinking
work had grown 80 strong, without
his nOiicing il, that he fell easily
into reading novels when he ought
to have been in the recitation.
room. Gymnasium, theatre. bill.
lizards, smoklng-and | am afraid
must say little drinking-trittered
away his time.
"One horrible snowy, sleety morn.
ing, when he had got up too late
for prayers, the postman brought
him note from the Facnlty-au
'admonitiOn.'
ale dropped the pipe he was
just lighting and b0lted of to reel
ta,ion. BIT he beaded immediate
~ and that discouraged him.
"IIe snn began 10 make light OF
the warning. and did himself n,
credit in his studies. Though he
managed to squeeze through the
examination at the end of the fresh
man year, he came ont far down TO
ward the foot of his class.
Ale wasn't quite contentcd will
himself and thought he would Try
to do better the next year. Bu'
during the journey home he recov
cred his usual spirits.
"When he walked up the villag,
towards the parsonage farm, h,
was thinking that-siHce he was /
sophomore mw-he would buy III,
knottiest and biggest headed eau,
in Cambridge when he should &,
back there. And what do yon sup
pose was the first sight that me-
him ut hOmei
ut was his father out in th,
field, digging for new potatoes. hi
coat OF, aud his specialized face
perspiring!
1.-THE sight struck shame into thu
boy. He vaulted the fence, and