Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-02-26
ALONE IN COLLEGE. AND WHAT
CAME OF 1T.

/ shall not name. In an English unlyers I,
which shall not parIcularize further than hy
saying that 1t is neither London nor Durham
AT the tine OF which ] write I was q newly
elected fellow: extremely young, and, believe
passably good looking
1t was the heart OF the Long Vacation: a;
teasI, It's heart Ia one sense; not as being eauI-
distant from Its two extremities, for IL was no "
SepteiH Der, and 1.-The Long" would end in three
weeks, blit As being the point OF time at which
Inv. snT sat =; guinness eliminated Nobody was
up: In our college, literally no one. A score
VI stuolous Undergraduates had been allowed
10 occupy their rooms during July and August
out tney were all gone; the Master was shoot
lug partrldgeS, the two tutors somewhere be-
tween China and Peru my other colleagues
dottlng the globe with every Impossible diver
gence OF route. On the particular seventeenth
OF september OF which write was in undis-
turbed possession OF the entire range of col
lege buildings, kitchen aud butlery hall and
common-room: everything but the porter's
location there, and had my own rooms at the
far end OF the third or inner court. Bet ween
ns, as far as human habltation went, was a
felt slightly discomposed when first real
Yea this TACT. 1t wa7 imperative that should
De In college for few days, and had looked
io 9 10 my WISH tnere as a period OF seciu-
sion aud quiet; but had not anticipated this
ABSOLUTE loneliness; 1t was an ounce or two be
yond the bargain. However, there lOas Crap
pies 10 fall back upon.
But let 40 man think that because his cir.
cumstanceS are bad he has exhausted the con-
tlngencieS OF their b. coming worse. | had
olned at flVe and just settled down to some
couege business when / was Interrupted by a
tap at the door, followed by the entrlnc of nv
companion In solitude.
Il EOpe am not tntruding. SIR" said Crup-
pies, who prided himself on bis good manners
ana education generally.
mo, CruppleS, said; ''all right. "Have you
any message for me?"
''Well, sir, no; that Is to say, not precisely,
Sir; very little communication OF any kind GO
Ing on now. MFR. BurchllI. I have hardly ex-
changed dozen words with fellow creature
since this time yesterday
What Is 1t, then ?"I asked, CHANGING at the
had to collect the materials for my last terms
bursar's bills.
well, Sir" said Crupples, shifting uneasily
n 1he 20 see da see sa
OF the importance OF the nAsition have the
honor to hold in college, and1 trust that your
sell and the other gentlemen" tmeaniug the
fellows, for Cruppies never called the under
graduates by that term), "feel that you can
thoroughly rely upon me-"
mo doubt. Crupples,n said; "but what is it
thought. suddenly disappeared?
Nothing to tell, SIR" said Cruppies still hes
1tatlng, "Ouly something to ask. A very great
favor, should esteem 1t, SIR"
"Well, what Is ite''
"Only. sir, would you very much mind being
left alone here tonight? Ms sister is TO be
married In the country tomorrow, too early for
me to get there by train. SO | promised Ger /
would come over this evening""
On! very well, CruppleS- l suppose the
under porter Will sleep In the lodge instead of
your"
why no, SIR" said Crupples, that "a lust
the 0ililCuiLy. l had arranged for Gregory to
come Ia for the night aud he would have been
Just me same as myself; but only five minutes
with q bad accident; sprained his ankle. sir.
ard the doctor says he must not be moved for
some days. thought, perhaps, slr-that Is, IL
You thOuSnC-l mean"
Yes, | understand what you mean Cruu-
pies, bat 1t Is rather serious matter. VIII the
college De safer
AS safe as the county jail. sir. The train
doesn't leave for half an hour, and viii put
everything right, and fasten the large gates
before start; and then 1t will only be the trou-
Die, If II was not taking too great liberty, sir,
OF your seeing that the wicket was double boiled
On the inside before you go TO bed. You see it's
my only sister, and she would break her heart
If ! were not to come"
There was no parryIng this last argument.
and | gave my consent accordingly. A few
minutes later / heard the poIderous gates re-
volve On their hinges; and descending to the
wicket, which opened, in the usual way, from
the gate nearest to the lodge, fastened it as
Crurple5 directed, and returned to my own
room.
For some Time nothing occurred: l worked
steadily. and was absorbed In the accounts
BEFORE Ine. But then l came to a staad5ull;
one column mad been overlooked in the cooks
entries ana It was impo ssible for me to go on
until had seen him. | locked up the books.
and made tea AS did so the college clock
struck; wheezy. asthmattc clock, delivering
Itself OF It's utterances as II it had mortal
disease, ana anticipated that each stroke might
be It's laSr. counted one, two, three until at
last nile came; two hours, at the very least, to
bed time. What was / to do with myself? |
am nan or cheerful temperam 3nt, gre2a-
riously disposed, and very little inclined FOR INV
own society " hen l can supplement- 1t With that
OF any One else. Usually some one would drop
In at this hour; If not. there Was the common
water would be In consumption elsewhere: tbn
cigars were not In my line, but the companion
ship was. How horribly lonely my one te :
cup locked this evening!
However, must not give way: was alma
put thinking about 1t would not mend matters:
better read, or employ myself In some way, i
took down Tennyson, and the volume opened
OF itself at "St. Simeon Stylltes;" the solIlo-
quleS made me Shudder to the backboneI Next
tried writing, and got through one note sue
cessluly; but In the middle OF the second
became conscious OF desire to look over my
left shoulder; the thing was absurd, of course
but could not diVest myself OF the idea that
there was somebody breathing hard thlme1t-
ately Behind me. Really, must be growing
nervous. Better get out somewhere. and shake
this on; not out OF college, OF course, but |
might sToll up and down the courts. / took
my hat ana did so.
At first the change proved beneficial: It was
fine night, and warm for the time of year. with
bright moon, and enjoyed the exercise. MY
own court, the tnnermost OF the three had a
row OF trees on one side of It, which were oh
lecConabie; their shadows and the shimmerIne
ngnt between the branches, were the EN-.
Document OF melancholy; but court No. was
more cheerful, and l paced 1t for some time
specuiatinS Oh the quantity Of Scotch MARINA
lade winch must be consumed In COLLEGE II
had never struck me before; but being Vacation
tlme now, and the empty pots being among the
oed-1nakerS' perqu1SfteS. they had accumulated
II hunareds, pyramids on pyramids, blocking
the sta1rcases and piled Uer above tier, behind
the windows; all shapes and all sizes THE
marmalade, too suggested kindred topic
mat or Kidneys. How could the Hon W.
PrendergaSt, or any other human being have
consumed as upon the showing OF the cook g
BOOK he certainly must have done, eleven
hundred and Stxty-three kidneys In thirteen
Weeks2 And what became Of all the sheeo
they had been extracted from?
Before / had answered these questions. the
CLOCK again struck; ten chimes dealt out In the
same democratic manner. Then, as 1t seemed to
me, great hush fell upon the const- stiffness
maleh MADE Itself felt; solitude Passing from
ueie hegatlon into visible and objective
shape. Even the N .rmalade pots ceased to cor
nscI themselves with my previous train of
ttthought, AID grouped tcto weird imageres:
tneH sheeh IN the moo hight had something
guasIV ABOUT IL, and the label flames Keller
q Suns, dundee" read like scroll repeated
over ana over In the carved sroneWOrk or a
GOTHIC funeral chamber "a "
i was Vexed at this tdiocy, but there WAS no
coInOaCng IL; light was my only chance. Usp-
less 10 Nturn 10 nay own rooms; fet me try the
'front.' court; there, at all events, | should escape
the marfnalade pots. Chapel, library and naII
nm rhn