Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1881-05-07
The Collegian OF the Period.

and it may be left to be supposed that
this useful and uuosteniaiious aid to
personal hsbiliament. having performed
its destined function of holding feminine
6nery in order or in replacing The al
ways absent button from the most inii-
mate garment of man. fulfilled the ma
tural Law Of inorganic nature, which or.
dams. through graVitation, attraction or
transformation. that all things shall By
resolved iuto their original componen,s
or elementary existence. A more phil
osophical conuDdrum is offered By THE
TINES ''What becomes Of The college
graduaie?" Outside the family circle,
the college widow a'd the secret socie-
ties be is as unknown as the prehistoric
man. It is iucoDtesti0le that there has
been college man. Every family caq
attest that for four years the household
has been deprived Of the light of the
frst-born +; that the parental stipend has
been regularly lessened to defry the
the needs Of the Freshman, Sophomore.
Junior and Senior year that irregular
reports have come from college" re-
counting the painful industrial habits
Of tue absent student. From time to
time aud official slip comes recouuting
the prodigies of learning achieved by
the hope of the family. In the fourth
year the family packs off sOllegeward to
hear Master Hopeful deliver g vale
dictOry" or a salutatory or al
" GRAFTON. Then be is taken under
the maternal wing, aud for all that is
ever known of him subsequently,, he
might just as well have embarked on
the mission of Elijah. -.
What then, becomes Of. the, college
graduate Up to the day of graduation
he is known of all men. In the quiet
college town the exposure Of the gurls.",
the despair of the unacademic home
beaux. His mental equippoise; is re.
aected IN The part of the glazed fringe OF
bang" hanging Ia CapOuI over bis
shining forehead. The symmetry of
his well-clad figure, likewise bic
charms" watch-chaiD, are displayed by
The jauutiest of cutaway coats; linked
lengths of golden ingots traverse the
upper abdominal regions, rings ador1
the hands, which 10 wilderness would
rivil his sweetheart's. The chain. bi.
furcated at The second button Of the
waistcoat, spreads impartially 10 both
directions. supporting "cbarm" vary
ing in dimensions from dollar Of the
dads" TO a tea saucer. As be takes his
walks abroad under his left arm he car.
RIGS his cane akimbo, the better TO
manipulate bis Cigarette. His feet are
encased in the rarest fabric of French
kid, bebuttoned aud bespaug!ed like the
wampum Of an Indian chief His dress
is masterpiece Of fIs,idious detail, from
the plasirOn of antique arabesque that
buttresses his ohm to the multI.coIored
and initiated HANDKERCHIEF that Shove
its studious corner. like an Order OF the
Golden Fleece, over against the l.ft lap.
pei It the coat. AS to headgear, he
has ''crush " for the evening and q
suit for every ccstume-from the bewild-
ering plaid tfthc playground to the
velvet get-up of The midnight lark. !. :,
Where his fIther was content with
the old fashioned " boarding" house he
has apartments. with a domestic TO
valet his manly wants His walls are
adorned with a diverse assortment Of
French prints, photographs of dancers
aud victories in the arts of athletics.
His mantel in spread with heaps of cards.
invitations aud notes attesting his pop
ularity 10 the social f, of the town.
His drawers are strange medley of
gloves, necsties, German flvors, French
novels and literature that would not de-
light Anthony Constock. Among his
material possessions are ivory handled
razors of the sbarpest and most manly
description 10 his closet pharmacopia
of ingredients warranted to Introduce
the most reluctant beard. With these
he passes q good deal of his private
hours like young mother preparing
Heecy fabrics for the expected da,l,ug.
b. fore the mirror be snarches fearful
joy running the sharp blade of the ra-
zor over faint shade. the immature
promise of the glory that is to f.inge
his upper lip 10 the funess Of still dis
tanU time. But whether il be there or
not he is not of the stuff to heed the pro-
phet's mandate to tarry iD the Jericho
of boyish restraint until his beard be
grown. He is a member of many socie-
ties, aud has engagements for every day
in the week and every hour iu the day.
His college societies. exhausting in their
terminalogy the Greek alphabet. take
up his midnight hours From th.se
mysteries prisons he energies early ia
the morning loud in his discourse and
unsteady 10 his gait. But to the world
at large the mysteries of Elusis or the
mummeries of the God Apis are not
more beyond the ken of uDcollegiate men
than the dOings of the midnight sanhe-
crims. Time was made for slaves is the
FIRST aud last article Of the college boys
credo aud he relagates its OF servance to
the slaves.
At the end OF four years the colleeian
leaves tae halls of learning aud disap-
pears into what G lrlyle would call the
schwarmeri of such social forces as his
training has fitted him for. How could
it be expected that this induced darling