Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-07-21
A College Letter from an Old Boy.

HAMPDEN SIDNEY AS II LOOhS ~ "A
sTRANGER-wHY THE BOYS ARE SENT
HERE-BAD BOYS GET GOOD-LAzY
BOYS srUDY--THEY FINISH THEM AS
PREACHERS RAILROADS - IMPROVE
MENTs--ADDITIONs, sc.
HAMPDEN- SIDNEY COLLEGE,
July 9th, 1882. !
The visitor to these ''classic shades, :"
after travelling over the six miles OF poor
and aninteres+ing country between Farm
vile and this place. finds the contrast all
the more striking when he comes to ''the
hill" with its pretty and pleasant homes,
its shady groves and grassy lawns. and the
higher adornment of cultivated society;
pretty and interesting women and polish
ed gentlemen.
The old college around which, even in
vacation, floats classic atmosphere, and
the venerable seminary among whose halls
aud corridors fingers always an odor OF
sanctily, are the centre of the pretty pic
ture that the dusty traveller III the rafting
hack Int himself upon in these July
days.
And if that traveller ba father of boys
he has profited but littl. by bis life's les
son if it takes him long 10 decids this is
the place for my boy when he leaves the
family hearthstone to make his first trial
of the world with its new temp ationS and
strange scenes.'' Yes, l say; let him be-
gin that new life. as it were, here, where
temptations are fewer !; where helps ars
stronger and eyes more Watchful of the
first slipping away, ard hearts are more
sympath zinP, and hands more wiling to
succor and lead back the hayward boy
than in any other school the writer has
known. 1t is assuredly different here
from other educational institutions. Every
one of the little community, Including the
professors, not only of the c,lege, but the
Seminary, the motherly matrons, and even
the young ladies feel kindly, uDselfish
walls, and they seem in unity of interest
and sympathy almost, to be of one great
harmonious family. The gay youth who
at first grumbles at the ''quiet, n0plng
place." or the rollicking fellow, who curses
The day s'his governor" ever heard of the
s'dull old college. "soon begin to study be-
cause they can find nothing else to do,
leave off their tricks because theY are not
appreciated here-even considered dis
creditable, and at last study for the love of
it; behave like gentlemen because it is re-
pectable, and because they want to gain
the esteem of those they are so often
thrown in contact with, and find too, that
gentlemanly beha@Saur is necessary to an
entrance into the only society of the place.
These same wild fellows become go at
tached to the place that they regard it as a
second home. linger to the last hour of
their last time and leave, elevated mental
ly, morally and socially and regretted by
the people who feel as il they had each
lost member of their own family. Often
it is however, indeed very often, and
another bright side it gives to the picture.
that the college graduate returns after ITS
vacation or year or two in preparatory
avocations, and enters for another higher
course IN the Theological Seminary which
has made more ministers from the stu
dents of Hampden Sidney college than any
other two, or three colleges may be, in ths
country.
The Directory of Hampden Sidney are
not behind the progress of the age. They
have advanced the grade of study so that
place in the course which the sophomore
class formerly did. The Board IS also to
meet in few days to decide upon the pur-
chase of the Prince Edward Academy at
Worsham, near by, to be used as prepar-
utory school, Both of these moves will, it
is thought. add to the standing and pros.
perity of the grand old institution. And
in addition to this the great want of the
place, railroad seems about to be sup
piled. The proposed Farmville and Staun-
ton River railroad will run right by the
place. 1t is to be a narrow gauge road Az
miles long from Farmville to Brookneal
on Staunton River in Campbell county,
passing through Charlotte county by the
T. H. hoo nod
$50 600 and Charlotte will vote the Goth on
subscription of $40. 900, there being con-
siderable private capital subscribed. The
Directory of which Maj. A. R. Venable is
President, are quite sanguine of success
and it is hoped that it will not be long be-
fore Hampden Sidney and Union Theolog.
ical Seminary will be up with the times in
that respect as she is now in every other.
T. G. M.