The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-08-04

to get money to go on with. and 1 think
that helped to make me ambitious 1t was
the sincere conviction of the neighborbood
over there that | would be President of the
college or of the United States. l do not
think they would have conceded that there
was much difference in the two positions.
| felt that l would be disgraced if |
did not meet their expectations. By one
of those condolences which seemed TO
follow our fortunes, Lucy made a
long visit home when l was teaching
in Wilmington. She was one of my pu-
pills. She was quiet little lady and hardly
spoke a loud word, that l remember. all
winter"
"Did you try to talk to her, Timothy?'
asked Mrs. Pember.
II do not claim that 1 did," answered
Tompkins. ~ was studying hard to keep
up with my class, and that was the reason.
But wish l had paid more attention to
Lucy Cary that winter. l would not have
you think there was anything particular
between Lucy and me. 1t was not that"
ave will think just what we please" in
terrupted Mrs. Pember, in a serious tone.
"Well," continued the narrator. sit
would be absurd to suppose there was any
such thing"
There was long pause. "You had bet
ter tell the rest of the story, Timothy,v
" Yes, [ will, responded Tompkins.
CATER l came back to college got along
better than before had taught. The money
l received for teaching helped me, and
another thing aided me. The folks in Will.
mington found out how poor young man
works to get through college. Some of us
used to live on dollar week apiece and
board ourselves in our rooms, down there
in the buildings, and we were doing the
hardest kind OF studying at the same tin 4
We would often club together, one ddnrg
the cooking for five or six. The cook would
get off without paying. 1t was one of the
most delightful things in the world to see
tall young man in calico dressing gown
come out on the green, where we would be
playing football, and make the motions of
beating an imaginary gong for dinner. In
orderto appreciate it you need to work hard
and play hard and live on the slimmest
kind of New England fare. But there Is one
thing even better than that. To experience
the most exquisite delight every known by
Burlington student, you ought to have an
uncle Jason. While [ was teaching in Will
mington my uncle Jason, from North Elba,
which was close by, came there. When he
found out what an important man | was,
and how | was fighting my way, he SYM
pathized wonderfully. He was not on good
terms at our house, but he called at my
school and almost cried over me. He was
not a man of much learning, but he looked
upon those who were educated as a supe-
rior order of beings. | was regarded in the
neighborhood as a sort of martyr to sci
ence, genius who was working himself to
death. [ was the only public man ever
produced by the settlement up to that date.
1t was part of the religion of the place to
look upon me as something unusual, and
Uncle Jason shared the general feeling. l
could see, as he sat there in the school
l, 81, Il %l,,A L.
very proud of me. Before leaving he called
me into the entry and gave me atwo-dollar
bill. 1t was generous, for he was a poor
man, and had his wife and children to sup
port. 1t brought the tears to my eyes when
he handed me the money and told me | was
the flower of the family and the pride of
the settlement. felt as if would rather
die than fail of fulfilling the expectations
of my friends. There was great delight in it
and it was an inexpressible joy to know
that my relatives and the nGghbors cared
SO much for me.
''To comprehend this thing fully, Mrs
Pember, you ought to be in college, and
when you are getting hard ur, and see no
way but to leave, get letters, as | did from
uncle Jason, with five or six dollars at
time in them. Such trifie would carry you
through to the end of the term and save
your standing in the class. If you were a
Burlington college boy, while you might be
willing to depart this life in an honorable
manner, you would not be willing to lose
your mark and standing as a student
You would regard the consequences Of
such disaster as very damaging to your
character, and certain to remain with you
forever.
81 may as well say, while it is on my
mind, that | do think this matter of educa-
ton is little overdone in this part of the
country. A young man is not the center of
the universe merely because he is a college
student, or graduate, and it is not worth
while to scare him with any such idea
The only way he can meet the expectation
OF his friends, under such circumstances, is
to get run over accidentally by the cars.
That completes his martyrdom, and affords
his folks an opportunity to boast of what
he would have been if he had lived"
Tell us more about Lucy" said Mrs.
Pember.
Eyes, certainly" replied Tompkins.
Lucy had a wonderful idea of poetry and
writing. 1t is really alarming to stranger
to see the feeling there is up here in that
way. The impression prevails generally
that writer is superior to all other people
on earth. remember to have heard that
one of our class, year after we were
graduated, started newspaper back here
about ten miles, on the bank of the Onion
River. He might just as well have started
plains. He gave itsome queer Greek name,
and L heard that the publication was first
seml-weekly, then weekly and then very
weakly indeed, until it came to a full stop
at the end of six months. 1t would have
been ridiculous anywhere else; but being
an attempt at literature, | suppose it was
looked upon here as respectable.
And did you use to write poetry %
queried Mrs. Pember.
MOT to any dangerous extent" replied
TompkinS Il do not deny that | tried
while in college, but reformed when I
went West. l think Uncle Jason always
had an idea that it might be better for me
to be Daniel Webster. He stood by me
after left college, and for three wears |
contlnuedto get those letters, with five or
SIX dollars at a time in them. They kept
me from actual suffering, sometimes, before
got down off my stills, and went to work,
like an honest man, in the pork business. u
Il thought you were going to tell us
something about that GIRL" suggested Mrs.
Pember.
Yes, Twas" rejoined Tompkins. "When
saw Lucy here, four years ago, in tho
gallery with the singers, felt as ii it would
be impossible for me to face her and tall,
with her. She would not have known me.
for one thing. When was brown-haired
boy, making poetry, and being a MARTYR.
and doing serenading, and living on Goldfish
ana crackers and soup, | could meet Iucv
with grand air that made her shudder.
but as satthere in church, gray and worn
L dreaded to catch her eye, or have her see
me. Although there was not three wears,
difference in our ages, yet it seemed to me
that was very old, while she was still
blooming. Then there was the feeling that