The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-09-01
Young Rhett's Revenge.

Years before the war, while sectional
feeling was boiling toward fever heat, Que
of the young Rhetts, of South Carolina,
was sent to Harvard University, writes the
Washington correspondent of the Phila-
delphia Record At that time the students
at fair Harvard were pretty sharply divided
by Mason and Dixon's line The Northern
boys were led by big bully from New
Hampshire farm. He thrashed everybody
in both parties, but he displayed his parti-
ality by thrashing the Southern boys twice
to the Northern boys once. The univer-
sity has changed wonderfully since then,
but at that time it was more like a great
English public school in some respects than
like great English university. Young
Mr.. Rhett had not been there long before
he was knocked down by young Mr.. New
Hampshire. 1t was novel experience for
the young aristocrat, and he could only
think of one remedy. He promptly sent
the bully challenge. The young man
from New Hampshire made no immediate
reply. This naturally increased the curl
osity of the other fellows as to what the
outcome would be- Next morning young
New Hampshire waited at the chapel door
for young Mr.. Rhett. Quite crowd had
gathered when Mr.. Rhett arrived.
"Did you write that ?" asked the New
Hampshire boy savagely, holding the chal-
lenge before Rhett's face. eyes, [ did"
said Rhett, pale of face but defiant of heart
New Hampshire said nothing more, but
deliberately tore the challenge into snips
and bits, and then threw the bits into
Rhett's white face The New Hampshire
boy and the other fellows passed into the
chapel, and the dazed South Carolinian was
left alone. Mechanically he stopped and
bit by bit he picked up the pieces of paper
lying at his feet Then he went over to
Boston, playing with the bits of paper in
his pocket as he went In the afternoon
he reappeared, but said nothing to his near
est friend about his visit to Boston. Nor
did he disclose his plans for getting even
with his enemy. Every day for weeks he
regularly visited Boston, and when not away
on these trips occupied himself with his
textbooks, One day, when quite num-
Der of his fellows were standing on the
campus, among them the bully from New
Hampshire, young Rhett appeared there
for the first time in many days.
"Come here" he said to young New
Hampshire, calling him by name.
"Come here yourself" )" said the bully.
"Meet me halfway" said Rhett, and the
bully consented As soon as New Hamp-
shire got within striking distance, Rhett
quickly knocked him down. Surprised
and maddened, New Hampshire rushed at
Rhett like an angry bull Rhett felled
him like a butcher and every time New
Hampshire approached Rhett skillfully de-
Tended himself and as skillfully offended
New Hampshire. At length the latter,
badly used up, fell helpless at Rhett's feet.
Rhett Immediately put his foot on his
breast
"Let me up" moaned New Hampshire.
"Not just yet, said Rhett. "You got
challenge from me once?"
"Yes,' groaned New Hampshire.
"Instead of replying to it like gentle
man" went on Rhett, ''you tore it up and
flung the pieces in my face"
eyes," said New Hampshire, with an
effort.
"Well," said Rhett, coolly, II saved the
pieces, and you've got to eat them before
you get up" Thereupon he slowly fed
New Hampshire the carefully preserved
bits he had picked up at his feet in front
of the chapel door weeks before. And the
bully ate them all. Rhett had utilized his
Boston trips to the best advantage with the
most scientific sluggers of his day. 1t was
not until he had succeeded in knockingone
of his instructors down that he undertook
New Hampshire. Tradition has it in
Georgia. where I heard the story, that
Rhett and New Hampshire subsequently
faced one another on the battlefield, Rhett
falling then under New Hampshire's sword,
only to see New Hampshire Frustrated by
a Confederate bullet.