Omaha daily bee., 1885-04-18
EDUCATION AT DISCOUNT.
The Experience Of a Harvard GTadl-
ate in Making His WAY ia the
World.

A College Education n Bar to Gen
tell Employment-Peeling Pota-
tatoes In a Ten-Cent Res
t%aurant.
Chicago Tribune.
A young man of Incredibly atteuuated
physique, with long hair, a SLOUGH hat,
and something of the air which, to dis
tinguish 1t from that of responsibility, Ia
denomlnated Bohemian, was perched yes
terday on q high stool 10 q 10.cent res
tsurant down own devouring with the
utmost vorscity the contents Of a large
bowl which seemed to contain a sort Of
Irish stew, though the nationality of the
dish might perhaps have been considered
as doubtful as the Ingredients IF which
it was composed. Having finished the
contents of the bowl the young man call
ed the attendant and ordered some beef
steak and mashed POTATOES, which he
proceeded to consume. The walter a mild
looking youth Ina tall paper.collar and q
huge white bib, leaned against the coffee.
boiler and glanced along the line
OF hungry customers who were gobbling
their food with a hsppy-like Indifference
to good or aesthetic effect. In
deco, the comparison evidently struck
him as an apt one, Tor he murmured to
himself a quotation from Virgil, in which
the words ''obscenn volucres" were dis
tinctly audible.
The young man in the SLOUGH hat looked
up quietly. 81 hope you do not include
me among the foul birds" he said.
The waiter glanced around him as if
.nervously apprehensive Of being over
heard. There were no other people,
however, within earshot: SIS it posi-.
BILE that you understand Latino" he
asked.
"a little; but it seems 10 me that I
should rather ask how it happens that a
waiter In a 10-cent restaurant Is acquaint-
with the classics"
A MELANCHoLR TALE.
"Mine is a melancholy tale" said the
waiter with a Sigh. ''Ihers is nothing
romantic IL 1t, and 1 fear that 1t will In
terest you but little. Nevertheless,
since you desire to hear 1t, | will relate
it,"
Il am a victim of over-educstIon. Had
| been brought up In comparative ignof-
ance to a respectable trade or other hum
BILE pursuit | might by this time have &C.
complained something in my life. My
father was a man of modest means, who
finding In me, as he thought. a few
germs OF talent, determined at the end of
my school-days to send me to college.
BY equlpping me with a first-rats educa-
tlon,' said he 4 shall provide you with
that which of all things in this world, is
of the g~reatet value. 1t Is an investment
which guarantees a liberal interest; it is
always worth money to It's fortunate
possessor, and, once obtained, no one
can rob you of it.. Be careful 20 pursue
with particular assiiuity those branches
of kno Wedge which are likely to be use-
full to you In after life, and which are in
the line of the talents which yoa desire
to cultivate. You will thus enter upon
your career at the conclusion of your
university course with an advantage over
your competitors In the race who have
not enjoyed q college education which
will enable you to easily distance them.
"My father chose Harvard as the In
institution OF learning which l was to at
tend, which, while 1t may perhaps boast
of the best tone sociallp, is unquestion.
ably the most expensive of American col
leges. l found the $1O0 q month, which
my father allowed me very %generously-
for he could not very well afford It, bare
ly sufficient to supply my necessities. ]
soon discovered that the university wat
divided into two camps socially. On one
side was the gllded aristocracy of wealth,
| which looked down upon the horde Of
poverty stricken outcasts like myself with
i'll concealed contempt. The aristocrats
were dlssipated and Idle. The poorer
men, who studied hard, were denomln.
ated by them 'digs' and 'grindp.' The
dividing line was not q definition OF
birth; it was simply a question of money.
l was certainly as we'll born as any OF
them-better, perhaps, than nine .tentha
of them-yet / could not move in their
circle, because l han not money enough
to keep the pace they set. You may i'm
aglne how destructive such a condi
ton of affairs must be to the moral tone
of a young man. During my career al
Harvard / saw q dozen young men ruined
UurOuSu Iry my w hubJtlA al dppehIdlCt
OF wealth which their means did not al
low. One of these Was arrested for forg
ing a check, and another wa csught II
petty theivipg, and expelled.
HE GRADUATES.
"As for myself, l studied hard and rs
sisted the temptations to which l fount
myself exposed tolerably well. When
grs duated my debts did not exceed $500
in all. My father paid them with lssI
grumbllpg than l expected. At any
rate he said. Il shall be at no more ex,
pense on your account. / have supplied
you with a valuable education; it remains
for you to show that 1t has not been
wasted. l am not able 10 support you
any longer. l will supply you with &
few letters or introduction to business
acquaintance of mine in New York,
Go to the metropolis, work hard, AND
make your career. With your college
training you will have an immense advan
tsge over less fortunate young men. ]
have only one more thing to add, and
that Is that l never expect you to ask me
for a cent again. Here Is 5000, which
should be amply sufficient to start you il
life.'
"With the paternal blessing and about