The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-07-09
SELECT STORY.
THE HOBBY OF ONE HOLMES.

days was one Holmes, from western
New York. BY reason of slightly
Jerky gait, which he afterwards over
came, he was known by his classmates
as Frog Holmes. This also served
to distinguish him from another Holmes
in the same class, who, from an unfor-
tunate propensity, bore the alliterative
and rather unenviable title of "Hog'
Holmes. Assigned to the same dor
matory with the former, our rooms ad-
joined, and, though he was much older
than |, we soon became on moderately
intimate terms. There was nothing
remarkable about him Of only fair
attainment in aports and studies, he
was neither a toast with the students
nor favorite with the faculty His
means were restricted painfully so, it
seemed to most of us, who lived on a
liberal scale. This was betrayed by
his meagre wardrobe, and by his choice
of a boarding house, whose reputed
horrors were second only to those OF
the medical school itself. He seemed
weighted down with a sense of lnjus
tlcc, too, as though the world owed
him something better than he got, and
was not good tor the deb. The one
thing that never failed to rouse him
from depression, even in his senior
years, and cause him to throw off his
general reserve, were stories OF travel
and adventure.
He ransacked the libraries for such,
and nothing came amiss, from the
prosaic narrative of old Hakluyt to
the latest fighty fiction of Jules Verne
Many time have l caught him revel-
ing in the dire dangers of heroes by
land and sea and he would vow with
enthusiasm that as soon as he could es-
cape the academic walls to emulate
their example as far as modern circum-
stances would admit.
"Think,' he would cry, "of what
glorious times the English fellows of
the Alpine clubs must have in storm
ing peak like the Matterhorn, which,
of bright afternoon, floats its snow
banner as flag of defiance to mortals
below ! What exhila, alton to over
come its dangers, and write your name
and address in the loftlest snow banks
if you like, after the ambition of any
true Yankee!'
He derided the impossibility of pene-
trating to the North Pole, and was
willing to bet, with confessed inabll-
ity to put up the stakes, that it would
yet be done. He would grow fairly
aglow even On such Arctic themes as
this, despite his poorly furnished, half
heated room. Colonel Sellers and he
might have shaken hands over that in
noceut deception of the red isinglass
and candle.
One of his early exploits, I remem.
Der, was an attempt to scale East
Rock. Those familiar with the more
striking typographical features of New
Haven know the sheer precipice OF
that picturesque cliff, facing the city,
where the trap rock has broken away
abruptly, not unlike the basaltic col
umns which are seen defined better at
Rabbit Rock, across the Quinnipiac
and beyond East Haven. There is
scarce a foothold for mountain goat
with his sharp hoofs, much less for a
human being with no such special pro
vision.
Holmes found it out to his cost, too;
and those of us who had gone as wit
nesses to his foolhardy effort were ob
liged to hasten to the top by round.
about path and lower HIM rope for
half way up he had reached point
where retreat was as impossible as
progress, and where the support was
so slight for his clinging hands and
feet that his strength was we'll nigh ex-
hausted when our aid came.
On another occasion, deaf to remon-
STRANGE, he swan out from the light
house TO a rock near by in the Sound,
at the risk of his life, and was brought
back in a boat. These are but illus
trations of what an erratic course he
was liable to run at any time, the queer
combination that he was of discourage
ment brought on by poverty and of
physical proves ever longing to as
selt itself.
After graduation, when we had all
shaken hands and sworn never to for.
get each other, lost sight of him
He failed to put in an appearance
either atsthe triennial reunion or al
subsequent ones, nor was there any
word from him and, inasmuch as he
made no sgr, he passed ont of my
recollection except for his pet title
which was always a good illustration
of the felicity of college nomenclature
| A year or two ago l had planned t(
take the day boat from New York tC
Albany, 1t was a bright summer
morning
But, warm as the day might be OF
shore, the river breeze was too strong
except for those well provided will
wraps, and presently the group dimin
; ished as many sought the more gen
ial quarters aft the cabin, where tn
sunshine fell and lay undisturbed ol
) the receptive backs of the people, o
on the white boards of the deck.
| skinned the papers in dcsultor
!. way, incident to a constant diversio
. by scenery on river and shore, ones a,
tention is drawn off by all sorts c
sights one moment by putting littl
tug, straining every beam and cabI
with great train of canal barges al
other moment by the pretentious steal
yacht of Wall street grandee, who ma
live at Irvington or Tarrytown, an
who comes down to the city ever
morning by this royal water way ,
. deal in margins on the very grain /
}. passes en- route, perhaps TO thousan
times its actual value.
= After exhausting the contents of N
J literary pack my eyes fell upon the oil
rs person who more than the other q
y tracted it before. 1t was that of
: middle-aged man, apparently in goo
T, m health, well equipped for travel, wi
2, plenty of rugs and canes and the We,
i. attest style of pale leather satohel, b
=, there was an ennui in his every NOV
J" ment, aud in such features as were d
cernible under heavy growth of bear
- lnsIinctively | became convinced tn
there was something either peculiar
J.. his history or in his present conditiC
for There were others, also, not far fro
me who seemed concerned about I