Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-03-16
AN AMERICAN AT OXFORD
WHY A YOUNG NEW YORKER FOUND
THE UNIVERSITY uNcoNcENlAL.
College Regulafions-The Varsity Nam.
Frigidity at . Dinner-How the Per
sonal Ways and Habits Of the Englisf
Student Struck the American.

y
wealth and promise babe his friends good-by
on Cunard steamer and sailed away TO,
England. Filled with admiration for thu
classic traditions and storied fame of Oxford
he had determined to seek the 1higher educa-
ton" Of three years course at the old
university on the banks of Isis-Alma Mater
of so many Of Abionis poets, scholars and
statesmen, and, as the revelations Of Tom
Brown and Mr.. Verdant Green inform US, o:
not q few Of Albion's bullies and blockbeads.
To the great surprise Of his friends this New
Yorker returned to his native shores a few
days ago, and, in reply to their wondering
queries, be gave the following explanation o.
his sudden desertion of Oxford's classic shades
THE place, the men, and the methods o,
study were so entirely different from the
picture my fond fancy painted that it was alb
solutely impossible for me to inger after the
first fortnight This brief experience sufficed
to convince me that America was good
enough soil for my young ideas to sprout in
so back l came But let me tell you the
whole story.
FIRST APPEARANCE EN- REGLE-
when we arrived in Liverpool was mel
by the chap with whom l expected TO chum
and we went directly to Oxford. Ny chum
was an American but he had become very
English and disapproved strongly Of my
apparel, so l was kept in seclusion until suita-
BILE clothes were being made for me in which
l might make my first appearance en- regie
Finally l was declared respectable. Ny friend
had adopted me as a protege and without
consulting him l never opened my mouth for
fear of revealing the deplorable fact that
was an American. He informed me that he
had arranged a dinner and had invited a
number of the cleverest men OF Oxford to
meet me- By this time had attained such
an exalted idea of everything English that
had been prevailed upon to get rid of bald
headed eagle on perch, long cherished by
me 1s a memento of ar early shooting expert
ence, and to substitute therefor plaster cast
of the lion and unicorn fighting for the
crown
ITO return to the dinner: Ny chum sent out
formal invitations, which in turn were ac
cepted with great ceremony, Wallets bringing
answers to our rooms, even in instances where
their masters lodged directly across the hall
from our rooms The suspicious evening ar
rived, and the guests, after taking off their
wraps in an outer room, filed into the dining
room, where they were presented to me, each
giving a stiff bow as his name was mentioned.
Then We sat down and the DINNER was
served in a style which, / must &C.
knowledge, far SURPRISES anything we can do
in this country The man who sat next to me
and who was reputed to be an exceedingly
clever fellow, said nothing through the first
two courses, and finally thinking that it de-
volved on me to open the conversation l in
quired about the courses at Oxford, mention
ing that intended to take one devoted mostly
10 ureek- MI: oie'ernah' turning On me q
stony s.iie' ashe6' iiie III" hiaoh ",eeA Ia"
read. Named over ,he Pars oi Iuripioes'
]f-'cnyius anu -. ,ia'o mat ! nau sohe o'sl'
mentioning Win some Priue ,'ia. hao rea"
ii''ie oi oaPpho.
AFRAID OF LosiN" THEIR DIVINITY.
Yes, he had studied those authors ~nen he
was preparing to enter the university, but ne
had no doubt that there were some men stu
reading them, and possibly might DE abe 10
JON them. with tins he turned 10 Ice again
and devoted his wit and intellect to making
the best OF his dinner. There We're no speeches
or songs or other frivohty OF tna1 KIND
They were all afraid OF losing their dignity
or possibly they think that VIII Is iii-pred.
Az any rate we an s'ared d. one ano'ne.
throughout the whole meal, ana no" ana
then one man would turn % ms neighbor ana
make some remark about his studies the pol
tics OF England or the foreign wars.
PROM this 1t might be supposed that tney
were teetotaiers, but never sa" men drink
20 Ike fishes; our VINE parties ut 1aie are
nothing at all In comparison 10 them. Inc
,trangest part OF IL was that the more tney
frank the stiiier they became IL was as IL
the wine congeaied into icicies and sPronted
from every pore L now know why 'ne Eng
ish are 80 iohd Oh "randy an" SOFA III NOT
weather IL snakes them coid- announcer
d uleir ainusemehIS afternoon
eas. Men Oh any Preoehsion 10 ihsn'oh a.
ways attend on theSe ocaSioi'S' anu s's.no
around While the tea Is Dei'ig nlade over lne
'peh IRE. ihey theh triik II N a iorn1i
'tyie, making lew solemn REMARKS 10 one