Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-07-19
with a lecture for the caricature and

lie without taking shame to himself.
Soon afterward we had a dispute
with this same Mr.. Greig about a les
son which, by heedlessness, no doubt,
he had given out shorter than our
usual amount of work. He would
have it at first that we were all in
league to deceive him; he was always
inclined to be so suspicious 0tth or
without reason. But this time, before
going on to storm in his frequent fash
ion, he called up Harry, and asked
him if 1t were as the rest of us asserted
about the lesson.
''Then If you tell me so, that is
enough" said Mr.. Greig. II must
have made mistake. Iknow | can
take your word for it,"
A compliment which Harry certain
ly deserved, but he blushed and look
ed very uncomfortable under it. He
did not like to be praised for what
seemed to him quite a matter of course.
There was another scruple in which
Harry set us a good example: He
never would use cribs, as some of us
were lazy enough to do. He considered
himself on honor not to get up his les
SONS in this slovenly manner, and his
way of looking at the question SO far
commended itself to me for one, that
in order to keep myself out of tempta
ton, | gave up to our teacher prose
translation of Virgil, with which I had
provided myself, and asked him to
lock it away so long as we should be
sin" that book.
fear l must have wanted to make
parade of my brand new honesty.
you are a great deal to straight
laced" was Recess opinion. what
is a crib, after all, but continuous
notes4 and why shouldn't l use it as
well as a dictionary"
That's all bosh y said Harry, in his
downright way. you know very
well you wouldn't like to be caught at
it."
"Ah, but I shall take care not to be
caught at it." laughed Reece.
He did not laugh few days later,
though, when our class was put on its
p's and as to find the strict professor
come to take its Xenophon himself, as
he would do every now and again in
all parts of the school.
Reece, as usual, had given very lit
tie care to preparing the lesson; SO he
congratulated himself on having his
crib about him, which he brought out
on the sly, and had just time to learn
the English off by heart, after fash
ion, before we were called up.
Presently, who should be put on but
Reecel Then we were all amazed at
the ready style in which he plunged
into the task of constituting. But soon
the head boys began to stare and
smile. for they perceived what all of
us did not-that he had gone on at the
wrong place!
The professor said nothing-looking
unutterable things, all the same-but
let Reece go on swimmingly for few
lines, till the boy himself grew sus-
picious of the boding silence that re
ceived his fluent delivery.
He faltered, stole an uneasy glance
at the professors face, saw us grinning
and turned very red
Stop behind" said the professor, in
his driest voice
He was man of few words, who
never demeaned himself by getting
into a passion, like Mr.. Greig; but
well we knew how far more pregnant
with direful consequences was his la
comic displeasure, and well might
Reece shrink and cover down on his
seat in sore dismay. His interview
with the professor would be no laugh
ing matter.
You are not to understand that, be-
cause Harry would not crib his lessons,
he was one of those smart fellows to
whom Latin and Greek seem to come
almost as easy as eating apples or read
ing stories. On the contrary, like
many other hearty boys, he hated les
son books, and deserved all the more
credit for tackling to them manfully
as disagreeable duty. He had one
powerful stimulus urging him to work.
His heart was set on going to a univer-
sity, at which his father before him
had been educated.
He worked his best in our class, and
in due time presented himself for the
test, with but little hope of success, as
cleverer schoolboys had already failed
in the same attempt.
Rather to our surprise, then, we
heard that Harry had passed muster,
after all, and henceforth we saw no
more Of him, except during the holi-
days
It was years later that, by chance,
came to know how he had been judged
worthy of this honor. The examina-
ton, it seems, was not a very formal
one. The professor of the university
merely asked him few questions, to
see what he was fit for. After hum
ming and having over Harry's imper-
feet grammar, he gave him to trans
late an easy passage of Latin, which
he was supposed not to have read be-
fore, and as soon as Harry saw it he
said:
II ought to tell you, sir that read
that bit only last week at the school
where have BEEN"
"Why do you tell me 500" asked the
professor
Because you called it an unfamil-
lar passage, and-and I thought it
wouldn't be quite fair"
Come" said the learned professor,
II can see you will do for us, even
though your irregular verbs are lit
tie shaky."
So, without further question, Harry