Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1889-02-23

furro. though the pos.
SCISSOR of many broad acres of rich
Illinois soil, was not the man Id
encourage his offspring in the need
less extravaganza of buying silk
tiles, even on so important an occasion
as that of entering college. He Justly
thought that q fifty-cent boy should
not be allowed to wear a nine-dollar
hat. He believed in giving the boy
the chance first OF developing some
thing inside his head to maintain q fit
ting balance with the outside gear.
But Theophilus thought differently.
He had never been at the college for
which he was bound, and knew little
of the customs there; but of one thing
he felt sure, and that was that they
wore silk hats. The reason for his
confidence on this point was that he
had seen two of the boys from the col
lege during the summer, and they shone
in all the glory of glossy beavers. No
body whispered to him that these men
were seniors, and were the privileged
class to whom alone the mighty power
of the precedent and usage of the col
lege vouchsafed the right to sport such
ornaments. IF some kind friend had
told him this it might have saved him
some trouble.
Theophilus had seen very little of
the world. Its customs and gayeties
and fashions, its bouillon, it's finger
glasses, it's r. s. V. P. and its P. P. G.
were all alike unknown to him. The
last three of his six feet of stature had
been attained while holding the pillow
handles or guiding the noisy planter
across the billowy land. But he did
not like that sort of activity. He had
not much education and not much
desire for it, but one of his greatest
ambitions had always been to go to COL
lege; which he fondly imagined was q
place anyone could go who had the
money, and where the sum of life was
composed of ball-playing, cigarette
smoking and loafng. How he got such
an impression we do not pretend to say.
He is not the only one who has held
that opinion.
The first thing that Theophilus OBJ
served on alighting at the depot into
crowd of youths who had been waiting
the arrival of the incoming train and
who eagerly watched the faces of those
who got of, was that there was no silk
hat in sight except his own and that of
a fat drummer. Even the seniors, If
any were there, had put away their
tiles when they got home, or we're saw
ing them for Sundays and holidays.
This discovery disappointed him.
The next thing that gave him slight
surprise was to be told that he was not
ready to enter the college proper, but
would be obliged to take preparatory
course in the academy. This was quite
q blow. He had thought that anybody
could get into college if he could only
induce his dad" to pay the bills; and
to be put back among the small fry, for
great six-footer with mustasche and
silk hat, was too bad. He felt some
what relieved, however, when he was
informed that the academy was under
the immediate management of the col
lege, and that the buildings were on
the same campus. well, thought he,
Il may have to spend some time in that
kindergarten, but I won't associate
with them. My companions shall be
among the college men. This hat will
be enough to distinguish me from the
'preps. if nothing else can"
Putting this noble resolution into
practice, he thereafter lost no occasion
to put himself on good terms with the
men of the upper classes, and especial
~ with those who wore silk hats. But
somehow he did not make the progress
he expected to. They acoatld occasion
ally give him the cold shoulder. It
seemed, as he thought. that they were