Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1889-03-02

turro, though the pos
SCISSOR of many broad acres of rich
Illinois soil, was not the man to
encourage hs offspring in the need
less extravaganza of buying silk
tiles, even on so important an occasion
as thai of entering college. He justly
thought that tifty-ceut boy should
not he allowed to wear a ninc-dollar
hat. He b, level in giving the boy
the chance first Of developing some
thing inside his head to maintain fit
ting balance with the outside gear
But Iheophilus 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 fell sure, and that WAS that they
wore silk hats. The reason for his
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 we're the privileged
class to whom alone the mighty power
of the precedent and usage of the col
lege vouchsa'cd the right to sport such
ornaments. If some kind friend had
tod him this it might have saved him
some trouble.
Theophilus had seen very little of
the world Its customs and gaycties
and ia Shions. its bouillon. its finger
glasses, its Il. :. V. r. andits =. =. 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. Bat he did
not like that sort OF activity. He had
not much education and not much
desire for it, bat one If his greatest
ambitions had always been to 90 to col
lege; which he fondly imagined was 4
place anyone could go who hid the
money, and where the sum of life was
composed of ball-playing. cigarette
smoking and loating. How he got such
an impression we do not pretend to say.
lie is not tie only one who has held
that opinion.
The first thing that TheophiluS oh
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 off, was that there was no silk
hat i'll ght except his own and that of
Il fat drumm r. Even the seniors, ii
any were there, had put away their
tiles when they got home, or were saw
ing them for Sundays and holidays.
This discovery disappointed him.
The next thing that gave him a slight
surprise was to be told that he was not
ready to enter the college proper, but
would b. obliged to take a preparatory
course i'll the academy. This was quite
a 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 slX-footer with must lsche 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,
81 may have to spend some time in that
kindergarten, but | won't associate
with them. M companions shall he
among the college men. This hat will
he enough to distinguish me from the
'preps. if nothing cl,e can"
Putting this noble resolution into
ractice, 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 woUd OCCASION
ally give him the cold shoulder. 1t
seemed, as h thought, that they were