The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-08-09
Making and Taking Opportunity.

I
on Glass Day or what is virtually master 81
those time-honored ceremonies for whieh
Glass Day at Cambridge is famous Inc
Young man who is elected First Martial mnst
have first stood the test Of.tour years con-
slant fellowship with the three hundTed men
of his class he must have been watched by taein
in the dormitory at work IN the classroom
and MT play on the ball-feld-which some one
has said is the best place TO test the gentle
r>rnan anti must not have been found wanting.
Generally the right man is elected: occasion
ally he is not. This year the right man was
elected
A regretably large number Of people do not
know that young gentleman named Arthur
CumnOck was captain Of the Football eleven
at Harvard last year. and that his eleven de-
feated the eleven Of Yale and that Yale. in
her turn. crushingly defeated Princeton. This
gaining of Il virtual championship for Harvard
made Captain Cumnock very popular there,
but it did not altogether explain 10 the casual
visitor at Glass Day this year why everybody.
from Bishop Phillips Brooks to the youngest
Prep" from Phillips-Andover, should ap-
plaud. or jump from tho ground and
yell, as best suited his years and dignity.
the name of Arthur Cumnock when il was
thrown into the air by the president OF the
junior class. He understood IT better when
he was told that Arthur Cumnock had done
more than win a championship, and that It
was not ~ the captain of the team that he was
oheered with heartness and loneliness OF
feeling that very few men hear, but because
he had taught lesson in the four years OF his
college life Of manliness and strength and
fneness of character which had brought q
new tone INTO the life of great university
that was not there when he came, and that
will remain there now that he had gone.
Every one who has not been TO Glass Day
at Harvard has at least done the next best
thing. and read what Mir. William ID.
Howell has written If 1t in April Hopes
a description that has shut of Glass Day as
possible material for literary work from all
other writers for many years TO come. And
so they know oil about the tree around which
the graduating class gather and the arena If
seats rising on each side of il higher than the
college buildings and filled with beautiful
young girls and fond mothers and proud
fathers and as crowded with celebrities as
the pages of an autograph album. And they
know of the three great groups OF under
classmen sitting on the turf at the foot of the
tiers OF seats. and the fourth group Of alumni
of all ages from those who have dOrmitOrles
named after them TO those who have just
hung out their names on lawyers shingles,
and they know how all of these groups in
turn cheer the old buildings and the favorite
sons of alma mater and the alma mater her
self
This year they cheered all the men or bodies
of men they best loved. from Henry T.. Hig.
glnson, who gave the athletic field in memory
of the Harvard men who fell IN battle. down TO
the Varsity eleven who trained upon it 10
win the lesser victories of to-day. and when
this was done. Captain Arthur CumnOck, who
had led the cheering up to this point. stepped
back and looked conscious. for it would not
do for him to give the time for the next
cheer. But the little yellow-haired presi-
dent OF the junior class, who had bided
his time in impatiencs, leaped to his feet
and threw back his shoulders. and swelled
out his chest, and shouted, And
now three cheers for Arthur Cumnock ~
And the three hundred Juniors rose up from
the turf as though they had been shot from a
trap. and worked their elbows and yelled. and
before they had fallen back breathless. the
Sophomofes and the Freshmen and the alumni
had followed with YOlley of cheers like the
salute Of field battery, and the Boston peo-
pie, and the visitors from New York and from
al over the West, were waving their hats and
handkerchiefs. and beating their gloyed hands
and cheering too and Arthur Cumnock was
looking very red and embarrassed and hand
some.
When Arthur Cumnock came to Harvard
the fast set had marked it, in the eyes Of the
outside world. either wrongfully or rightfully
for Its own The prevailing tone was Harvard
pessinlism, and tho manly thing, so the in
end of man, was to drink, and gamble politely
aud e-pull for the societies and cut recits-
tons In four years this idea of the manly
thing has changed. and it has changed 50 all
who live In Boston or Cambridge will tell you.
because the man who was most conspicuous
IN the college life owing TO his place as cap
Gain of the 'Varity eleven, threw all his inAu-
snce on the side of temperance il all
things, fair play at either play or
work, and showed at all times. whether
on or OF the field. the courtesy and Inodesty
and strength OF gentleman. think the man
who sends Arrival captain aprctecting bandage
for the rival captains broken bones a week
after the rival captain has defeated him sorely
and laughed him and bis men 10 scOrn, shows
the mettle OF the man who is apt 10 fight fair
ly either on the whitewashed gridiron of a
foot bail field or in tho counting room Of a
bank and the college thought so too, for
they did not turn on Captain Cumnock after
his first defeat. but held great mass meet
ing TO re-elect him, and indorsed all lie had
done and bade him good luck. and told him
to go in and try again. And the business men
OF Boston must have thought so also for be-
fore he graduated they offered him more
places than Pooh Bah himself could fill and
tired to get him away even from his own
father.
A few weeks ago yonng English officer
was given chance TO distinguish himself in
India and he jumped at the chance. and de-
fssted four thousand rebellious Indians with
eighty trained men and the Queen gave him
Victoria Gross and two promotions, and
great many other tine things But long be-
fore Lieutenant. now Major, Grant did this a
brilliant writer wrote that 1T is given TO very
few men to carry ii line to a sinking ship or
TO place flag upon the walls OF lucknow
The important word in this quotation, as YOU
see or as understand it, is given" 1t is a
gift; It is nothing to boast Of as having been
worked for or won. For surely when the
chance Is given TO do either Of these things,
only the poorest Of men will refuse to take
the risk to seize it. And 80 the man who
makes his chance for himself must DO counted
the greater of these two.
IL is easy enough to walk I'D a wall even
wsth cannon on top of it, when the hero
worshiping world is looking on to applaud.
out 70 come. 10 great university, as this
young American captain did, unknown aud
ahneeded, and TO make himself and his own
personality felt through four long years and
20 win over 10 his side the sentiment of two
thousand collegians. and to mako them IN
CONSCIOUSLY follow and copy his manliness of
ns, ~ much more difficult thing to do. and
nucn hner. Anybody can put up stained
s,sss WIDOWS and build dormitories and give
Srl1es ior special courses named after the
oonof, II be is rich enough. There Re moth
ing easier than 10 give money IL one has n h
~ one OF the advantages the rich epioy-bnt
no' 20 easy 10 make yourself n power by
.ulnR straight and true. And NO wbila
sneie may Dc no walls 10 storm for the tbou-
ssanus OF young boys who are entering Inc
sIennap classes of our great uniyers;f;es
'Ns coming iall. they all have the chance Ar