Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-12-30
THE THREE CHUMS.

" LII - = t@~-- ---@ 49, N~~J
Scar friends. Marssien and Masterson-
We were always together. despite the
fact mat there eoald hardly have been
found anywhere IN the world three men
WHOSE ideas On nost subjects 80 radically
differed Perhaps IL vas the intellectual
pleasure We derived FROM debating
among ourselves. with an acrimony only
possible amorg the fastest Of friends. The
pros and cons OF every question that
came up that was the bond or our union.
Whatever the bond was. We were GER
fanny tnserarabie. and think. on that
LAST night Il New Haven, when after
four years OF most intimate association
We parted. each 70 walk alone his path
through life, there were three very tear
stained pillows beneath our respective
heads before Morpheus claimed our ale
glance. / know that for one was com
peilei 20 change mine. 50 saturated did
II become with those salt evidences OF a
sincere grief which were copiously shed
lsy my eyes that night.
Tns rating between Marsden and
Masterson and myself was geographical
ratssr than spiritual. Marssien's lines
fen in the pleasant places of Boston;
Mzsterscns IN those Of Baltimore. and
mine IN New York. Marsien studied
medicine. Missterson became a professor
OF psychology without chair, and
drifted through period OF misery Is a
student of law into literary. sharp shoot
ing; but through il all we kept up a
thrse cornersd correspondence III which
the hopes and fears % orr lives were
freely confided, with the result, think.
that we all took more cheerful view OF
existence than would otherwise have
been possible. II was the perfect candor
OF our intercourse that helped as. What
/ did not like about Marsden | frankly
told him. ard when / disapproved of
MastersOn, Mastsrson was the first TO
know il. and vice versa. IL was helpful:
IL was delightful. We lived in palace
Of truth. which, alas. IS no more.
Five or sn years was the duration OF
our poet graduate alliance. which was
broken by death first, and then by that
which il worse than death-madness;
and II al came about through the too
close application of Marsien and Master
son 10 their work. Marsden had always
been noted for his love Of the mysterious
and morbid In the old college days il
used 10 trouble Masterson and myself
not = little 10 find how exceedingly fond
of the depressing things OF life Marsden
was-shat ~ TO say. he liked to hear and
talk about them. He liked TO read s.o-
ries not only bordering upon bat plung-
ing into the middle OF the supernatural,
and whale Masterson and | were compil-
ing sTapbooAs Of clippings showing how
easily Yale crews defeated Harvard
crews, and other matters of alma mater
nal interest. Marsden vas filing cnvel-
opss with horrors-stories OF vampires,
tales Of Authorization and other unnat-
rral things.
While Mzsterson and l were reading
such light and airy stories as Pelham
and ''Pendennis," with Herrick as our
ideal poet. Narsden would devote his
hours Of outside reading 10 Hoffman.
Pee and Monk Lewis, and any versifer
whose sentiment smacked of malaria
could Dc his poet for the time being.
think the only point on which Master
son and ever really agreed was in re-
gard 10 N2rsden's unhealthy passion for
the grotssque. and we were unremitting
In oCr efforts % bring him down 70 the
real sunshiny things Of life. but can
rot say that we were ever sanguine Of
the r-snlt Of cur efforts.
Il was Msrsden's horrible addiction e
such matters that led Masserson into the
study of psychology and Marsden him
SELF into medicine. and il Marsden would
hate g1ne nc it in the cotdly scientific
manner OF MastersOn | think he would
have been al right. although Mastersou
carried his coolnoss q degree too far in
that he did not recognize the fact that
minds. Ike machines. speedily 20 q
Iiecesif not kept III repair. II was while
TRYING 90 comprehend Marsden's mind
that Master>on became interested IN
mental science. and it was Marsden's
rasNon for the insane that decided him
to become a physician. so that he might
come into actual contact with those who
suffered the things Of which he read
Zach sucreeslsd IN reaching his goal
Masterson nc the ago Of thirty found
himself "a accepted authority on psyche
loxiCal matters. Marsien az twenty nine
was actively convicted with the medical
staff - an asylum FIR the insane In Mas
sachnsetts. and then the end came Mas
fersOns candle had been burned at boil
ends and be was nigh unto death. Iva.
the frst 80 near Of It, because my duties
were such that | had been able 70 visit
Masterson q Baltiraore-whichM arsden
owing 20 his more or less confined duties
could not very v-ell DO. and 81 was known
T. Nssterscn' ; family, who Immediately
wirsd me Of the precarious condition oi
my old friend The TELEGRAM receive,
A. p o'clock ia the morning II a SeptsTn
Der lay. and I Immediately repeated il
70 warsden in Boston. adding that II wa.
M intention - leave New York for Bal
tiulrre that night
Two hours later received a uessag'
from Narsden saying. Wait for me. II.
must not die.
THIS WAS mere or ksss unsettling T,
wait for Marsisn was che very thing i
wcuid pisase me ruest 20 do. hut ~ hav'
him bring his message 90 a close will
tilnse krs1r words grated on my nerves
Thev al not s8und exactly right.
An hour later a second telegram ~
rived from Afarst3en. which rad. Ar
tust leaving Boston. For God sake Wal
for NET
AMI - Il went AL that sftsxnoon. a