The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-01-27
A SUMMER EPISODE.

withstand her wlleS and entertainments.
We hear her mentioned in poetry and
prose, until at last the fortunate ones
(by those | mean those who have thus
far only had the pleasure of reading
about and hearing her spoken of begin
to think that to look for angels wo need
not leave this earth but only to look for
the Summer girl.
In dealing with question of import
ance we must always look on two sides,
not always the one we think brightest;
it is so with this question we must look
at now.
To define the model Summer girl with
oil her peculiarities l must leave to
some one who may be interested enough
to study closely her ways and manners.
l have lost interest in everything con-
nected with her; the reason I am about
to relate.
The Summer of 1890 had gone; vaca-
tion days, which we always look for
ward to with such fond hopes and
dreams. had left us with nothing but
the sweet memories that invariably
cling to good times past.
When at college together five of my
comrades and myself made an agree
mont that when our college life had
ended and we parted, each to fight life IS
battle alone, we would, il we were
spared, meet at least once year to tell
each others successes or failures, as the
case might be. The year 1890 was no
exception to the rule, and the first night
in October, the evening Of our annual
meeting, came around.
The evening proved to be cold and
stormy, yot Notwithstanding, on this
our fifteenth meeting, we were all &C.
counted for in our usual places among
the last, but not least, to arrive was
Franklin Nelson, one of the youngest,
but more thought of by US than any
other one / can still remember how
he used to look at college-tall, we'll
built, with dark brown hair and eyes,
the latter especially calling attention to
him If his manners and bearing, that
were almost perfect, had not to look
at him it would seem as il trouble and
care were entirely unknown to him. He
had way OF looking at you while talk
ing, as if he were reading your very
thoughts, but to hear him laugh, which
he did frequently, was a pleasure in
deed. 1t seemed as il his whole soul
was in it, which, added to his rare con-
versational powers, made him so popu-
lar wherever he happened to be but
to return to our narrative.
As l said, he entered rather late we
greeted his entrance with three cheers.
We intended to give them with will, but
they almost died on our lips as we no.
ticed his appearance. Could this be
our Franklin of olden times? No but,
yes, we had to realize that it was How
changed Pale, thin, all the life
seemed to have been taken from him {;
even his old step had gone. He greeted
each one OF us personally, and then,
with what seemed to be, to us heavy
sigh, sank into the nearest chair. We
started the evenings sport at once. Some
cracked Jokes, Others sang, but through
it all we felt as if something had gone
wrong, yet we could have hardly said
what it was. Frank laughed and ioked
with the rest, but the dullest one in tho
party could see he was playing Il part,
especially as his old laugh that we had
so much admired had left him.
The part of the evening we always
looked forward to with the greatest
pleasure was after we had seen that our
inner man had been well satisfied, and
the cigars had been passed around, we
settled down to hear each one relate his
experience. Tonight we applauded
every one and everything. 1t needed
something to keep our spirits up.
Franks time to speak 1--WE always re-
served him to the end, believing that
the best should be kept until the last)
was eagerly awaited. At last it came
would that we had never called on him!
He slowly arose as his name was called,
and advancing to the center of the
room, so that the light fell full on his
colorless face, and leaning heavily on
the table, as if too weak to support him
self, began : Dear friends and COM
rades, we have met again tonight for
the fifteenth time. AS we look back on
each meeting we think what joyous
times they were, bright spots ON the
pathway of life, like some bright oasis
in the desert where the weary traveller
has time to stop a moment and drink
the cooling waters, and rest, before re-
suming his burden and starting forth
on the weary road once more 1 have
not the time tonight to say all I would
like to, but will come to what have
to say at once: You may all have no.
ticed a change in my appearance and
manner, and of that my story tonight
has to deal. You all know that from
the cradle was reared in luxury and
how my life, previous to this year, has
been spent, after college, doing nothing
but live, enjoying it as if it was some
bright dream. But now"
He drew his hand over his brow, his
large brown eyes set in marble face,
burned like Goals of fire not one of us
dared breathe, so afraid we were of in
terrupting him.
Now, he resumed, "all has changed.
Last spring l awoke to the fact that