The Portland daily press., 1895-06-01


others. so that you can see only the top,
which is shaped like pyramid? That
is old Whitefaoe, and it is more thar
40 miles from here. Tt used to be un-
derstood that there was nothing what
ever over there except woods and rocks
and bears and John Brown. But the
truth is, right at the foot of the noun
tain, in the valley on this side, there is
a little village called Wilmington, and
it is the center of the world. Lucy Cary
and I were born there. Itwas not much
of village then, and it is about the
same now. There was no church, and
no store, and no hotel in my time
There were only half dozen dwelling
houses, and blacksmith shop, and
man who made shoes. Lucy lived in the
house next to ours. Her father was the
man who made shoes. Lucy and / pick
ed berries and rambled about with
Rover, the dog, from the time we were
little. OF course you will naturally
think there is something romantic COM
ing, but there is not. We were just
couple of children playing together, and
we studied together as we grew older.
They made great deal of studying and
schooling over there. They had almost
as much respect for learning then in
Wilmington as they have now among
the White mountains, where they will
not allow any walters at the hotels who
cannot talk Greek.
SIT was quite an affair when Lucy
and left Wilmington and came to Bur-
lington. The departure of two inhab-
itants was loss to the town. 1t was
not equal to the Chicago fire, but it was
an important event. went to college,
and Lucy came over the lake to work in
woolen factory. There is where she
worked pointing to the beautiful lit
tie village OF Winooski, mile behind
US, in the green valley of Onion river.
"And she had to work there for
living whibe you went to college?'' ask
ed Mrs. Pember.
''That was it, said Tompkins "We
used to serenade her sometimes, with
the rest, but she seemed to think it was
not exactly the right thing for a poor
factory girl, and so we gave it up.
used to see her occasionally, but some
how there grew up distance between
us.
How was that?" inquired Mrs. Penn
ber.
"Well, to tell the truth" answered
Tompkins, II think my college ideas
had too much to. do with it. did not
see it at the time, but it has come over
me lately. When a young chap gets his
head full of new ideas, he is very like
ly to forget the old ones"
"You did not mean to do wrong,
am SIRE" said Mrs. Pember.
'"The excuse have" continued Tomp-
kins, 'is that had to work and serimp
and suffer SO myself to get along and
pay my way that I hardly thought of
anything except my studies and how to
meet my expenses. Then there was that
dream of doing some great thing in the
world. taught the district school in
Wilmington three months during my
| sophomore year to get money to go on
with, and I think that helped to make
me ambitious 1t was the sincere con-
viction of the neighborhood over there
that I would be president of the col
lege or Of the United States. I do
not think they would have conceded
that there was much difference in
the two positions. I felt that would
be disgraced if did not meet their ex-
peetations. By one of those condolences
which seemed to follow our fortunes
Lucy made long visit home when I
was teaching in Wilmington. She was
one of my pupils. She was aquiet little
lady and hardly spoke loud word that
remember all winter. I"
"Did you try to talk to her, Tim
othy?" asked Mrs. Pember.
81 do not claim that I did,, answered
Tompkins. 81 was studying hard to
keep up with my class, and that was
the reason. But wish I had paid more
attention to Lucy Gary that winter.
would not have you think there was any
thing particular between Lucy and me-
1t was not that
s'We will think just what we please, "
interrupted Mrs. Pember in a serious
tone. s
"Well, = continued the narrator, sit
would be absurd to suppose there was
Rny such thing. y
There was long pause 'tYou had
better tell the rest of the story, Tim
othy," said the old gentleman persua-
sively.
Eyes, 1 will,'' responded Tompkins.
''After l came back to college l got
along better than before I had taught.
The money received for teaching help
ed me, and another thing aided me.
The folks in Wilmington found out
how poor young man works to get
through college. Some of us used to live
on 81 a week apiece and board ourselves
in onr rooms down there in the build
ings, and we were doing the hardest
kind of studying at the same time. We
would often club together, one doing
the cooking for five or six. The cook
would get off without paying. 1t was
one of the most delightful things in the
world to see tall young man in cali
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