The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-16
BREAKING OF AN OARSMAN.
END or Az AMBITION IHAT LED
TO THE VARSITY CREW.

| Ot ~ MOVING fhmilv-SuCcenh
forts at ColleEe-The Light Shadow That
Closed His Career mt the Last Moment.
They row beautifully" said the stranger.
and barring accidents they're sure winners"
| Barring accidents!" he answered. :" DO YOU
realize that II one OF those eight men catches
crab. II one Of those oars breaks. one Of those
slides Ia jumped. If a box or a steam boat gets
In the way. II one Of fifty possible accidents
happens during the race they're sure losers p
| Dear mo-" said the stranger. you make
rowing q very uncertain sport"
| 1T 10 uncertain" he answered curly.
| Then they were silent. while the crew out on
the CLASSY stream caught up their long, ma
ohinelike stroke. and with the coxswain grunt-
ing rhythmcally aud the launch pulling be-
| hind swept away up stream
| mo need to ask IL you have rowed." the
| stranger said. Your knowledge of the game
and your size show that"
Yes. I've rowed." he answered. las a sub
| stitute."
Then. throwing hugo leg across rock, ho
went on half to himself: i've said too much
! not to say more. I've never said as much be-
fore. but the sight OF those fellows rowing
dragged it out Of me. Talk about accidents!
Il come OF rowing family. My father
stroked the crew in his time. and my uncles
rowed and my cousins In fact, the varsity
has not put out many crews that have not car
ried relative Of mine. So when came up to
college. q big. husky freshman. did not give
rip for football. but was hot for rowing. When
i finally got into q pair-oar where / nearly
pulled the side out OF the boat and drove the
other fellow frantic. was "a happy man. And
when / heard tho captain, after my perform
ance on the yeasty river. grunt to one of the
old oars. II that big cub can only learn To for
set what he knows he may do. was a very
happy man.
We'll. soon told myself and oil my frlends
that was sure OF making the varsity. And
there was never a man trained like me. could
not get too much Of the weights and the dumb
| bells, and stuck to the rowing machines closer
than did to my best friends. When we began
rowing In the tank. wanted to live there. |
took to the hard work very kindly. grew and
waved so that people on the streets turned
| round to look at me. and the coaches had hard
| work to find IL big enough man to balance me.
! But they found him. We had big powerful
! crew and as weeks and months OF TRAINING went
by. and time trials were held. we found we had
a fast Grew IA well
| Well. we came down here for the real work
and The Lni1fins touches Gs II was Vs. az ori9Ms
| fairly to love this river and this country: and
then everything spoke so Strongly to me OF the
| here with my uncles' names cut in them; the
old niger cook remembered my father | wore
| Il cap that had belonged to one of my cousins.
| And the best thing was that was as good as
| any OF my family, | WAS steady, fairy smooth
another of the old oarsInen. the greatest
| heroes in the world to me, came down To
help the coaches aud saw them eye first
critically and then apnroylngly. my cup OF
happiness was full. l knew | was considered q
strong our. one OF the best men ~ the boat, |
| knew 1t from the peculiarly vicious way tho
coach swore at me when he had fault To ilnd;
and the peculiarly. tender way he inquired
@'n' came Ins 70 liz nj seoe the race and
was happy and hopeful and not the Ieast ex.
songs to keep our minds of the race. and we
went to bed quiet and sleepy. l as quiet and
Some time in the night found myself lean
| ing out OF ny window. How | got there ] do
not know: remember nothing alter jumping
into bed, But there was, kneel!ng on the
glorious June Heht, win big moon ny II, Ii"
shadow. A damp, cool breeze was blowing.
and smelled woodsy smells and the smell OF
never seen her more beautiful than on that
night Down In the hoath4mse the coaehes
! to the boat l could see them moving about in
| the lanter light. and could hear their voices.
From the rooms all ae G me cnmy the heavy.
q" Suddenly, as was gazing at the moonlit
river peculiar change came overi it. At first
| i thought a shadow had come across i. but tho
change was too slight for a shadow. The river
still ran in a bright. silver, sheet: light and
the whole scene was d frerent. 1t was as II I
were looking through glasses ever so slightly
great way of from it. Ietthe sounds were Just
| as distinct. could hear tie dinghy bumplnE
aga,nst the f"at and The voices from the boat
| After while the men cam" out OF the boat
house and up toward the house. and. remrn:
beriIg that it would not do to DO caught out OF
9itryinx would be better. i wanted y got III.
willed to get UP with all my will. but ncta
muscle stirred saw tho men outside coming
Up the walk. Their, faces white IN the moon;
! light. and wanted to get out OF III" way. and
| never huuRgu, | determined to get Nl, ! bent
my mind on getting up until thought IT would
SIap Pn. my se" n oT G H s s'r front MY
tS as Ega and 5 Hst a, h soS
heard the men enter the house. heard tho
clink of glasses in the dining room as they
| the coach coming up the stairs TO make final
inspection. II. sesmed to me that struggled,
fought in horrible agony. 1t seemed to me that
the sweat must be breaking out on me, that
big CHEST rose and fell quietly and regularly.
S2S t Sni kn SS"re ' the W" wiud"w
| Tor don't know how long. sometimes Crap
ping. as, it seemed to me, with my helpless
| body in the bitt"rrst struggle. and sometimes
numb with despair. And a. last ! simply roso
quietly, with no effort, walked over to my bed.
You think 1t was nightmarei SO did the
next morning. and brushed the. rcmem branco
| shaken, and could only toy with my break
fast Some time in the morning the coach
came up to me. tapped me on the arm and
| drew me aside.
80 Look here. jim he said. what's the mat
teri -
| shook his head aud frOwned lmpnticnty.
| - You and owe too much To- the college 10
| minre matters he said. Come, now what's
| troubling youf Sleep we'll
Then ltoId him about my nightmare. He
| listened sttcntivcly.
- Humph" he grunted IN fix you mp n
little something. You'li he all right
| so he fixed me M u little something and |
felt more like myself. That was long day; IT
| seems to me now an interminable day. for |
| think can remember every minute OF It. We
| practIced starting. and had swim. ate lunch,
| ioated. read, talked. The Jokes we cracked
come back TO me- the smell Of the graes lay
! in. ] can see the rppes on the water and tho
| big white clouds ning over the sky,
I'VE were down at the h"athouse Just before
| II was time to get the boat into the water. |
was lying full length on the float ready dressed.
| Iuat trunks aud stockings, you know. ] was
! lying thrre. letting III" warm sun heat down on
my Zig bare hoiy and AMY stlfienlng and re-,
| Taxing my limbs to see tn" murrl"- stIlleu ami
swell and thrn relax. ] was lying there laugh
ing to myself to think that at last was gong
| n do the thing | ind ali life desired a IL