The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1900-11-24
Reformation Of MGSHatt
BY Paul P. Harris.


M 'SWATT'S college days were a
IvL revelation; not only to the fac
ltlty, but to himself also. He had
Iever suspected the versatility Of his
ature Or the vastness of his resource.
He was summoned one day to APP
Hear before the board under COM
laint of having ca~ricatured his Latin
= rofessor on the class room walls
hereby making that worthy to APP
lear, his face wreathed in smiles.
d ancing the "couchy couchy'' and cry
Ing; ''Io Hades with Caesar, ct tn,
Z rute" and numerous other incongru-
0 us and indicate things. McSwatt
q rose to the occasion, aye, passed far
beyond it and made college history;
6 o completely was he master of the
situation that Jones, head professor
9 Evidences Of Christianity, inwardly
! esolved to espouse his canon.zation,
should McSwatt's soul soon take its
flight.
1t was not 50 easy, however, to pull
the wool over the eyes of his class
mates. indignation" Smythe, who
Was a member Of a fraternity consti-
~tutionally opposed to the one whose
rolls AcSwatt's name honored, and
more or less dyspeptic, voiced the SEN
timent Of the student body when he
4 tated, with his usual variations. that
NIcSwatt was a cheerful liar and an
4 nimitable dead beat. The remark
cost Smythe g nasal h~emorrhage; Nc
Hwatt, the remainder of his reputa-
ion for the allegations were never
6 uccessfully controverted.
To drown his sorrow, McSwatt in
gratiated himself with the bibulous
c rowd, and he lived to see the sorrow
completely inundated. He was often
e + found at the inn than at the col
ltge, and he consequently became more
proficient in poker than in Greek. The
q uarterly report, sent home, elected
2 lueh wonder, no enthusiasm. There
lad been a series Of extraordinary
d rains on the family purse for such
o I'd purposes that the olu gentleman
y las apprehensive lest the bow be de-
p tented The cost of books alone. a
a ere drop in the bucket Of general K
p enditures, was sufficient to have
8 arted a town library, and that Of
d Rntistry mortgaged the farm. Hence
7 he elder McSwatt visited college. but
7 he magnificent library had taken to
] self wings, and there remained no
eF idence Of the dentists work. Even
n cSwatt's wardrobe left much to be
q sired. To tell the whole truth.
p Rught Of il remained save a light
81 INNER suit which McSwatt, ST..
"a ncied he had seen before, and which
tie younger man was heroically en-
d havoring TO make fill all Of the re-
81 irements Of the season.
The first view which the old gentle
I'd an obtained Of his offspring in his
Cd llege environments was through a
DID re Of tobacco smoke, and not calcu-
la ted to inspire confidence for taat
I'd ung man, with a cOterie Of maudlin
Cd mpanions, as mongrel a lot as ever
di sgraced an institution of learning,
~ is dividing his attention between
Id nd Of poker and q mammoth cuspi-
ID which he spat at with the regu-
la Fity Of an .automaton, an accuracy
co lege born.
MeSwatt, ST., frightened the purse
ings, and the act induced a much
he Rded period Of reform. Under the
ri mulus Of parental ~adjuration, Nc
5VT att settled TO business, forged into
2 first division e his class, and his