News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1900-10-03

did not have any convictions deep
enough on any Christian basis to plead
with Willis from any other standpoint
than n of moral eXpediency. After
he had, as he thought, done his duty
in urging the love of Willis mother
upon him as a motive, no other argu-
ment or motive appealed to him, and
he let Willis go his way without hav.
ing said a word to him on the side of
spiritual life. Edward could not speak
any such word because he had no per-
sonal Christian faith. He guided his
life so far by his sense Of moral up
rightness. The still higher plain of
Christian discipleship was unknown to
him. If he had known it, it is posi-
ble-but that thought came afterward,
long after Willis had gone with his
regiment and was fighting in the
swamps and jungles of Luzon.
1t was very late when Willis came
in, and Edward. who was wakened by
his entrance, felt sure he was more or
less under the influence of liquor. He
slept it off, however, and the next
morning appeared as bright and conf.
dent as ever.
Hear me come in this morning.
he asked as he began packing up his
things preparatory to his departure.
He was going home that day to spend
a few days and then going direct from
there to join his regiment in San Fran.
cisco.
"Yes," replied Edward shortly.
81 didn't make much disturbance,
did /" asked Willis gafly. Didn't
put my shoes in the stove and my col.
lar in the coal bin, did II"
Edward did not answer, and Willis
went on packing his things, After
quite a silence he said, with the alb
ruptness that sometimes marked his
usual careless indifference:
1--WE got the same little volume of
poems with me. Going to take it to
Manila for good luck"
Edward was silent again, and Willis
put the volume into his grip, and after
a moment he said, Ned, if | never
come back, think of me at my best in
stead of my worst, will you, and I'll
do the same by you"
1t was the only serious word that
Edward heard from Willis before the
train started with him aboard that
afternoon. 1t touched him in spite OF
the other things that annoyed and even
angered him. When the familiar fig
ure vanished from sight that afternoon
down at the station, with the memory
of a great crowd from the college pres
ent to see him off and shower ribbons
and flowers on him, Edward carried
back up the hill a kindly and even
fearful remembrance of the handsome,
smiling Willis. And as the distance
between them daily widened and he
pictured the dangers that awaited that
regiment in those faroff islands Ed
ward Blake, with thousands of Others
in America, wished godspeed to the
ones who had gone, while still in his
fast forming and developing mind he
had his doubts concerning the right.
of the struggle there and
wondered if his increasing horror of
bloodshed and his growing dislike for
war were a morbid streak in him on
account of the great majority Of col
lege opinions that were so different
from his. ..r,ea.~u ,r
it was at this time in his college
career, with all the excitement of these
historical events adding to the interest
he already felt in his life since leaving
home, that Edward Blake began the
practice of writing, which had so much
to do with the shaping of his mind
and the crystallizing of his thoughts.
The president suggested the idea to
him, and Edward eagerly adopted it
The literary tone of the debating so
cieties and the college journalism was
at a low point. The editors of the
monthly paper were elected every fall
at a mass meeting Of the students, and
each class had a proportionate repre-
s~entation. Edward was elected with
two others to represent the sophie
more class. Talking over the matter
with the president a day or two later
the president asked Edward If he had
ever written very much.
mo, sir. used to do a little scrib
bling at home on the farm winter even
ings, but that's ALL"
Ever had any of 1t printed in the pa
pers or a~nywhereT"
mo, sir" replied Edward, smiling
some to think of the impossibility Of
such a thing.
"Tell you what I would advise this
new board of editors to do. Why dom
you form q little circle among your
selves for the express purpose of rails
ing the standard of composition in the
college? Let each member Of the boarC
write at least one article q week fol
some well known paper or magazine
and submit 1t for publication. Aftel
all, there Is no test quite so severe
for what you write as the test, WI
any paper or magazine want 1t ant
pay for itT | know that very Otter
this is no test of the real worth of
piece of literary work, but, on the otheI
hand, 1t is more or less of a severe
test Of good work. Then, If you have
any articles accepted and printed BY
other papers, reprint them in the col
lege paper, by permission, and invite
criticism of the articles from othel
writer's among the students"