Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1900-05-10


think he read me the Declaration Of
Independence when he was 4, and do
remember distinctly that his mother
gave me a great surprise on the sew
enth anniversary Of his birthday. 1t
was then he recited "Arma Virumque
Cano," etc.
Fred was a great boy and a good
boy. The wonder to me Is that with
all the petting he got from his mother
and I'll have to admit l did little
bit Of it myself-he wasn't completely
spoiled. But he wasn't. Now and then
I'd hear reports from the neighbors
about his clicking" one Of their sons,
but Of course that fattered me.
The boy must have grown like the
deuce. The first knew Of it was when
he celebrated his birthday. He was
then 16 and about to enter Yale. He
had his young friends at the house.
and we were getting along nicely until
I heard some one say:
"Why, Mr.. Tupp, Fred's bigger than
you arev'
There was a mirror opposite. and my
eyes caught it and verified the state
ment.
NONSENSE" said l, slapping Fred
paternally on the back, but at the same
time got a smile from Mrs. Tupp, anG
didn't half like 1t.
Fred went to Yale. 1t was q sad
parting. felt for Mrs. Tupp and in
way pitied Fred and myself. But
Fred didn't seem to mind. He went
away as blithe as you please, strong
and frisky as a young bull. He left
us pretty lonely.
But there were his letters, at any rate,
long ones and regular as clockwork,
telling us all about his student life, his
chums, the professors and, above all.
about the college athletes. The letters
always got down to that, and at length
they had nothing else in them but
news relating to the prospects of the
varsity crew or football team or some
such thrilling message as, Tell dad
that Hockip threw the hammer yester-
day three inches farther, but that's on
the Q. IT,"
That kind Of thing began to make me
tired, and l wondered at the interest
Mrs. Tupp seemed to take in it.
Look here" said to her one day,
''it looks to me as though Fred was
taking more interest in sports than in
the humanities. We didn't send him
to college to educate the brute in him,
but to eradicate and refine it out Of
him. Judging by his letters, it ap-
pears that he would rather be captain
Of his class crew than
81 only wish they would elect him."
said Mrs. Tupp wistfully. DO you
think he stands a chance"
glared at Mrs. Tupp for almost
minute and then said: my dear. there
is something Of the savage in you too.
No wonder Fred
"I'll be savage enough If he isn't
elected" said she absently.
He was elected. and when he came
home to us in the early summer tri-
umphant and rosy and taller by an
inch the contagion Of his enthusiasm
got into me somehow or other, and
liked to take him down to the Office
and say in an offhand way. Judge.
this is my son Fred"
And every one admired him. It was
always. by Jove, Tupp. that's '''"
figure of a boyv or: "In Yalr
They'll have you at end or cent,
year sure"
They did He played left end
football team in his sophomor"
and when transferred to full
made that great run Of 70 yards fo
touchdown at Berkeley oval. Aft
that he captained the team during his
junior and senior years.
l will always think it was the duty
Of Mrs. Tupp to have Informed me Of
Fred's preposterous growth. How was
I to know? The boy looked big. to be
sure, but parent can never entirely
dissociate the memories Of childhood
from his grown up child. Fred when
graduated from Yale. with no scholas-
tic honors, but with what the alumni
and undergraduates seemed to think
was very much better. brilliant foot
ball record. stood about feet 8 inches
in his socks So I've been told. That
is, he was, say, a foot taller than l.
thereabouts. I realize it now, but then
I didn't. was so accustomed. you see,
to petting and patting the boy that his
egregious altitude had quite escaped
me.
But not for long.
take it that the woefulest storm and
stress period in the life Of a boy who
has gone in for athletics in his college
is that following upon his graduation,
when the newspapers no longer chron-
icle from day to day his physical con-
dition or his acts Of prowess and he Is
at liberty to think with Beranger of
1.-The brave days when he was" 81"
Fred had come to that. Therein, you
see, lies the real and only harm done to
boys by competitive athletic sports in
colleges. Long before their characters
have knit they have tasted Of the JOY Of
reputation. And then. after a year or
two, this quarter back or that center
rush leaves college, and, oh, how he