The Afro-American advance., 1900-10-13
Reformation Of MCSWatt
by Paul r. Harris.
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written for this pApsrJ

M'swATT'S college days were n
lVI revelations not only TO the fac.
ulty, but TO himself also. lie had
nerer suspected the Versatility OF his
nature or the yEstneES of his resource,
He was summoned one day TO APP
pear before the board. under com
plant OF having caricatured his Latin
professor ON the class room walls,
thereby making that worthy 10 ap.
pear, his face wreathed in smiles.
dancing the "couehy couchy" and cry.
Ing; "fo Hades with Caesar, et tn,
Brute" and numerous other lncongru.
ous and lndcllcate things. McSwntt
arose To the occasion. aye. pissed far
beyond II and made college history;
40 completely was he master Of the
situation that Jones, hend professor
of Evidences OF Christianity. lnwnrdly
resolved 10 espouse his canon. .xatlon,
should McSwatt's soul soon take it's
flight.
IL was not 40 easy, however. 10 pull
the wool over the eyes of hla class.
mates. ''lndgnntlon" Smythe, who
WAS member Of n fraternity consti.
tntionally opposed Ia the one whose
rolls Mcswatt's name honored and
more or less dyspep,ic voiced the sen.
tlment Of the student body when he
stated, with his usual variations. that
Mcswatt was cheerful liar and an
inimitable dead beat. The remark
cost Smythe "A nasal hemorrhage; Nc.
Swat. the remainder OF his renutn.
tion for the allegations were never
successfully contruyerted.
To drown his sorrow, McSwait In.
gratiated himself with the hlbulous
crowd, and he lived To see the sorrow
completely inundated. Hlc was often.
er found AT the Inn than at the col.
lege, aud he consequently became more
proficient In poker than In Greek. The
quarterly report. sent home, elected
much wonder, no enthnaiasm. There
had been u series of extraordinary
drains on the family purse for such
odd purposes that the ol~ gentleman
was apprehrnsisc lest the boy be de-
mented. The cost ot books alone. a
mere drop In the bucket Of general eN-
penditureA, was sufficient Co have
started n town library. and that ~
dentistry mortgaged the farm. Hence
the elder McSwatt visited college. but
the magnificent library had taken 90
itself wings, and there remained no
evidence OF the dentists work. Even
McSwatt's wardrobe left much 10 be
desired. To tell the whole truth.
naught Of II remained save a light
summer suit which McSwatt, sr..
fancied he had seen before, aud which
the younger man was herolcaily en-.
deavoring TO make on all ot the re.
quirements Of the season.
The frat view which the old gentle.
ma ohiasnrt. OF his offspring in his
college environments Was through a
hare Of tobaeso % smoke. aud not ealcu.
LATED 10 inspire confidence for that
yonng man, With \ coterie of maudlln
companions, as mongrel LOT ~ ever
diSgraced an institution of learning
Was dividing his attention between a
hand Of poker and a mammoth euapl.
dor which he Hpat at with the rega.
laritS Of an automaton. an accuracy
college born.
MeSWAtt, Sr.. ughtened the purse
strings. and she act induced a much.
needed period Of reform. Under the
stimulus Of parental adjuration, Nc.
Swat settled % business. forged into
the firs; division Of his class. aud his
natural genius would have put him
In the way of honors had Il not been
for the ever present conviction Of the
innnlty Of II all. Where was the use
Of tortuFing oneself with iogarlthms
when poker wax ON the tapls AZ the
inn7 selfimmnlasion was no part OF
mis- creed. HIS hAsty resolutions for
good wsre repcnted At leisure until
the time came that there seemed no
longer use oi struggling against hia
discomfort. hope went glimmerlng.
and he resolved rather than make a
mess Of n. 70 Be wholly, truly bad
lie broadly intimaaed that he Intend
~ 70 inaugurats the most comprshsn-