Willmar tribune., 1901-07-03

J. y
man in society outside of a college
community, and still 60 on his way
preparing for his life work, not hinder
ed or embarrassed by the fact of his
feelings, but rather helped by them.
In all frankness, Blake, l myself feel
as If, generally, in coeducational insti-
tutions like ours the less said and
thought about serious lovemaking the
better. The students are here to study.
not to court one another, as a rule.
But In case Of an honest, sincere at
tachment that comes as naturally to a
student as it might come to any other
young man anywhere else In the world
! do not feel as If my business was to
advise him to crush it out. Let him
be man in this experience, as in any
other. Now, want to say honestly,
Blake, you have not been man so far
In this matter. You have dropped your
interest In your studies; you have let
your feelings harm you instead Of help
you. Am right about that?''
Yes, sir; I'm afraid you are" replied
Edward in low tone again.
"Be man about it, Blake. If your
feeling Is worth having, if it is not SIM
ply sentimental fancy for face or a
manner, if 1t is something you ought
not to be ashamed of, let it make a bet
ter man out of you; better, not a
worse, student; better, not a worse,
child of God"
The president rose as a step came
down the stairs. and Mrs. Preston
knocked at the door. IF there is any
thing can do for you. my boy" said
President Royce, going up to Edward
and putting hand on his arm, "you
know am at your service"
'"Thank you, sir; you have helped me
already" said Edward, and then he
opened the door, and Mrs. Preston came
in. She simply repeated her message
concerning Willis and soon went out
with the president.
When they were gone Edward Blake,
college student, did some really serious
thinking. The presidents talk had
cleared up the atmosphere a good deal.
He was able to see some things more
clearly. AS he sat by his desk, going
over the conversation he had just had
with the president, he felt the force of
his argument. He was not so much in
love, or rather he was not feeling to-
ward Miss Seton in such a way, that
he was insensible to any and every
form Of counsel from another person.
He was somewhat surprised at some
things the president had said, but he
understood his position, on the whole,
very clearly, and the more he thought
Of it the more he respected it.
AS he sat by his desk he opened one
Of the drawers in it, and, after lifting
off some papers that lay on the top, he
took out a photograph Of Miss Seton.
1t was, to tell the truth, q very poor
picture, and, to tell the truth again,
Edward had actually taken it out Of q
book that Ida had left in the parlor OF
the hall one night while Edward was
calling on Freeda- Ida had charged
one Of the other boys present that even.
ing with taking the picture, never
dreaming that Edward Blake, the un.
demonstrative, had taken it. There
was scrap of Miss Seton's writing
with the photograph, that Edward had
found in the hall also, and he placed II
alongside the photograph and looked
gravely at them. Then he put them
back in their places in the drawer and
shut it up, and after q moment he rose
and walked up and down through the
room.
The boy was actually at one crisis OF
his life. There are more crises in every
young mans life than he himself is al
ways aware of. But Edward probably
realized this one with more or less un'
derstanding Of its gravity. It is not
easy to state just what his final resolve
was in so many terms. It is perhaps
enough to say that he realized the fool
ishness of allowing q new and growing
passion to spoil his college course, and
even more than that, possibly in the
end render the life. of another person
unhappy, or at least throw an element
into it that would hinder it's free and
natural development.
| This much can truly be said for Ed
ward, at this place in his college
course. He went out the next day anl
began his work under different i'm
pulses from what he had felt for long
time. He had a conscious feeling Of
dread at the thought of meeting Miss
Seton in the laboratory that afternoon
almost as If she had been present dur
ing the presidents talk, or at least haG
been where she could hear it. But ht
was relieved to find that she was JUS
the same, and he discovered that he
was able to meet her and talk with he1
in q freedom from embarrassment tha
of late he had not been able to assume
It is not the place here to tell wha;
Edwards whole experience was In tn
matter, nor how the interview will
the president shaped it all for him a
the year went on.
It is enough to say that he had tn
manliness to go on with his studies IL
his old time spirit of vigor, and il, a
the days went on, he found no lessen
ing Of his feeling, but perhaps a deep
ening Of it, he realized that the feeling
was not spelling his life. That mucl
he was at least conscious of, and evel
more in time.
The term had come to an end, an
another summer vacation faced him
Freeda went home again, and, as th
year before, Edward planned to sta,
in Raynor and carry his paper. n
went home for few days, just to Sc
the folks, and then came back again t
resume his work. The hall was agai
deserted, and it was lonesome bushes
to keep up the same old life, with tn
boys gone. The president, too, ha
gone to Europe on a summer visit
Gormanv an6 fhoro vuaa M aoCroto rvS