The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-01-24

for reading then-he became the Joyfu
posSessor of three OF tour volumes o.
nature, folklore, and fairy tales. After
that he saw elves in the woods, heard
dragons beating their uncanny wings
overhead at night, and conversed with
fairy princess every time he went
to the spring for water. He will never
be tie same lad again, for imagination
has taken possession of his teeming
brain. and romances fit through it like
sweet dreams.
He read love story about a month
ago; and the next Sunday he picked him
out a sweetheart at church. Thus an
other ingredient has been added to his
souls makeup. He is very proud of
reading romance now, and prefers those
that end well.
But what is he reading tonight? Burns
as l live! and that young Miss on a
neighboring farm has an ordeal before
her, for he has already written seven
teen poems extolling her lips, her eyes,
her hair, an even her checked gingham
apron He is intending to overwhelm
her with this metrical sweetness next
Sunday afternoon.
Yes, this tousled-haired, freckled- faced,
gawky boy, in the non-descript coat and
trousers, is making progress. He asso-
ciates with great minds in these books,
and they are as patient and con.lescend-
ing with him as they are with you and
my elegant reader. And he has begun
to live a life of aspiration, imagination
and romance. And there are other riches
he will add to his soul treasures later,
and he will augment such as he has.
Now let ME turn prophet. Somehow
or other this lad, in spite OF poverty and
the want of substantial encouragement,
will emerge from his present surround
ings, and will some day make his ap-
pearance amid the freshmen contingent
of college He will wear six dollar
suit of clothes. an out-of-style hat and
carry all his belongings in an ancient
hair covered trunk; but he will be there
And elegant young gentlemen VIII make
fun OF him on the campus, and Re will
answer questions they have missed in the
class room. And at the end of four years
his awkwa1dness gone, neatly dressed and
fine looking, he will deliver his gradu
ating address and receive his diploma.
Then he will go home and find his old
non descript suit of clothes hanging ur
in the shed, where his darling old moth
er has kept them to remind her of he,
boy. He will laugh at them, and pui
them on and go fishing.
Next Sunday he will sit by his mother
at church and after preaching IS over he
will hunt UP the old sweetheart to whom
he wrote the seventeen poems, and seven
teen times seventeen afterwards. BnC
he will chat and laugh with her, ant
chuck her fat baby under he chin. fol
she will have married the niller's sol
down on the river. He will even sh "
her, to her int"rse ami delighted inter
est, The photogca phi of tha young lady
in the college town VINO furnished til,
inspiration for his last sonnet.
And he will take his place in the fore
front of the worlds workers end make
a name and place for himself. Hence
forth there will be a new voice to speal
for mankind, o large soul to plan cnt
do for them, trainad Energies thrilling
society with healthy and honest life and
achi avement.
Yet - was only country lad. poor
and awkward until great souls found hin
and spoke to him through great books
and stirred him UP and hustled him out
to conquer portion of the world.
Reidsvile, N. G.