The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-11-02
A FRESHMAN AT U. OF N.
XVI.

settled down to work again, after a
few days spent in rearranging pictures,
sofa pillows, and the hundred and one
new possessions acquired at that sea.
son and dear to the heart of the college
student.
Somehow, track work did not appeal
to you in the least, and you decided to
leave that branch of athletics out of
your college course. Basketball was
beginning to be the center of athletic
interest by this time, and at the urgent
request of the manager you got out to
try for your class team, although your
prep school had never gone in for that
sport much, and it was almost new
thing to you. 1t did not remain so long,
however, and you spent many evenings
hard at it in the gym.
The question of a Freshman banquet
was being agitated by the great minds
of the class, and numerous class meet
ings were necessary for consultation
and the forming of definite plans. The
question, ''to be or not to be-" was set
tied by an overwhelming vote in the
affirmative, and any number of schemes,
thought by their originators to be the
only way of carrying out the affair with
any degree of success, were brought to
the front Pros and cons, possibilities
and probabilities, were discussed at
length until the delights of the affair
almost began to pale with age. Finally
a scheme which met with everybody's
approval was suggested, and adopted.
A committee of representative men
was chosen, one from each fraternity,
with men from the non frat. section,
and everything was put into their
hands. Then the classmeetings dimin-
ished, both in number and length.
One morning, some weeks after the
wane in interest, when calls from the
platform for "a meeting of the class of
30 in Number l Alumni at l o'clock"
had become rather infrequent, word was
quietly passed around that it behooyed
everyone who desired to be "among
those present" at that long talked of
banquet to get to Brewer that after
noon before the afternoon train for
Ellsworth pulled out. It was difficult
to keep that smile off your face, and
still more difficult to assure yourself
that your whole manner did not say to
the world in general, and the Sopho-
mores in particular-"We there are
things doing" AS luck would have it
you got a telegram from your father
early that very morning telling you
! that he was to be in Bangor on
business for a few hours, and would
like to see you there. You did not
quite know whether to be pleased or
Disguised. OF course you would be
glad to see your dad-there wasn't any
question about that part of it; but it
was rather disappointing that you
could not use that lovely plan you had
thought out for slipping away. How
ever, you took the goods the Gods pro
III the middle Of the morning with a
light heart, and lighter pocket book.
Although you did not altogether agree
with the college version of the proverb
brings no check" reinforcements in the
| financial line were always welcome,
and you did not intend to neglect any
opportunities. How good it seemed to
see your father, and you spent every
available minute talking home" He
left on an early train, and after seeing
him on his way You started for Brewer,
the thought of that banquet over
whelming the touch Of inconsistencies
aroused by your fathers departure.
Before you were far on your way, you
met one of your own fraternity class
mates, who joined you with knowing
grin and recited for your benefit the
story of how he came down on the car
with Sophomore, to do some errands,
and how he had eluded his companion
and escaped from his vigilent eye.
By the time the station was reached,
Freshmen were fairly crowding the
platform, and were arriving every
minute from different directions. Each
had his story to tell of how he managed
to get away without arousing the sus-
PIGEONS of the ''wily Sophomores. who
were, this time, as unsuspecting as the
most timid Freshman could have de.
sired. This boy had come down on an
errand for a Sophomore, who was par
ticular about having the required arti-
Gle that evening, and who, having no
spare time that afternoon, had sent his
Freshman roommate for it. A smile
of perfect satisfaction illumined the
face of this boy, and even the prospect
of unlimited duckings could not damp
en- his joy, as he thought of the many
times he had 'hoed out" gone down for
the mail, and made trips to Bangor.
The worm, with an extatic wiggle of
glee, had turned, Some of the fellows,
whose homes were in Bangor or
Brewer had started away to spend the
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