The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-09-14
A FRESHMAN AT U. OF N.

TX.
You had noticed that the bulletin
board was ornamented, among all the
other posters and notices, by an insig-
nlticant little paper requesting all can
dldates for the Freshman baseball team
to turn out on Alumni field, which by
this time you knew meant the athletic
held-for practice, that afternoon at
two O'Clock. 1t was question in your
mind whether it would be worth while
for you to 60. OF course you had al
ways played on the team at home, and
remembered with joy the many games
in which you had helped-a very little,
perhaps, but still helped-the crimson
and green of your school to wave
triumphantly. After all, there had
been something said in class meeting
about every man who knew the game
at all, turning out, and you thought
you would go along. AS for Jack, it
was matter of course that the man
who had held down first base on the
town team every summer he was at
home. would be out. You finally de-
! clded not to get into suit, and you
waited at the library for Jack, who had
to 60 down town after his regalia. Be-
fore you got out to the field some of
the follows reported that the Sopho-
mores were occupying the regular dia
mond, and so the Freshman squad dis
tributed itself over the old base ball
field back of the college buildings,
where an otficious lad who had been
elected manager, seemed to be in
charge. OF course the field was not in
any kind of shape, and the prospects
looked pretty dim, after an hours
work with bat and glove. Still, there
were few fellows whose work showed
up well enough to promise something
at least. There was what was plainly
the making of at least one good pitcher
among the candidates, and there never
was any question, from the time Jack
took his first offer at first, but that he
would hold down that bag. There did
not appear to be any place for you, for
you overheard the manager and another
fellow talking, and from their CONVEX
sation understood that there was
crack third baseman from one of the
big fitting schools, who was unable to
get out to practice that day, but from
whom everyone was expecting great
things You were glad enough when
practice was over, for, although it
seemed good to get hold of ball again,
it was rather tiresome, and the con-
ditions underfoot were far from favor
able On the whole, you were pretty
tired when you stopped at Coburn, on
your way down town to buy book
that you knew you would need, and
which you were anxious to see.
Coming to the conclusion that time
was money, and therefore that it would
| be no pecuniary loss to ride down town,
you waited a shivering ten minutes in
the little open car station for the down
car. You realized, both of you, that
there were bound to be ''things doing"
that night, for the parade was ION. y
Of course you fully expected a repeti-
ton of the previous nights perform
ances and were prepared accordingly;
but although you heard the cavalcade
approaching your house, and momenta-
rily expected knock at the door, to
your great surprise and greater joy
none came, and you slept the sleep of
the weary, rejoicing heartily in the
good fortune that had favored you.
Echoes of the revel hoated houseward
to unreceptive ears, and even the oft
repeated and familiar strains of "Blue-
bell" and under the Old Apple Tree
failed to arouse you.
You awoke the next morning with
that delightful sense of something
pleasant which you could not account
for until you thought of the night be-
fore, and rejoiced again. There was
some balm in Gilead, and part of the
ioy of being a Freshman is in the un-
certainty as to what is to happen.
REGULATIONS began that morning, and
as your oft-consulted schedule reminded
YOU, YOU had at 7.45 recitation, and that
meant some tall hiking" You rather
dreaded the first recitation, but found
the room all right, and all it's occupants
were Freshmen, and the young in
structor seemed very pleasant. He
told YOU about textbooks and gave you
all an idea of the purpose and meth
ods' of the course. Your next hour
was English, and you remembered
seeing a door with English in gold
letters over it, so that would be simple
enough. One of the fellows who had
been out with the base ball squad sat
beside you in "math.," and both had
discovered, on referring to the sched-
ules, that you were bound for the same
place at the next hour. You sauntered
leisurely across the campus, having
plenty of time, and got to the room long
before the bell rang.
You were deep in conversation over
the base ball prospects when some fel-
lows came in. You did not remember