Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-07
80, IN
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mencement dinner in Memorial Hail. was
| passing from building to building The
band started the first notes of Fair Har-
ward From the oldest white-haired
grandfather 10 the youngest little brother
in the great quadrangle they rose to their
feet ard removed their hats.
Fair Harvard. thy sons tn thy jubilee throns,
And with blessings surrender thee Ger
They sang all the verses. and after it
was finished. while they still stood to-
gether. somebody suggested another last
cheer for the Oldest class. Over on Hol-
worthy hung the " 81: and seeing that
first. the crowd cheered it again and then
again.
When the song had begun the old grad
uate and young Stafford had Joined Bur-
ton standing at the window of Hollis Is;
but now Burton suddenly LETT them. He
worked al his desk for a moment and
with black numerals hastily cut and
pasted upon it, Opening the window. he
waved II to and fro before he fastened il.
.Forty-nine." some one in the yard
called Look at Hollis he cried. For
ty-nine. By George, they have a man Of
10 I'D there" And the great crowd took
up the cry, following the leader as he
swung his stick
rah. rah. Rah. rah. rah. Rah. rah, ran!
Forty-nine. Forty-nine. FORTY-NINE"'
On the far edge of the crowd was
commotion. and tall man with one arm
was pushing his way forward. He was
still quite a distance from the window
where showed the 10 sign. but he stopped
. and looked up. Hello he called ''Oh.
hello Wait a minute. Have you a man
Of tie class of 40 up there? Who is he?"
Billings leaned far out the window. but
Burton answered for him. Yes; we have
one he called proudly. I'VE have a man
IT, ~
~. Are you of his class?"
They stared down at the man in the
yard. but he seemed paralyzed and unable
to move Finally. however. with an eff
fort he raised his voice. and his tone.
though hoarse and indistinct. yet came
MY God: Billingse' he cried. Bill
ings you say: No. no! I'm not of his
class. I'm not 40. But tell him I'm
Willoughby," ne called. I'm Willoughby
OF '63,
H.. hast tened then as fast as he could
across the yard. but the old alumnus in
the window leaned SO far out that the
two Young men neside him took hold and
pulled him back, but those in the crowd.
even those who were standing upon the
white steps % University Hall on the
other side could near the voice distinctly
YET il was not loud but deep and pene-
trat;ns and full of feeling.
Come up, Come up here. On. come
up! You-all down there. why don't YOU
let him through? Oh. send him up To me.
He's WiIloughoy. don't YOU understand?
Wiloughby of 81. Ard l am Billings
Roger Billings Of So
But the great crowd did not understand
al all; they could not know why Billings
OF ~ should he interested in Willoughby
Of 'Gi. They knew only that he was
Harvard graduate and a very old one.
But as that was enough for them. they
sang louder and louder till the thousands
of voices within the ancient quadrangle
took up the song; TIL the sounds filled
the yard from Grays TO Holworthy and
from Hollis TO Thayer. and till the echoes
sent it out to the sleeping city beyond:
Here's to Roger Billings. Roger Billings. Roger
Billings.
Here's to Roger billings. he's with US today.
Hes with us-(iod bless him.
He's with us-6iod bless him.
Oh heres to Roger Billings, he's with % teda1t