The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-02-25
After Graduation



seminary, he from college He had led
his class from start TO finish, and his
family wns very proud Of him. ! re-
member the old fashioned watch key
he wore. the badge or an honor so-
ciety. and 1t was more to me than the
decoration Of the Legion Of Honor to
a French girl or the Victoria cross TO
an English girl But what was my
delight during those long evenings late
IN June or early hi July when he sim
gled me out from among the other girls
for walks after tea and seldom would
dance With any one else during our
gatherings after nightfall. He seemed
inclined TO talk with me az to bis choice
OF vocation: but, confess, none OF
the professions seemed to me to be ex-
allied enough for him unless be was TO
become bishop, and this was not in
his line. He was rather calculated.
thought, 70 invent new system Of
philosophy, as Herbert Spencer had
done.
That same spring John Slsson came
home from small institute where
they taught engineering or mechanical
drawing or something like that. It
was understood that he had barely
scraped through, and, the institution
not being known to US girls, taking the
two together, we did not place very
high estimate on John or his education
The truth Is that we were at an age
when education Is everything, and peo-
pie were at that time education mad.
The point seemed to be to educate and
let the boy use his education as best
he could when he got it. John and !
had been brought up together, and now
that we were grown be seemed In
clined TO be very attentive But why
should | accept the attentions Of one
who had been graduated low on the
scale In an unknown institution when
could have those Of one who had
been graduated first in the oldest uni
versity in the land7
Five years passed. Marshall King
man had received the appointment Of
assistant professor In his alma mater,
but, whether ii WAS because he had not
the faculty OF imparting his knowl-
edge, or did not think be was getting
on fast enough. be soon resigned it to
embrace a good opportunity to go into
business. John Sisson had managed
to pick up some knowledge Of civil en-
cheering. though il was said be had
failed to take his diploma The truth
Is John, from the time he was in
school, was infatuated with an out
door life and was better satisfied with
building d culvert or Il heuhouse On
his fathers place than IN study. He
was always called crack Drained from
certain impossible suggestions be
would make with reference to ways OF
doing things He went to the far west,
and the next we heard Of him he was
back with view to securing capital
to invest 10 q wild scheme for draining
lake or marsh or something Of the
sort or course no one would listen
to him, aud be went west again. Two
or three years after this he was back
again. but this time as quite an i'm
portant parsonage. for he had done his
draining, securing the funds By an is-
sue OF stocks Or bonds, or something on
paper, and the property had become
very valuable. ! ought not to say
what he came for. but my story com
pels me to admit that he came for me.
Had be come year or two earlier
doubt IL should have listened to
him. | am d practical woman and ad-
nit that in the choice Of husband l
would always recommend q girl to con-
slider intrinsic worth. am not roman
tic and see no sense In a girl choosing
man who gives 10 promise. had
long looked up TO Marshall Kingman
and the wonders he would DO He
made mistake by going into business.
Those who took him in, expecting be
would fill certain department TO their
profit, found to their cost that be had
no head for an administrative position.
The friend who had given him the
opportunity told him one day that what
lie was trying to DO was beneath his
requirements and recommended him
to leave busipess and find something
nearer the lines on which be had been
educated. When Marshall came to me
and told me this, thinking. as he did,
that the man had paid him compli-
ment, the poor fellows deficiencies
came out plainly TO me He had shown
In his tutorship that he had not the
faculty for importing knowledge to
others. Now it was evident that he had
not the faculty FOR using it In practi
cal field. | could not advise him:
could only sympathize with him. He
wrote several books after this. but they
were not on practical subjects and were
not largely read He is now doing
hack work for a publishing house.
Being practical woman. | could not
but listen to John Sisson who pleaded
his cause very deferentialiy and mod
cstly. He said that what be was about
was not high grade OF work and that
I deserved a more intellectual man,
but he hoped would take pity on him,
and be would return It with life Of
devotion ! considered the matter for
several days and then became his af-
danced wife.
Fifteen years have passed and have
brought great change in my estimate
OF peoples attachments. Ny husband
astonishes me every day by the num-
Der OF seemingly impossible things he
can do and the unusual methods by
which he does them. He Is the most