Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-07-21
!" COLLEGE OIL CANS
A.I .(Published by Request.)

On board of bright mosaic, wrought
In many a.quaint design,
CLEAN brace of silver goblets,
wreathed with flowers and filled
with wine;
Round the board group is seated;
here and there are threads of
white,
Which their dark locks lately well
coined; but they are only boys
tonight.
Some whose words have thrilled the
Senate, some who win the critics
praise
All are ''chums" tonight, with voices
redolent of college days.
Boys" said one, "do you remember
that old joke about the vine
How We used to fill our oil cans and
repair to No. 80"
But at last the old professor-never
was he long outdone-
Opened up our shining oil cans and
demolished all our fun!"
In the laugh that rings so gaily
through the richly curtained II ON,
Join they all, save one. Why is it?
Does he see the waXen bloom
Tremble in its vase of silver? Does
he see the ruddy wine ...
Silver in its crystal goblet? or do
those grave eyes divine
Something sadder yet? He pauses
till their mirth has died away;
Then in measured tones speaks
gravely: Boys, story, if / may,
| will tell you, though it may not
merit worthily your praise;
1t is bitter fruitage ripened from our
planks of college days"
Eagerly they claimed the story, for
they know the LII. D.,
With his fleXile voice would garnish
any tale, whate'er it be.
Just year ago tonight, boys, | was
in my room alone, ...
At the San Francisco l. House,
when | heard plaintive moan,
Sounding from the room adjoining,
Hoping to give some relief
TO the suffering one, | entered; but
1T thrilled my heart with grief
Just to see that wreck of manhood
bloated face, diSheveled hair
Wildly tossing, ever moaning, while
his thin hands beat the air.
Broken prayers, vile oathS and
curses filled the air as l drew
near; ..
Then in faint and piteous accents
these words | could plainly hear:
Give me one more chance-one only,
let me Sc my little Belle
Then I'll follow where they lead me,
be it to the depths of hell!'
..\ybo,, Io GNU, ,,,o ,,o ,x,,o, ,
started strangely-looked me
Oh, the glory Of expression! | had
seen those eyes before!
Yes, | knew him: it was Horace-he
who won the college prize;
Naught remained of his proud beau
ty but the splendor of his eyes;
He whom we were all so proud of.
lay there in the fading light
If my years shall number four-score,
| shall ne'er forget that night.
And he knew me-called me AL
bert, ere a single word I'd said
We were comrades in the old days;
sat down beside the bed
Horace seemed to grow more quiet,
but he would not go to sleep;
lie kept talking Of our boyhood,
while my hand he still would
keep
In his own, SO white and wasted, and
with burning eyes would gaze
On my face, still talking freely of the
dear old college days.
Oh he said, life held such prom
Use; but alas! | am to-day
A poor, degraded outcast-hopes,
ambition swept away
And 1t dates back to those oil cans
that we filed in greatest glee-
Little did | think in those days what
the harvest now would be-
For moment he was silent; then
cry whose anguish yet
Wrings my heart, burst from his
white lips, though his teeth were
tightly set,
And with sudden strength he started,
sprang from my OBTAINING arm.
Shrieking wildly, Curse the de-
mons! do they think to do me
harm?
Back! | say, ye fork-tongued SER
pents, reeking with the filth OF
hell!
Don't We see I have her with me
my poor, sainted little Bell?'
when I'd soothed him into quiet.
with trembling arm he drew
My head down, %, AL he whispered.
such remorse you never knew
And again | tried to soothe him, but
my eyes oer-brimmed with tears;
His We're dry and clear, as brilliant
as they were in college years.
"All the flush had left his features:
he lay white as marble now;
Tenderly | soOthed his pillow, wiped
the moisture from his brow;
| begged him to be quiet, he
would talk of those old days,
Brokenly at times, but always of the
boys with loving praise.