The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-06-10

that was all he cared for. These ideas
were new to me, but since l knew
nothing about college life could form
no opinion Of my own, though admit
II struck me that If social prominence
is the desideratum | could not see but
that Sumner was right he had kept
in the leading class of students ana |
was altogether desirable. A valedic-
tory or a salutatory would not likely |
have improved his status.
After a pleasant visit. deligntrui
evening at graduating dance at Wnicn
Fred filed my card with the most
promient men of his class, including
a multimillionaire. who seemed more
desirable than any Of the honor men,
left for home. Fred begged me to give
him a reply to his suit before parting.
and would have made it then and In
the Affirmative, but believed he would
appreciate 1t more from having to wait
for ii. So. In order to let him feel that
he had a rival, l said that l would
defer my answer till after the COM
mencement at O. college. This mad
the effect I desired. I'm sure.
The exercises at our home college,
comprising not more than 400 stu
dents, was very different from the one
l had just attended. ! went to see
| Johns mother as soon as | reached
home. and she told me that her son bad
insisted upon her coming to the college
to hear him speak at commencement
She had SO pinched her wardrobe That
she was obliged to tell him that she
had nothing at to wear. John had re-
plied that. If she had nothing but
dress of gunny bags, still she must
come. She did not wish to go. for her
son would surely be ashamed OF ner
attired in an old alpaca she had mad
for fifteen years and a hat that had
been out of fashion for a still longer
neriod. But John had put his foot
down, and she dare not refuse.
At the exercises took seat direct
} ly behind the old lady, being curious
I, , To see how she would act while John
was speaking. When 1t came his turn
to deliver his grafton / was struck
with a certain practical simplicity
there was about It. Bis subject was
"Why Do We Go to CollegeT 1t seem
, ed to me that there was far more
? depth to what he said than To
= what Sumner had said to me on the
Q same subject. The principal point ne
8 made was: I'VE must prepare to DC
{ our best in the world by doing oul
s best In college A college career vii
L not In itself give US success, but i
8 gives US better weapons with which q
e fight"
e When John had finished bis oratieI
{. he did somethins ehat won me to MN
, far more forcibly than anything d
It had said. On receiving his diploma D.
marched down the center aisle In ful
a view of every one present to wner
lie his mother sat In her barbarous cos
'i- tune and laid the sheepskin In her LAP
q Then putting his arms around he
ID neck, he kissed her.
re Most of those present knew the stor
t. the act told-a story Of pinch an
ut save. a story OF devotion from mott
Id er to son and its dnaI reward.
10 was followed by a clapping Of hand
ss through which John walked back t
Of his place looking as though he r.
Is allied the applause solely due to To
at heroine, his old mother In her alpac
Ill dress and out of date hat.
i'd l considered that | as well as bot
re my suitors was upon the threshold
We the great world, and it behooved N
,e- to choose between the two school
they represented My whole bedn
re- was suddenly turned to that represen
!" ed by John Ryerson. At any rate,
az HlIed me with sudden antipathy
OF the other. The same evening after %
return from the commencement exc
err cises at o. college 1 wrote Frs
Mt Sumner an irrevocable refusal.
of John Ryerson from that time graz
of ualIy became more and more to N
elf I finally married him, and 1t seems
&C. me that while got nothing snowy
lie did get ali that Il really best In ma
nd Nor 4 = u E Asszs9nsss ~