The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-06-13

point society Dy uOlng SouletuluB u
cause their fall society simply walks
over their carcasses and goes on. but
does not profit by the matter. That t.
something with which society has moth.
| Ing to do. Society exists In college rs
everywhere else. There il the same
is on upper Fifth avenue, New York.
Considering all this, tUu,ln't hel.I
feeling sorry for John th.t he mus,
| continually take Il back seat.
My two admirers graduated within n
few days of each other. | attended the
leges. The commencement at Summers
university was held first. He invited
me especially. and was under his care
while | was there. He had an appoint.
ment to speak at commencement. but
did not avail himself of il. | found
that he had become one of those who
affect to despise learning. This class
OF students has largely increased of
late. They so to college more as girls
go to finishing school, assuming that
university Is small world with all
the struggles, triumphs. failures and
other features of the world they are
about to enter, and it is well to have
some training for the larger field be.
fore entering it.
What do men in law case care
about oratory? They want evidence"
said Fred to me when | was arguing
the case with him. Since l could not
refute him held my tongue.
Having gone to see Fred Sumner
graduate, l was obliged to be content
with seeing him elected a member of
the Creme de la Creme. the tiptop of
all the fraternities. He said himself
that he would rather have that cleo
ton than take the valedictory. He
stood we'll i'm his class. he said, and
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
1t struck me that il social prominence
| is the desidera tum | could not see but
that Sumner was right. He had kept
in the leading class Of students and
was altogether desirable. A valedic.
| tory or a salutatory would not likely
have improved his status.
After pleasant visit delightful
evening at graduating dance at which
Fred filed my card with the most
prominent 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 1t. So, in order to let him feel that
he had rival | said that l would
defer my answer till after the com
mencement ut @ college. This had
the effect desired. I'm sure.
The exercises at our home college,
comprising not more than 400 stu
dents. was very different from the one
| had Just attended. 1 went to see
Johns mother as soon as ] reached
home, and she told me that her son had
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 fit to wear. John had re-
| piled that il she had nothing but a
dress Of gunny bags. still she must
come. She did not wish to go. for her
son would surely be ashamed OF her
attired In an old alpaca she had had
for fifteen years and a hat that had
been out Of fashion for still longer
period. But John had put his foot
down, and she dare not refuse.
| At the exercises | took seat direct
" behind the old lady, being curious
to see how she would act while John
was speaking. When it came his turn
to deliver his grafton | was struck
with certain practical simplicity
there was about it. His subject was
"Why DO We Go to College," 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
same subject. The principal point he
made was: I'VE must prepare to do
our best in the world by doing our
best i'm college. A college career will
| not In itself give us success, Dut IL
gives us better weapons with which to
fight"
When John had finished his Grafton
he did something that won me to hin,
far more forcibly than anything he
had said. On receiving his diploma he
marched down the center aisle in full
view of every one present to where
his mother sat in her barbarous cos
tune and laid the sherpskin I'm her lap.
| Then. putting his arms around her
neck. he kissed her
Most Of those present knew the story
the act told-a story Of pinch and
save. story Of devotion from II moth
or to son and its final reward. 1t
was followed by n clnpping Of hands,
| through which John walked back to
his place looking rs though he re-
allied the applause solely due TO the
heroine his old mother In her alpaca
dress and out Of date hat.
| considered that I as well as both
my suitors was upon the threshold of
the great world. and It behooved me
TO choose between the two schools
|