The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-01-02
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Arkansaw
He Was a Gentleman
of the Southwest. :;
By r. A. Mitchell

+: By r. A. Mitchell
sseoeeeessseessseeeeeseose
When boys summer camps were first
established in the United States, at one
of them, located in northern New Eng
land, were two boys who were chums.
They were the very antipodes Of each
other. Both were of the older boys at
the camp, being between seventeen and
eighteen. Frank Vinton hailed from
Connecticut. He was intellectual and
spiritual. Those who knew him best
predicted for him a marked career In
some intellectual pursuit, probably the
church. Edward Davis was from Ar
kansas and a typical southerner. He
was long Of limb, large boned and mus
cular. He was two years behind his
chum in fitting for college.
Each was in his way a leader Of
other boys. Frank Vinton was usually
intrusted with the management Of the
entertainments got up at the camp and
was recorder. His camp journal was
beautifully written. Davis, who was
universally called Arkansaw, led the
hikes, the canoeing, the swimming in
fact, all the sports. Naturally the
boys, who placed strength and daring
above intellect, admired him more than
Vinton. But Arkansaw ranked him.
self far below his chum. What we
possess we do not value; what we lack
we coyet Arkansaw saw no merit in
his, diving from platform elevated
forty feet above the surface Of the wa
ter or being able to throw any boy In
the camp. He would have given his
strength and daring for the ability to
learn Latin grammar, which was be-
yond his intellectual endowment. For
this reason, perhaps, he was pleased
at his intimacy with the intellectual
Vinton.
When the season was ended and the
campers went home the chums regret
ted that they could not enter college
in the same class. Vinton had passed
his entrance examination, but Davis
had still long period of study before
| him. When Vinton became a junior
| Davis became a freshman. OF course
he entered the same college as Vinton.
Notwithstanding that they were two
years apart in the college curriculum
they were still chums. Naturally their
associates wondered what was the tie
that bound the brawny southwesterner
and the polished New Englander. The
truth Is, persons don't usually make
friends with their counterparts They
generally seek what they are not them
selves.
Vinton graduated with high honors,
and while his chum was struggling
through the last two years In college
he was studying for the ministry. The
Arkansan was wanted on the varsity
crew, on the varsity football and base
ball teams, but he could not be In
duced to train with any Of them. He
had as profound contempt for mus
cular as he had reverence for intel
lectual strength.
Davis pulled. through college, being
graduated among the "dregs," as he
called them, of his class. Vinton
| studied theology at his alma mater,
so that their intimacy was not inter
rupted. When Davis finished his aca-
| demical course Vinton was admitted
| to orders, having taken a three years
course in two. They said goodby to
each other, Davis with more regret
than his friend, who by this time was
beginning to feel the difference be-
| tween them, for the clergyman be-
longed to an aristocratic family and
was engaged to a society belle. She
had met Davis and wondered what
her lover could see in him to admire.
| Perhaps this is the main reason why
Vinton parted with his chum without
the regret that was to have been ex
| pected.
Davis inherited an estate that rem
dered him independent Of work, but 1t
| would have been impossible for him to
be idle. An Office In the gift Of the
people of his state becoming vacant
and it being desirable that a man not
stained with political iniquity should
be elected, Davis was waited on by
committee from beth parties who ask
ed him to run for the Office, promising
| him sure election. He was too dunn
founded for awhile to reply, then said
that better man than he was needed
for the duties involved. But the COM
mittee would not accept his refusal
and left him assuring him that he
would be elected whether he ran or
not.
This was the beginning Of political
career chat was thrust upon Davis, but
it lasted only a short time, for he be-
came Disguised with politics, and when
his friends proposed to nominate him
for an important state Office he fatty
| refused
One summer five or six years after
he had parted with Vinton he resolved
to go north for a visit, taking in his
old chum by the way. The truth is he
had learned to love the north in sum-
mer while at the boys camp and long
ed to get back into the northeastern
territory where he could enjoy the
cool woods and waters.
One Saturday evening lanky man
with strong southern accent register
ed at hotel in the city where Frank
Vinton was rector Of the most fashion
able church. Edward Davis was the
name entered, and his residence was
( Arkansas. Sunday morning he went to
the church in which his old chum
preached. He noticed that the congre-
CATION was made up Of the elite and
all were dressed in the height of fash
ion An assistant read the service,
and the rector preached the sermon.
Arkansaw, gazing for the first time
in several years on his old chum, saw
that he had grown sleek and parted
| his hair In the middle. His sermon
was on the value of correct interpre-
tation of the Scriptures, and his in
depreciation of certain passages per
tanning to riches were very comforting
to his congregation. Arkansaw was
slightly disappointed in his friends de-
| velopment, but his heart was still with
the man who had been his chum till the
spell-on his chum's part-had been
| broken by marriage. At the end Of
the service he waited at the church
door for the rector and his family to
come out. Vinton on seeing him grasp
ed his hand cordially, but Mrs. Vim
ton could not conceal look Of annoy
ance. Arkansaw was dressed in south
western costume. HID hat did not
shine as did the rector's, for the latter
was of silk, while Arkansaw's was Of
felt, with very wide brim.
"Come to my study tomorrow" said
vinton. "This Is, Of course, a busy
day with me. Monday is for US Of the
cloth our day of. shall expect you