Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-06-28
Why | Did Not
Go to College
BY DONALD CHAMBERlIN

/ was sixteen years old and still far
from being prepared for college. There
was no good school near where lived.
and l concluded to hunt up a tutor.
Upon inquiry 7 learned that there was
clergyman In charge of little church
In a neighborlng village who was q
classical scholar, and to him applied.
l well remember the morning went
to the parsonage for the purpose. 1t
stood In goodly sized yard. and be-
tween two trees to which a hammock
was swung was girl dressed as a
child, but it seemed to me that she
had outgrown her habiliments. I asked
her If the Rev. Mr.. Snively was at
home, and she said 1 would find him In
his study.
found a bookworm. He knew
enough to prepare me for college, but
either he had not the faculty Of i'm
parting his knowledge or I was a
Ounce, for learned very slowly. One
day l went to the parsonage for a reci-
tation very poorly prepared. and find
Ing the girl In the hammock she told
me that my tutor, her father, had been
called away on some parochial duty.
told her that I was not disappointed,
for I did not know my lesson. She
asked what I was studying, and when
I told her it was Latin she said that
perhaps she might help me.
She made room for me beside her in
the hammock, and, opening my text
book, Vergil, l began to construe, the
girl helping me in the parts that 1
was unable to get over.
After that I went to my recitations
In advance Of the appointed hour In
order to be tutored by Louise before
going to her father. 1t was not long
before she took her place in the ham,
mock regularly in order that she might
be ready to give me my coaching when
I came. While I was ahead Of time
at the hammock, l soon came to be
behind time at the study, and despite
Louise's tutoring l was seldom any
better prepared than before had
availed myself Of her services.
Ny appearance at Mr.. Snivelys study
growing later and later, he protested,
saying that my tardiness interfered
with his accomplishing other purposes
l excused myself by saying that my
delay was occasioned by an endeavor
| TO prepare myself for my recitation. I
would hereafter either come on time
or not at all. If were not on hand
five minutes after the appointed time
he was not to expect me.
During the week after this arrange
ment I was on time twice. The other
days 1 was studying in the hammock
with Louise. Unfortunately, Louise
was teaching me love instead of Latin.
The next week. fearing that Mr.. Snive.
ly would give up trying to prepare me
for college and 1 should thereby be
deprived Of his daughters love coach.
Ing, braced up and was on hand for
! five out Of six lessons. But at these
times 1 sat in the hammock with
| Louise after instead Of before the les
| son.
In this way whole summer passed.
One day when I went to take my
lesson Mr.. Snively, after much hem
ming and having, told me that I was
no nearer to passing my entrance ex-
am1natiOns than when I had come to
him. The autumn was coming on, and
1t was already too cold to sit in the
hammock with Louise. 1 told Mr..
Sn1vely that preferred not to 60 to
college till I was eighteen anyway,
and this would give me another year.
During the winter I would go to the
best school I could find, and in the
spring would again put myself under
his tuition. He did not think much Of
this plan, but he did not know that
was studying love instead Of Latin,
and the hammock would not be again
available till the next spring. AS for
studying with Louise during the win
ter, there would be no excuse for that,
and since she was regarded by her par
ents as child she would not be al
lowed to receive visits from one of
the opposite sex.
But Louise was passing through a
period when girls develop very rapid
ly. During the winter we managed to
meet occasionally, and when the spring
opened I resumed my study Of Latin
with her father and my study of love
with her. found the latter as easy
as the former was difficult.
However. I got on better with the
Latin the second summer, for found
literal translation Of the Aeneid Of
Vergil which I was studying, and l
astonished my reverend preceptor with
the elegance of my translations. He
said that l was very weak In giving
the construction, but quite strong in
turning the Latin text into English.
When the second summer Of my
preparation for college came around
Louise and I had both passed the gate
Of manhood and womanhood. and we
began to think of nest building. !
found that l had no use for college,
but wanted home in which to place
myself and nv mate. We talked the