The Lakeland evening telegram., 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 tutor.
Upon inquiry learned that@there was !
a clergyman in charge Of little church |
in a neighboring village who was a /
classical scholar, and to him applied. |
| well remember the morning | went /
to the parsonage for the purpose 1t
stood in a gOodly sized yard. and be-
tween two trees to which hammock
was swung was Il girl dressed as
child but it seemed to me that she
had outgrown her habiliments. | asked
her If the Rev. Mr.. Snively was at
home and she said would find him in
his study.
| found bookworm. He knew
enough to prepare me for college, but
either he had not the faculty of i'm
parting his knowledge or l was
Ounce, for learned very slowly. One
day went to the parsonage for reel
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 was not disappointed.
for did not know my lesson. She
asked what was studying and when
told her 1t 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. began to construe, the
girl helping me in the parts that
was unable to get over.
After that 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
! | came. While l was ahead Of time
at the hammock, 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.
My appearance at Mr.. Sniyely's study
growing later and later, he protested
saying that my tardiness interfered
with his accomplishing other purposes
excused myself by saying that my
delay was occasioned by an endeavoI
to prepare myself for my recitation.
would hereafter either come on time
or not at all If l were not on hand
FIVE minutes after the appointed tim,
he was not to expect me-
During the week after this arrange
ment | was on time twice The Other
days l was studying in the hammoci
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 m'
for college and | should thereby bt
deprived Of his daughters love coach
ing, / braccd up and was on hand To-
five out OF six lessons. But at thcs'
times | sat In the hammock will
Iouise after instead Of before the les
son.
In this way whole summer passed
One day when I went to take IN!
lesson Mr.. Snively, after much hem
ming and having. told me that wa
no nearer 10 passing my entrance e1
aminations than when / had come L
him. The autumn was coming on, an'
II was already too cold to sit In th'
? I
; snively that I preferred not to 90 t.
J college till | was eighteen anyway
and this would give me another year
During the winter I would go to tn
, best school could find. and In tn
spring | would again put myself unde
! his tuition. He did not think much o
! ,his plan. but he did not know that
was studying love instead OF Latin
and the hammock would not be agail
available till the next spring. AS 10
studying with Louise during the win
fer there would be no excuse Tor that
and since she was regarded by her par
: ents as a child she would not be a
lowed TO receive visits from one
the opposite sex
But Louise was passing through
neriod when girls develop very rapic
iv During the winter we managed t
meet occasionally, and when the sprin
: onaned I resumed my study OF Latl
with her father and my study Of lov
, With her. | found the latter as eas
as the former was difficult
However, l got on better with I'd
latin the second summer, for I foun
a literal translation OF the Aeneid Q
vergil which was studying, ana
sston;shed my reverend preceptor wilt
, the elegance Of my translations. ID
, said that | was very weak In -giVin