The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-09-19
The Sophomore
Joke
~
BY JANE OSBORN
1914, BY the Mcclure NswspA'
per syndieate-)

after the students bau ratn'f '"5''
disposed Of such questions as "Who N
the pret,iest girl In the classT VINO
is the hes, football playerf" what Is
your favoriie colori" and what Is the
height Of your amhitionT" III, question
"Who is the most popular professor III
colleger was not SO easily dismissed.
There were several possible candi-
dates. but no one stood in the light OF
decided majority. Then one OF the
students got up In class meeting ana
with a gracious flourish cried: u pro-
pose Prof. Reginald Raymond ms the
most popular member OF the faculty.
And amid deafening peals OF laugh
ter from the members Of the class
dozen shouts Of Second the motion"
arose, and then "Aye!" "Aye" till
the presidents gavel had to bring
order.
II was regarded as capital joke
an uproariously funny joke. Perhaps
no one in the world understands the
richness OF this particular sort OF hu-
NOR so well as a young American
undergraduate, and sophomore AZ
that. But from the sophomore point
of view II was something very much to
he laughed at-that the professor who,
because Of certain traits OF absent
mindedness, inattention, preoccupation
and unsociableness, actually was the
most unpopular man in the faculty.
should have this fact gently brought
home to him by seeing his name blaz-
oned forth in college yearbook ana
periodIcal. and announced before all
the world at class day, and whispered
about by professors and professors
wives. as the ''most popular man on
the faculty"
Anparently. from the peals OF laugh
ter that accompanied the casting OF the
unanimous ballot in favor of Professor
RAYMOND. every member Of the class
appreciated the joke.
But when Ruth Rodney, the seere'
1 tary Of the class, and, as the only ON
Ger of her sex in the class, generally
agreed to be the most popular girl III
IFS number. rose to read the result Of
! the balloting and came to the vote thai
mentioned Professor Raymond there
was look Of bitter resentment u
her EXPRESSION and from beneath hei
lowered eyes she shot look thai
was not one Of kindness at the stu
dent in the front row who had pro
posed the jest.
"What was the matter, Ruth?" one
Of the girls asked her after class meet
ing. "You looked daggers at Steve
Did you want some one else to get thu
vote? Every one'll know it's joke
Say, won't Reggie snort when he hears
of IT."
"Of course Professor Raymond vii
be offended" said Ruth shortly. "Bu
don't see that there is anything 81
funny about that. After all he hasn'
done anything so very dreadful to ou
class. except to try and din llttl'
philosophy. into our unsophisticate'
heads. II isn't his fault If colleg
faculties are still obtuse enough t
think that philosophy ought to be
compulsory sophomore subject, is II
And il isn't his fault II he's absent
minded, and likes violet neckties, ant
II his eyes are so sensitive that he ha
TO have the shades drawn in his class
room, Is III"
"You know yourself he's frightfu
crab, Ruth" was her companions con
clusion. REALLY, for my part thin
It is a beautiful joke. Tn just Graz
for tomorrow's philosophy lecture Z
see how mad he is about It."
But the next morning a surprise wa
In store for the sophomore class. Nat
urally enough, Professor Raymond ma
heard Of the polling, for even absent
minded professors usually do take
lively interest In matters Of that sor'
Instead Of showing his annoyance, h
appeared in his classroom with a
unwonted smile upon his face. Wit
that began the second joke, or, as IN
students soon thought, the best joke O
all.
"The poor crab doesn't know he
being kiddedw whispered one sopht
more in the front row to another, an
: after class there were groups OF ST.
dents still explaining TO each othe
how intensely funny the situation wa
now that poor Reggie believed h
, actually was the most popular man
? college. That became the standln
joke OF the campus. Mothers an
: fathers and younger sisters and brotl
T ers, when they came to visit their ST.
: dents. had the stumbling, near-sighte
/. professor, who always wore q viol'
!, neclAie, pointed out as the delude
' creature who really thought he wa
D popular with the students, and eve
0 staid members OF the faculty had
little fun with each other at poor Reg
maids expense.
Ruth still saw no Joke In the situ'
D ton. In fact, the very serenity OF II
I professor made her feel the insult th'
e her class had heaped upon him Il
r more. II was in pity then, and In o
effort to show her classmates that 81
4 did not Join them In their practic
J. joking, that she made 1t a point
: linger occasionally after class. on son
/, excuse or other, to talk 10 him. 81