Evening star., 1922-02-12
ALMA MATER
\ RoF. HORACE IRVING had
y taught Latin for nearly forty
years at Huntington College.

Now he lived in little nall peo-
room, four flights up, overlooking the
square.
Habitually he walked from the
square westward to 4th avenue, IN
the afternoon. when the weather per-
mitted He had been born only three
doors from where he now lived. The
house of his birth had gone. 1t was
sixty years since he had been a boy
and played in this square. Now he
would pause at the corner OF 4th
avenue in his walks, and remember
Goelet's COW and the big garden ana
the high iron fence al 10th street and
broadway. Great buildings now tow
cred there.
South along 4th avenue he would
walk. a little man. scarcely hve 1eet
four in height, even with the SILK
hat and the Prince Albert coat. His
white hair grew long over his col
lar. and people would notice that al
most more than anything else about
him. He may have weighed between
ninety and a hundred pounds. The
coat was worn and shiny. but I'M
maculate The tall hat was of GER
tain type and year, but .carefuiiy
smoothed and still glossy.
He would pause often between 18th
street and 18th street. peopiing the
skyscrapers with ghosts of a former
day. when houses and green gardens
lined the streets. The passers-bH
watched him casually, perhaps as
much as any one notices any one else
in New York. He was. in the 14th
street district. rarer specimen thah
Hindus or Mexican medicine men.
Through the ten years since ne had
come pensioned from Huntington
College. he had become a walking
landmark in this region.
He always walked down on the
east side of the street, crossing at
18th street. He was carefully piloted
and saluted by the traffic policeman.
1t was a bad crossing. Below 18th
street things looked much more as
they had looked when he was young.
THE bookstores were an unceas-
ing hobby to the old man. the
secondhand dealers never made any
objection to his reading books upon
the shelves. His purchases were per-
haps two books a week. at 10 or even
cents each. Now and again he would
find one of his own "Irvings Latin
Prose Composition" texts in the five
cent pile. Opening the book. he usual
ly would discover strange penc1ied
pictures drawn scrawlingly over many
of the pages. His Latin Composition
wasn't published after 1882. the year
the firm failed 1t might have been
different for him. with different
publisher.
Late one afternoon in April. Prof.
Irving stood in his customary niche
at the corner of 4th avenue and 9Th
street, watching the traffic from
sheltered spot against the wall Of the
building. He was becoming exceed
ingly anxious about the approaching
storm. 1t had come up since he left
Stuyvesant Square. and he had no UNI
brella. He must not get his silk nat
wet. His thin overcoat was protect
ing him but feebly from the wind,
which with the disappearance OF the
sun had grown sharp and biting. 1t
was rapidly becoming dark. Lights
were flashing in the windows up and
down the avenue.
The professor decided to stand in
doorway till the shower had passed
over. The chimes in the Metropolitan
tower struck the first quarter after
4. the sounds yelling in gusts to the
old mans ears. A little man came to
stand in the doorway beside the pro-
fessor. The latter saw that the little
man had a big umbrella. Silk hats
were so fearfully expensive in these
days.
The heavy drops beat against the
pavement in torrents. The first flash
OF lightning of the year was followed
by deep roll of thunder.
II got to CO. said the little man.
keep the umbrella. I got another
where 1 work. I'm only fifty-f1ve.
You're older than me lot. You bet
ter start home. You'll get soaked
standing here-' And the little man
was gone before the professor could
reply
AN exceedingly kindly. simple
IL
had planned, while standing with his
unknown benefactor. that he would
go into some store and wait. But
now he would chance it, and cross
the street. He saw a lull in the traf-
fic. He started and was nearly swept
off his feet. He got to the middle of
the street. The umbrella grew un-
wieldy, swinging this way and that,
as if tugged by unseen hands. 1t
turned inside out Blaring noises
from the passing cars confused the
professor.
The shaft of the umbrella swung
violently around and knocked the
silk hat from Prof. Irving's head. His
white hair was caught by the wind.
Lashed in another direction, the shaft
now struck the professors glasses
and they few away. Now he could
see little or nothing. He became be-
wildered.
Great glaring headlights broke
upon him, passed him, and then I'M
mediately other glaring lights f'ared
up toward him out of the sheets of
water. He couldn't see because of his
lost glasses and because of :he sting
ing rain. He rushed between two
cars. He slipped :"
The chimes on the Metropolitan
tower rang out. in walls of wild
sound, the half-hour after 4.
Tho attendance that evening at the