The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-01-28


final examinations with credit. But
the week before commencement she
came home one afternoon with blaz-
ing cheeks Billy was at the cottage
for supper and when they had begun
the meal, she exploded her bomb.
Dad! Billy! Lizziel They've
elected me member of the Scholars
club!"
For the love Of heaven I" exclaimed
Amos, dropping his fork.
"Why not?" asked Lizzie.
Lydia, dear, but I'm proud of you,"
breathed Billy.
professor Willis told me, this after
noon" Lydia went on, land 1 laughed
at him at first. thought he was teas
ing me. Why only highbrows belong
to the Scholars clubl Prexy belongs
and the best of the professors and
only a few of the postgraduate pupils.
But he says / was elected. l told him
lots Of students had higher standings
than i, and he only laughed and said
he knew it. And I've got to go to that
banquet of theirs next week."
"Finel" said Billy.
Fine! Why, Billy Norton, / never
went to banquet In my life. 1 don't
know what forks to use, and l never
saw a finger bowl !"
Amos grinned. whats the use Of
being scholar, If that sort of thing
bothers your"
81 might get a book on etiquette
and polish up" said Lydia, thought
fully. I'll get one tomorrow, and
practice on the family"
Amos groaned, but to no avail. Ly-
dia borrowed book on etiquette from
the library and for week Amos ate
his supper with an array of silver and
kttchenware before him that took his
appetite away. He rebelled utterly at
using the finger bowls, which at break
fast were porridge dishes. Lizzie,
however, was apt and read the book
so diligently while Lydia was in class
that she was able to correct Lydia as
well as Amos at night
Ma Norton had insisted on making
Lydia a white null graduation dress.
She would not let either Lizzie or
Lydia help her. She had been daugh-
ter-hungry all her life and since she
made her own wedding gown, no bit
Of sewing had given her the satisfac-
ton that this did.
So it was that Lydia, wearing the
null under her scholars gown, and
with the precepts of the book on
etiquette in her mind, attended the
Scholars banquet, timidly but not
with the seIf-consciousness that she
might otherwise have felt.
Billy left her at the door Of the hall
and Professor Willis took her in to
dinner. There were only two other
women there, but Lydia did not mind.
When Professor Willis was called
on for his toast, which was the last
one, he responded:
My toast is to all scholars, every
where, but also to one scholar In par
ticular. 1t is to one who was born
with love of books, to one who made
books-good books-so intimate a
part Of her life that she made poverty
blessing, who combined books and
living so deeply that she read her
community Alright, when others failed
TO do so, TO one who Is a scholar In
the truest sense Of the word-a book
lover with a vision. / drink to the
youngest and sweetest scholar of Us
all J" and he bowed to Lydia.
How she got through the congratu-
lations and out to Billy, patiently wait
ing at the main campus gate, Lydia
was not sure, for she was quite drunk
with surprise and pleasure. After
she had told it all to Billy, and once
more they were standing under the
pine at the gate, she said:
Billy, will you go up with father
and Lizzie and me to open up the
three hundred and twenty acres?"
Billy answered slowly. There's
nothing I'd like better. / was born to
be farmer. But Lydia, it looks to
me as if, as lawyer, I'd be more
! useful citizen, the way things are now
in the country"
Lydia shook her head. We've got
too many lawyers in America. What
America. And it seems TO me the best
way to get it is to identify oneself
with the actual soil Of the community.
What l want is this. That you and /,
upon the ground where poor John Lee
vine did such wrongs, build US home.
don't mean a home as Americans
usually mean the word. ! mean we'll
try to found a family there. Well
send the roots of our roof tree so deep
into the ground that for generations
10 come our children's children will
be, found there and our family name
will stand for old American ideals In
the community. / don't see how else
we Americans can make up to the
world for the way we've exploited
America"
Billy stood with his arm about the
slender scholar" Suddenly there
flooded In upon him the old, old call,
the call that had brought his Pilgrim
forefathers across the Atlantic, the
call that was as old as the yearning
for freedom of the soil.
Lord" he cried, how glad I'll be
TO go up there! Think of beginning
our life together with such dreamI"
Il believe John Levine would be
glad, If he knew" said Lydia, visit
fully.
II know he'd be glad. Lydia,
do you love me, dearT
Love you! Oh, more than all the
world! You know ii, don't your
Il know ii, but / can't believe It"
His arm frightened around Lydia and