The Adventures of a Freshman

on, N. J

I do not mind it much now. Honestly I do not. They mean it all in joke. You must not worry. I ough

rking with all his might at what he had always wanted to work-he was getting a college education. And when all is said and done there is

him, the same fellows that had turned and looked at him during that first frightful recitation; but their fac

any part of the day, if only that long, thin fellow who was studying for the ministry would not say, solemnly, after Young had handed the bread, "Thank you, marm." However, he did not mind even that quit

ter con

everal club managers asked me to join their clubs the first day? Most of them were too expensive, though. This boarding system is a good bargain for the ladies who supply the t

many fellows at college who had to consider items of expense seriously, but

well here. A student is made fun of if he tries it. I wear the black cut-away coat only on Sundays, as I used to, instead of every d

nths, but a very serious problem to go through with, before he became an upper-classman, or even a Sophomore. However, he had money enough in the bank to scrape along for awhile; the term was only just begun, and th

ndent he is. Mr. Young had not once written a line to Will at college, and through Mrs. Young had only sent the most

o many new things and, though he was not aware of it perhaps, because he had developed so much-at any rate, one afternoon just one week fr

dings. "There are 225 acres in the grounds," he had written home to Charlie in another cheerful sounding letter, "and we have over thirty buildings." And he told with pride something of the Revolutionary history of Nassau Hall, "the vene

OF THE BE

st prominent and popu

hen he sprang upon Young's shoulders that night in the rush. But the next night he climbed still higher and into greater fame by scaling the belfry of Old Nor

hey'd be disgraced if they didn't steal the bell-clapper. The college authorities expect it to be done. They have a barrelful of new ones down in the cellar. When the rope is p

t, and the big heavy clapper was now in the city of Trenton, being melted down into many diminutive souvenir clappers (to be worn as watch-charms by the whole class

, or rather he joined Lee; he paid little attention to Young. He had been brought up to keep away from boy

fawningly around little Lee, "the Sophs will be getti

Not till after Saturday's game, at the earliest. Why, in my bro

r eyes peeled, all the sam

Sophs were going to turn the college proctors against them in some cowardly way? But what Saturday's baseball game b

had also overheard a conversation-said, in a pause, "I u

rowd. "No, they won't," said he. "Not

Young?" he

oung's champion on the first trip to the canal. He was a small, ingenuous fellow with a

oat and explained. He was fond of instructing these Freshmen. He had been very green himself two years bef

always get out proclamations on each other. It is one of the customs. Th

them?" as

t aspersions on you, call you fresh and green and heap ignomi

them?" asked the one wh

er the

ha

ry barn in the county, on wagons, on telegraph-poles, on freight-cars-not only that, but they go off t

this time?" asked Young.

proc saying sarcastic things about them, which they pull down, feeling very i

e small fellow with the big head, "what S

ior, smiling, "in order to write verses on th

't be beaten,

ou won't," said the

as usual on the Monday previous. They are played so early in the t

ts nine, who were, so said the Junior class baseball captain who was coaching the players, unusually good material,

t put a very ambitious team in the field, and played horse throughout the game. But this encouraged the Freshmen wonderfully, and confidence was just what they needed. After the pra

ntense rivalry between the two lower classes. It is advertised in the bill-posters in letters twice as large as the other game

he Sophomores, though they did not show it, were also excited, but they were blatant

ss marched down to University Field in a body, and sat t

d, entered the field with banners waving, took possession of a solid section of the bleachers, derided the Freshmen, drowned out their cheers, guyed their batters,

of Freshmen lost half of their eight

hey are being printed in Trenton-I have a detective down there who found out all about it. I want you to come up to my room in Un

," said Young-"soon's I get through 'poling,'" he added, for he wanted young Lee to know that he too understood college slang, even

said, in talking it over in Powelton's room, "I'm going to get that man Young, he's a big, strong fellow," Powelton had said,

ed a student, but a poler i

he's got muscle all right, and he st

a big rambling place full of noisy, whistling students that scrape their feet along the wide carpetless co

k! Freshmen!" as Young went by, but he did not mind that, and they did not d

id a man joining the group. "W

e went hurrying upstairs after Yo

nly has nerve,"

Young had turned down the narrow

a matter-of-fact way, which made it all the

ed Lee to come to his room at ten o'clock and he was a

"Come back, or it'll be worse for you," and called Young a name that he should

wrists in one of his strong hands and shaking the other fist in his face, said, "You little reptile, you

ore, turned him over his left knee and gave him

's what I think of you. Now run and tell everybody." And he gave

e stairs. He hadn't said another word. As he drew near his friends he slackened up and began to whistle carelessly. "Couldn't find him,

er-classmen within had just put out their lights to go to bed, the whole scene had been

full of Freshmen and when the door opened they were talking at a great rate about football in loud voic

know all these fellows," and began

ho had been next to him in the rush. Others said, "I know your face-

oor opinion of him, but presently they all fell to talking about their plans so earnestly-and included Young in their

had better sneak off and get some sleep too." He had already begun to undress. "You are to s

hat would excite suspicion if any Sophomores m

e of them remembered to say good-night to Young, too. "Go

clock went off under his pillow. It was four o'clock. They were to meet the others at a spot on the Theological Seminary grounds at 4.30. From

room and into the silent corridor. The

e, "I know these corridors as

o and re-echo as they went do

hirteen minutes after four. "We have plenty of ti

el shirt, the one he used to plough corn in. It was black outside except for a symptom of dawn in the East, which

ched the

that?" s

He was one of the pluckiest men in t

ng, "on that tree

ght-the sneaks! They

t anything but the first t

TEN

AND FOOL

RESH

d Young. "The paste is still

" whispered Lee. "We'd b

?" said a low voi

shmen stood

opposite directions and then bring up afterward at their appointed meeting-place where the others were. That indeed was Lee's impulse, but, "Wait, it's one of our fellows," said Yo

ne of them in Young's ear, triumpha

ive's dark-lantern, and remarked, calmly, as the dazzling light shone on Young's

e face. Young recognized the