adventures and letters-第6章

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air　play。〃　　One　officer　got　hold　of　Ruff　and　pretty　near　shook　him　to　pieces　until　I　had　to　interfere　and　explain。　　They　were　for　forming　a　body…guard；　and　were　loud　in　their　denunciations　of　the　college；　and　declaring　they'd　see　me　through　if　I　was　a　stranger　to　'em。

Two　or　three　of　the　sophomores；　when　they　saw　how　things　were　going；　set　up　a　yell；　but　Griffin　struck　out　and　sent　one　of　them　flying　one　way　and　his　hat　another；　so　the　yells　ended。　　Howe　and　Murray　Stuart　took　me　up　to　their　rooms；　and　Ruff　went　off　for　beefsteak　for　my　eye；　and　treated　the　crowd　who　had　come　to　the　rescue；　at　Dixon's；　to　beer。　　The　next　day　was　Saturday；　and　as　there　was　to　be　a　meeting　of　the　Athletic　Association；　of　course；　I　wanted　to　show　up。　　The　fellows　all　looked　at　my　eye　pretty　hard　and　said　nothing。　　I　felt　pretty　sure　that　the　sympathy　was　all　with　me。

Four　men　are　elected　from　the　college　to　be　on　the　athletic　committee。　　They　can　be　nominated　by　any　one；　though　generally　it　is　done　by　a　man　in　their　own　class。　　We　had　agreed　the　day　before　to　vote　for　Tolman　for　our　class；　so　when　the　president　announced　nominations　were　in　order　for　the　freshmen　class；　Tolman　was　instantly　nominated。　　At　the　same　time　one　of　the　leading　sophomores　jumped　up　and　nominated　Mr。　Davis；　and　a　number　of　men　from　the　same　class　seconded　it。　　I　knew　every　one　in　the　college　knew　of　what　had　happened；　and　especially　the　sophomores；　so　I　was；　of　course；　very　much　surprised。　　I　looked　unconscious；　though；　and　waited。　　One　of　the　seniors　asked　that　the　nominees　should　stand　up；　as　they　didn't　know　their　names　only　their　faces。　　As　each　man　rose　he　was　hissed　and　groaned　down　again。　　When　I　stood　up　the　sophomores　burst　into　a　yell　and　clapped　and　stamped；　yelling；　〃Davis！　　Davis！　vote　for　D！〃　until　I　sat　down。　　As　I　had　already　decided　to　nominate　Tolman；　I　withdrew　my　name　from　the　nominees；　a　movement　which　was　received　by　loud　cries　of　〃No！　　No！〃　from　the　sophs。　　So；　you　see；　Dad；　I　did　as　you　said；　as　I　thought　was　right；　and　came　out　well　indeed。　　You　see；　I　am　now　the　hero　of　the　hour；　every　one　in　town　knows　it；　and　every　one　congratulates　me；　and；　〃Well　done；　me　boy；〃　as　Morrow　'83　said；　seems　to　be　the　idea；　one　gets　taken　care　of　in　this　world　if　you　do　what's　the　right　thing；　if　it　is　only　a　street　fight。　　In　fact；　as　one　of　the　seniors　said；　I've　made　five　friends　where　I　had　one　before。　　The　sophs　are　ashamed　and　sorry；　as　their　conduct　in　chapel；　which　was　more　marked；　than　I　made　it；　shows。　　I've　nothing　to　show　for　it　but　a　red　mark　under　the　eye；　and　so　it　is　the　best　thing　that　could　possibly　have　happened。　　Poor　Ruff　hugged　me　all　the　way　home；　and　I've　started　out　well　in　a　good　way；　I　think；　though　not　a　very　logical　one。

Uncle　says　to　tell　you　that　my　conduct　has　his　approval　throughout。

DICK。

To　which　letter　my　father　promptly　replied：

PHILADELPHIA。　　February　25th；　1882。　DEAR　OLD　BOY：

I'm　glad　the　affair　ended　so　well。　　I　don't　want　you　to　fight；　but　if　you　have　to　fight　a　cuss　like　that　do　it　with　all　your　might；　and　don't　insist　that　either　party　shall　too　strictly　observe　the　Markis　O'　Queensbury　rules。　　Hit　first　and　hardest　so　that　thine　adversary　shall　beware　of　you。

DAD。


At　that　time　the　secret　societies　played　a　very　important　part　in　the　college　life　at　Lehigh；　and　while　I　do　not　believe　that　Richard　shared　the　theory　of　some　of　the　students　that　they　were　a　serious　menace　to　the　social　fabric；　he　was　quite　firm　in　his　belief　that　it　was　inadvisable　to　be　a　member　of　any　fraternity。　　In　a　general　way　he　did　not　like　the　idea　of　secrecy　even　in　its　mildest　form；　and　then；　as　throughout　his　life；　he　refused　to　join　any　body　that　would　in　any　way　limit　his　complete　independence　of　word　or　action。　　In　connection　with　this　phase　of　his　college　life　I　quote　from　an　appreciation　which　M。　A。　De　W。　Howe；　one　of　Richard's　best　friends　both　at　college　and　in　after…life；　wrote　for　The　Lehigh　Burr　at　the　time　of　my　brother's　death：

〃To　the　credit　of　the　perceptive　faculty　of　undergraduates；　it　ought　to　be　said　that　the　classmates　and　contemporaries　of　Richard　Harding　Davis　knew　perfectly　well；　while　he　and　they　were　young　together；　that　in　him　Lehigh　had　a　son　so　marked　in　his　individuality；　so　endowed　with　talents　and　character　that　he　stood　quite　apart　from　the　other　collegians　of　his　day。　　Prophets　were　as　rare　in　the　eighties　as　they　have　always　been；　before　and　since；　and　nobody　could　have　foreseen　that　the　name　and　work　of　Dick　Davis　would　long　before　his　untimely　death；　indeed　within　a　few　years　from　leaving　college；　be　better　known　throughout　the　world　than　those　of　any　other　Lehigh　man。　　We　who　knew　him　in　his　college　days　could　not　feel　the　smallest　surprise　that　he　won　himself　quickly　a　brilliant　name；　and　kept　a　firm　hold　upon　it　to　the　last。

〃What　was　it　that　made　him　so　early　a　marked　man？　　I　think　it　was　the　spirit　of　confidence　and　enthusiasm　which　turned　every　enterprise　he　undertook　into　an　adventure；the　brave　and　humorous　playing　of　the　game　of　life；　the　true　heart；　the　wholesome　body　and　soul　of　my　friend　and　classmate。　　He　did　not　excel　in　studies　or　greatly；　in　athletics。　　But　in　his　own　field；　that　of　writing；　he　was　so　much　better　than　the　rest　of　us　that　no　one　of　his　fellow…editors　of　the　Epitome　or　　Burr　needed　to　be　considered　in　comparison　with　him。　　No　less；　in　spite　of　his　voluntary　nonmembership　in　the　fraternities　of　his　day；　was　he　a　leader　in　the　social　activities　of　the　University。　　The　‘Arcadian　Club'　devoted　in　its　beginnings　to　the　‘pipes；　books；　beer　and　gingeralia'　of　Davis's　song　about　it　and　the　‘Mustard　and　Cheese'　were　his　creations。　　In　all　his　personal　relationships　he　was　the　most　amusing　and　stimulating　of　companions。　　With　garb　and　ways　of　unique　picturesqueness；　rarer　even　in　college　communities　a　generation　ago　than　at　present；　it　was　inevitable　that　he　sometimes　got　himself　laughed　at　as　well　as　with。　　But　what　did　it　all　matter；　even　then？　　To…day　it　adds　a　glow　of　color　to　what　would　be　in　any　case　a　vivid；　deeply　valued　memory。

〃It　is　hard　to　foresee　in　youth　what　will　come　most　sharply　and　permanently　in　the　long　run。　　After　all　these　years　it　is　good　to　find　that　Davis　and　what　his　companionship　gave　one　hold　their　place　with　the　strongest　influences　of　Lehigh。〃

But　Richard　was　naturally　gregarious　and　at　heart　had　a　great　fondness　for　clubs　and　social　gatherings。　　Therefore；　having　refused　the　offer　of　several　fraternities　that　did　him　the　honor　to　ask　him　to　become　a　member；　it　was　necessary　for　him　to　form　a　few　clubs　that　held　meetings；　but　no　secrets。　　Perhaps　the　most　successful　of　these　were　〃The　Mustard　and　Cheese；〃　a　dramatic　club　devoted　to　the　presentation　of　farces　and　musical　comedies；　and　The　Arcadia　Club；　to　the　fortnightly　meetings　of　which　he　devoted　much　time　and　thought。　　The　following　letter　to　his　father　will　give　some　idea　of　the　scope　of　the　club；　which；　as　in　the　case　of　〃The　Mustard　and　Cheese；〃　gained　a　permanent　and　important　place　in　the　social　life　of　Lehigh。

DEAR　DAD：

We　have　started　the　best　sort　of　a　club　up　here　which　I　am　anxious　to　tell　you　of。　　It　consists　of　a　spread；　net　price　of　which　will　be　about　30　cents　each；　every　two　or　three　weeks。　　Only　six　fellows　belong　and　those　the　best　of　the　College。　　Purnell；　Haines　and　myself　founded　it。　　I　chose　Charley；　Purnell；　Reeves；　Haines　and　Howe。　　We　will　meet　Saturday　nights　at　9　so　as　not　to　interfere　with　our　work；　and　sing；　read；　eat　and　box　until　midnight。　　It　is　called　the　〃Pipe　and　Bowl；〃　and　is　meant　to　take　the　place　that　The　Hasty　Pudding；　Hammer　and　Tongs　and　Mermaid　do　at　other　colleges。　　Two　of　us　are　to　invite　two　outsiders　in　turn　each　meeting。　　We　will　hope　to　have　Dad　a　member；　honorary；　of　course；　when　we　can　persuade　him　to　give　us　a　night　off　with　his　company。　　We　want　to　combine　a　literary　feature　and　so　will　have　selected　readings　to　provoke　discussions　after　the　pipes　are　lit。　　The　men　are　very　enthusiastic　about　it　and　want　to　invite　Mr。　Allen　and　you　and　every　one　that　they　can　make　an　honorary　member　of　immediately。


It　was　first　as　an　associate　editor　and　afterward　as　editor…in…chief　of　the　college　paper；　The　Lehigh　Burr；　that　Richar