It was my vague wild dream, the dream of returning to school, ever since in my sixteenth year my days at the country school ended. My father had purchased forty acres of land, every acre of which bristled1 with giant pines, hemlocks2 or spruces. To subdue3 and turn this into a farm without capital made my presence at home most necessary at the earliest possible time, I being the only son at home large enough to saw and roll logs.
But ever my soul welled up within me as I thought of the world’s tasks; and at times forbidden tears came as I realized my inability to add my part. For from early boyhood I had dreamed day dreams of usefulness. The words of the poet ever taunted4 me as I repeated them,—
“In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of life,
Be not like dumb driven cattle,
Be a hero in the strife5.”
At nineteen, my younger brother having grown out of the country school and into workdom, I went to seek my fortunes in the beckoning6 West. 267
Four years of “bumping against the world” served only to increase my desire for knowledge. But the thought of entering school at twenty-three with little boys and girls embarrassed me, till happily my attention was called to St. Paul’s College at St. Paul Park, Minnesota, about forty miles from where I was then employed, where, I was told, other men of similar ages and circumstances had found suitable environment. I got into correspondence with the president of the institution, told him I wanted to go to school, but didn’t have much money. Anxiously I waited for an answer to that letter. It came. I could fire a boiler7 in one of the heating plants and help take care of the campus. This would pay my board and room rent. Other odd jobs, he suggested, would help out in tuition and incidentals.
School began on Tuesday; so Monday found me speeding for college, with ninety dollars to begin a college career. Never did a man approach a college with less of self-confidence than I. The cows, as I crossed the fields to the college with a number of students-to-be, seemed to look at me with hungry eyes; for why should I not suppose that even the cows around a great institution of learning were sufficiently8 educated to know a green freshman9.
I soon acquired the combination of the heating plant, so that I could roast or freeze the dormitory inmates10 at will. (Some say it was mostly the latter.) However, things passed along very successfully, 268 save an occasional dilemma11 announced by shrieks12 of terror-stricken girls in rooms where spirting radiators13 demanded immediate14 presence of the janitor15. At times I was offered odd jobs by professors and neighbors, not the least in importance of which was the milking of the president’s cow night and morning, the same cow whose wistful gaze I had so loftily interpreted on that first day, an opinion which I was soon forced to surrender, for I found that she had made poor use of her opportunities to acquire culture, unless it were physical culture or athletics17, for occasionally, and without warning, she chose to dismount me from the milking stool and stick her foot in the milk pail in a very uncivil manner. These employments, with an occasional opportunity to help in the college laundry, added very materially in making my first year in college.
My first vacation was spent in a partially18 successful attempt at selling books in Saskatchewan, Canada. The latter part of the summer was spent threshing in western Minnesota.
I returned to school about five weeks late that fall with scarcely as much money as on the previous year. The president had written to me that he would employ some boys in the kitchen and dining-room that year and offered me one of the places, a proposal which I promptly19 accepted. This work brought about the same pecuniary20 returns as the firing had, and left some time as before for odd jobs.
The second summer was spent in my home vicinity 269 in northern Michigan after what seemed a necessary absence of nearly three years. But September soon came again. My summer’s work had not netted so much as the previous summer’s earnings21, but experience and familiarity with conditions at the school added faith for another venture.
I had resolved to try rooming out and boarding myself. A room was offered me by an aged22 widow and her daughter who taught in the public school. In payment for the room I was to tend the furnace. The work was a pleasure, the home was an exceedingly pleasant one in every respect, and I was made welcome in all parts of the house; and, save in one respect, I was contented23 in my situation. This one thing was in boarding myself. Though I believe that, too, would have succeeded had I had a room-mate to share the domestic duties. My hostess in her kind, motherly thoughtfulness saw my discontentment and suggested that I add a few more of the domestic duties to mine and take one meal each day with them. This I consented to do, though I felt, and still feel, that the service rendered was insufficient24 to pay for what I received. I intend some time to clear my conscience by, at least partly, making up the deficiency.
During this year I found almost regular employment in the college laundry on Saturdays, which, with the other earnings mentioned, carried me through my third year.
During these three years I had made use of every 270 opportunity to broaden my intellect and develop my small talents. The Literary Society, the Y. M. C. A., the Temperance Society and the Epworth League, aside from class work, offered splendid opportunity for practice in composition and public speaking.
Commencement had come again. Another graduating class went out from our dear old college halls to enrich the world.
Again the question of earning the funds for school faced a few of us, who were fortunate enough to have to “paddle our own canoe.”
After working a few days in the vicinity of the college, a fellow student, of similar circumstances, and I went into North Dakota, where we spent about two months working on a farm. A minister in the town near which we were employed, hearing that we were students, invited us to his home where he consulted us concerning doing some substitute work in filling a number of Sunday charges which happened to be vacant at that time. Though quite inexperienced in pulpit work, upon being urged, we consented to do our best. There was something at once humorous and long-to-be-remembered in this situation, as, on account of scant25 room in the farm house we were obliged to take our suite26 in the barn hay loft16, which we heartily27 christened “our first parsonage.” And who will deny that the cackling of chickens, the bawling28 of calves29, the whinnying of horses and the grunting30 of pigs in an adjoining building, together with the other barnyard dialects, was 271 an inspiring atmosphere for spiritual reflection? This work, aside from the practice and added self-confidence (for, modestly, we did have a degree of success surprising to ourselves), added considerably31 to our funds.
School days approached again, but owing to an unprofitable move on my part, my acquired capital did not inspire me with confidence to return to school. But through the kindly32 interest of a friend I was offered, in loan, an amount sufficient to make it possible for me to return. Not many weeks passed before I again secured the work of firing one of the college heating plants. This year the work of firing was facilitated by an apparatus33 which I invented and constructed, by which the drafts were opened at any desired time in the morning by means of an alarm clock, the boilers34 having been coaled up before retiring. The machine worked perfectly35 and added an hour to my sleep in the morning, thus lightening my labor36 and increasing my rest.
Still the time required for all the work mentioned, together with the added responsibilities of the senior year, constituted a load not easily carried, but when accomplished37, gave all the more pleasure.
My experience in largely making my own way through school is no tale of heroism38. The same can be accomplished by any man with ordinary ambitions and circumstances, and an appreciation39 of higher education. There are just a few essentials. Let the man who hopes to work his passage in school take with him a worthy40 aim, a sturdy backbone41, strict 272 habits of dependability, a good set of morals, and best of all, a consecrated42 Christian43 character, for the confidence which his conduct commands will be his best, and at times his only capital.
I am sure that no one who ever accomplished his own support through college will deny that it was made possible very largely through the interest and kind thoughtfulness of some generous souls who find the worthwhileness of life in helpfulness to others. In my room beside my table hangs a card which reads,—“When on top, don’t forget the folks who run the elevator.”
I look with thankful memories, as does many another student, toward those whose carefulness has enriched my life; to the president who proved a kind and prudent44 school father; to the professors and school-mates whose words of courage brought me out of many a slough45 of despond, and not the least to those who proved true, unselfish friends in the exigency46 of trying circumstances.
My dear friend with worthy dreams, do not hesitate to make the plunge47, out from which you will come strengthened and invigorated for life’s battles. Have you missed, in your earlier years, the educational advantages due every man and woman? Your experience has but fitted you to better appropriate knowledge. And let me add, your maturity48 will make it possible for you to lay a larger service upon the shrine49 of school and college life.
St. Paul’s College, Onaway, Mich.
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1
bristled
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| adj. 直立的，多刺毛的 动词bristle的过去式和过去分词 | |
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2
hemlocks
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| 由毒芹提取的毒药( hemlock的名词复数 ) | |
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3
subdue
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| vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制 | |
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4
taunted
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| 嘲讽( taunt的过去式和过去分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落 | |
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5
strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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6
beckoning
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| adj.引诱人的，令人心动的v.（用头或手的动作）示意，召唤( beckon的现在分词 ) | |
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7
boiler
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| n.锅炉；煮器(壶，锅等) | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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freshman
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| n.大学一年级学生(可兼指男女) | |
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10
inmates
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| n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 ) | |
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11
dilemma
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| n.困境，进退两难的局面 | |
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12
shrieks
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| n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 ) | |
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13
radiators
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| n.（暖气设备的）散热器( radiator的名词复数 )；汽车引擎的冷却器，散热器 | |
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14
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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15
janitor
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| n.看门人，管门人 | |
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16
loft
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| n.阁楼，顶楼 | |
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17
athletics
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| n.运动，体育，田径运动 | |
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18
partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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19
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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20
pecuniary
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| adj.金钱的；金钱上的 | |
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21
earnings
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| n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得 | |
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22
aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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23
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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24
insufficient
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| adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的 | |
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25
scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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26
suite
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| n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员 | |
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27
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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28
bawling
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| v.大叫，大喊( bawl的现在分词 )；放声大哭；大声叫出；叫卖（货物） | |
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29
calves
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| n.(calf的复数)笨拙的男子，腓；腿肚子( calf的名词复数 )；牛犊；腓；小腿肚v.生小牛( calve的第三人称单数 )；（冰川）崩解；生（小牛等），产（犊）；使（冰川）崩解 | |
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30
grunting
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| 咕哝的，呼噜的 | |
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31
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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32
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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33
apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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34
boilers
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| 锅炉，烧水器，水壶( boiler的名词复数 ) | |
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35
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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36
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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37
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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38
heroism
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| n.大无畏精神，英勇 | |
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39
appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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40
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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41
backbone
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| n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气 | |
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42
consecrated
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| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
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43
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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44
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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45
slough
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| v.蜕皮，脱落，抛弃 | |
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46
exigency
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| n.紧急；迫切需要 | |
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47
plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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48
maturity
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| n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期 | |
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49
shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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