It was a terrible ordeal
for a bashful or awkward boy. Those of a more robust nature,
or whose performance had nothing ridiculous in it, profited
by the discipline. But it certainly took all the starch and
courage out of me. I never sat down to write my theme without
fancying that grinning and scornful countenance looking at
my work. So I used to write as few sentences as I thought
would answer so that I should not be punished for failure
to bring in any theme at all, and never attempted to do my
best.
But the Faculty themselves were certainly an assemblage of
very able men. Making all the allowance for the point of
view, and that I was then a youth looking at my elders who
had become famous, and that I am now looking as an old man
at young men, I still think there can be no comparison between
the college administrators of fifty years ago and those of
to-day. It was then the policy of the college to call into
its service great men who had achieved eminent distinction
in the world without. It is now its policy to select for
its service promising youth, in the hope that they will become
great.
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