Autobiography of Seventy Years, Vol. 1-2Hoar, George Frisbie
History
Autobiography of Seventy Years, Vol. 1-2
Hoar, George Frisbie
United States -- History -- 1865-1921; United States -- Politics and government -- 1865-1900
One of my classmates, afterward a worthy physician, was a
tall man, older considerably than the rest of the class. He
used to wear an old-fashioned blue, straight-bodied coat
with brass buttons, a buff vest, and nankeen pantaloons which
were said to have come down as an heirloom in his family from
a remote generation. He was addicted to rather a pompous
style of speech. He was very fond of playing the bass-viol,
of which he was by no means a very skilful master. He had,
as a subject for his mock part, "The Base Violation of all
Rules of Harmony." One Sunday evening he had a few friends
with him who were singing psalm tunes to the accompaniment
of his bass-viol. They made a prodigious noise, not at all
to the liking of the proctor who had the care of the discipline
of that entry, which was in Holworthy. He went to the room
from which the noise issued. It was locked and he had some
difficulty in getting in. The persons assembled, instead
of maintaining their place, betook themselves to hiding places
in the inner rooms. My classmate, however, stood his ground
like a Roman and told the officer that his room was his castle
and that he had no right to come in. The matter was reported
to the Faculty and the musician sent for. Instead of submitting
himself, however, he maintained very sturdily that the visit
of the official to his room was an outrage which he ought
not be asked to endure. He made quite an oration to the Faculty.
Thereupon he was sentenced, more for his contumacy than for
the original offence, to suspension from the college for two
or three months. The class were very indignant and determined
to manifest their indignation in a way that should be understood.
They got a chariot with six white horses which drove up to
his door in Holworthy at midday. Nearly the whole college
assembled to see him off. He came out and took his seat in
solitary state in the chariot. Some eight or ten of the class
on horseback accompanied him as outriders. They drove into
Boston to the front door of the Tremont House in great state.
It was just at the time the Governor-General of Canada, I
think Lord Elgin, was expected in Boston on a great occasion
in the history of the city. The waiters and landlord at the
Tremont House thought the English nobleman had arrived and
hurried down the steps to open the door and meet him. But
he got out of his carriage with his carpet-bag in his hand
and disappeared in a humble fashion round the corner. The
Faculty were very indignant and thought of disciplining severely
the members of the class who had got up the burlesque, especially
the outriders. Edward Everett then had under consideration
the question whether he would accept the Presidency of the
College. It was thought that if a rebellion occurred then
he would decide against undertaking the responsibility. So
they let the whole matter pass.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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