College stories, American; Princeton (N.J.) -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Princeton University -- Fiction
But it hurt a little the next day, when Darnell changed his mind
about going to the library because he saw that if he kept on up the
walk he would meet Lawrence coming toward Dickinson's with three other
seniors. For he received only an absent-minded glance without the
movement of an eyelash. But you could not expect Lawrence to remember
all the people he met. And, perhaps, he was worshipped all the more
for it.
On Sunday he used to gaze with his big brown eyes from his seat in the
freshman section way over through the juniors and past some of the
seniors, back to Lawrence's place. Sometimes a big head of football
hair was in the way, so that he could not tell whether he was there.
He was absent so frequently. But when they all arose to sing the first
hymn, then he could see, and then he would recall what the football
column in the paper he had been reading before chapel reported that
"President Lawrence" had done or said, and he wondered whether he
himself had read it and how it felt to see one's own words in type.
He seldom joined in the singing, Darnell noticed, unless it was "Ein
Feste Burg" or "Lead, Kindly Light," and though he could not tell why,
Darnell admired him all the more for his not singing every time. At
any rate, it was just like him to stand there with his hands in his
pockets and his aristocratic head thrown back and look dark and grave
and mysterious. He always looked especially so, Darnell thought, in
chapel. His mien seemed to be haughty and kingly, not merely dignified
and exclusive like that of many upper-classmen. Lawrence when a
freshman could never have been hazed or guyed. He could not imagine
him stooping to haze anyone either.
Lawrence could do anything. Anyone could see that from his eyes and
chin and the straight, firm mouth with the thin lips. Darnell knew
very well that Lawrence could stand high in his class if he wanted to.
Probably he could play football. He was built well enough. Darnell
thought it would not be quite Lawrence's style to play football. He
would hate to see him tackled or rolling in the mud. That would never
do for him. Lawrence, he thought, would not have played on the team if
he were asked. Darnell had been a Princeton man less than a month.
But he had what was far better than playing on the team--the
management of it. And he was just right as he was. He was a dignified,
weighty senior, respected by all and feared by many, no doubt, and a
man, not a boy, who had travelled much and lived much and had had all
sorts of experiences in his younger days. He was old now, nearly
twenty-two.
But the most wonderful thing about him was his composure and his
commanding reserve. He had the look of the gentleman. His manner
seemed altogether impervious to excitement. He was master of every
situation. To have such a man in their classes must have been rather
embarrassing to the professors. Darnell supposed that the other
Lawrences were rather afraid of him when he came home.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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