Circumstances Propitious to the Study of Moral Philosophy
Dublin Core
Title
Circumstances Propitious to the Study of Moral Philosophy
Subject
Procrastination, Studying
Creator
M & W. W.
Source
http://addison.vt.edu/record=b1775388~S1
Publisher
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Date
May 1876
Contributor
Jennifer Schrauth, Britt Hoskins
Format
Text
Language
English
Type
Short Story
Identifier
LD5655.V8 L4, ser.1, v.1, no.7 (May 1876), p.6-7
Coverage
Blacksburg, Virginia
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
A senior sat in his room with his text-book on Moral Philosophy in his hand. It was Saturday, and the next Monday would be the final examination on that subject, and, as his standing on this examination would seriously affect his final standing on the whole course, he must use the precious moments of this Saturday in a review of his subject. How well he succeeded in his determination the sequel will show.
First, he read of the immutability of the moral principle, but, in spite of his determination to banish all other thoughts from his mind and to bring his whole mental resource to bear upon the subject, the mutable things of this world rush in rapid succession through his mind; his society with her oratorical contest appears first on the scene; his speech of the night before is rehearsed; the blushing face of his Sarah Jane rises like a fairy picture before him as he grows eloquent; Commencement with its flowers, smiles and medals, follows in bright array. Here a noise in the hall reminds him that he is leaving the question, and, with renewed determination, he reads on until Ambition, with its evil and its good, is being discussed by the author; again his expansive mind rises to the high appreciation of the good to he done by a noble man of ambition; his speech is again rehearsed before the voters of his district, and he sees them drinking in his words of eloquence and wisdom with the most earnest enthusiasm. His speech is finished, and his audience are about to carry him around on their shoulders, as our Dutch Alley friend did a comrade a few days ago, upon his promotion to a "colored" corporalcy, when the "'grub'-horn" reminds him that dinner is ready at the messhouse, and that the final examination on that Moral Philosophy will come off on Monday.
Thus the morning is spent, and soon the hours of the afternoon, although much better utilized, are numbered with those of the past. Night, that best of all seasons for study, arrives, and our senior, who has at last taken his mind well in hand, congratulates himself that he will yet be able to finish up his review before Monday. Supper over he again resumed his study with all the earnestness of his soul, but suddenly he jumps from his chair, turns his head to one side and trots around the room like a duck with one eye knocked out, while the water drops as rain from his ear. That irrepressible Baum has, for the third time that day, opened on him with that fiendish squirt-gun through an old key-hole in the door. I wonder if all college dormatories are cursed with old key-holes in their doors? Being somewhat accustomed to this little annoyance, it disturbed him only for a time, and he was soon poring over his book again in good earnest, interrupted somewhat by the incessant rat-a-tat-tat of an aspirant for the position of drummer. This he could endure; so still he worked away; but now the dancing club meets on second floor and begins with music and the calling of figures. This was not uncommon, but just a little annoying. But what is all that noise, now? "Oh! yes, lost child! Lost child!" Is Stith drunk, that he should persist in yelling out that nonsense? He goes to the door and listens; it is only the "Virginia Niggers" rehearsing in Gen. Lane's lecture room, second door. One of these little "annoyances" he could stand, two disturbed him little, but all three at once. were too much for a Job. So, with a feeling of desperation, he threw himself on his bed and determined to sleep them out, and then study. In this he found himself mistaken, for, like a nightmare, they were with him still. As the noise of music rose highest, he dreamed of war, of lying on picket in front of the enemy's works, with their cannon bearing on him and their bands discoursing sweet music to his excited ear. Then the ringing of the college bell he thought to be the bell of some gunboat tolling out the time while the pickets on land took up the cry, "10 o'clock and all is well!" Then the artillery opened, and the shells, like meteors, come streaming through the midnight air. He awakes, with a start, to find that the falling f a window and the retreating footsteps of "niggers" and dancers has caused his dream of battle.
Well, moralizes our student, I surely can study now, and, seizing his book, he tries it again, but is informed that it is now twelve o'clock. Sunday has arrived, and he must cease from his labors and trust all to Providence.
With an expression on his face of such humility as Uriah Heep might have envied, he closed his day's work by taking his place third from front in bed, and is soon in the land of dreams, where we will leave him, just now, to the tender mercies of two restless companions and a host of "voracious bed bugs." M. & W. W.
First, he read of the immutability of the moral principle, but, in spite of his determination to banish all other thoughts from his mind and to bring his whole mental resource to bear upon the subject, the mutable things of this world rush in rapid succession through his mind; his society with her oratorical contest appears first on the scene; his speech of the night before is rehearsed; the blushing face of his Sarah Jane rises like a fairy picture before him as he grows eloquent; Commencement with its flowers, smiles and medals, follows in bright array. Here a noise in the hall reminds him that he is leaving the question, and, with renewed determination, he reads on until Ambition, with its evil and its good, is being discussed by the author; again his expansive mind rises to the high appreciation of the good to he done by a noble man of ambition; his speech is again rehearsed before the voters of his district, and he sees them drinking in his words of eloquence and wisdom with the most earnest enthusiasm. His speech is finished, and his audience are about to carry him around on their shoulders, as our Dutch Alley friend did a comrade a few days ago, upon his promotion to a "colored" corporalcy, when the "'grub'-horn" reminds him that dinner is ready at the messhouse, and that the final examination on that Moral Philosophy will come off on Monday.
Thus the morning is spent, and soon the hours of the afternoon, although much better utilized, are numbered with those of the past. Night, that best of all seasons for study, arrives, and our senior, who has at last taken his mind well in hand, congratulates himself that he will yet be able to finish up his review before Monday. Supper over he again resumed his study with all the earnestness of his soul, but suddenly he jumps from his chair, turns his head to one side and trots around the room like a duck with one eye knocked out, while the water drops as rain from his ear. That irrepressible Baum has, for the third time that day, opened on him with that fiendish squirt-gun through an old key-hole in the door. I wonder if all college dormatories are cursed with old key-holes in their doors? Being somewhat accustomed to this little annoyance, it disturbed him only for a time, and he was soon poring over his book again in good earnest, interrupted somewhat by the incessant rat-a-tat-tat of an aspirant for the position of drummer. This he could endure; so still he worked away; but now the dancing club meets on second floor and begins with music and the calling of figures. This was not uncommon, but just a little annoying. But what is all that noise, now? "Oh! yes, lost child! Lost child!" Is Stith drunk, that he should persist in yelling out that nonsense? He goes to the door and listens; it is only the "Virginia Niggers" rehearsing in Gen. Lane's lecture room, second door. One of these little "annoyances" he could stand, two disturbed him little, but all three at once. were too much for a Job. So, with a feeling of desperation, he threw himself on his bed and determined to sleep them out, and then study. In this he found himself mistaken, for, like a nightmare, they were with him still. As the noise of music rose highest, he dreamed of war, of lying on picket in front of the enemy's works, with their cannon bearing on him and their bands discoursing sweet music to his excited ear. Then the ringing of the college bell he thought to be the bell of some gunboat tolling out the time while the pickets on land took up the cry, "10 o'clock and all is well!" Then the artillery opened, and the shells, like meteors, come streaming through the midnight air. He awakes, with a start, to find that the falling f a window and the retreating footsteps of "niggers" and dancers has caused his dream of battle.
Well, moralizes our student, I surely can study now, and, seizing his book, he tries it again, but is informed that it is now twelve o'clock. Sunday has arrived, and he must cease from his labors and trust all to Providence.
With an expression on his face of such humility as Uriah Heep might have envied, he closed his day's work by taking his place third from front in bed, and is soon in the land of dreams, where we will leave him, just now, to the tender mercies of two restless companions and a host of "voracious bed bugs." M. & W. W.