CHAPTER VI.

A YEAR AT PRINCETON.

Loyalty to Christ means carrying forward in our century the work he began in his; not only worshipping him on our knees, but working with him on our feet; not only keeping up with the rush of the times ourselves, but helping to keep in step some poor stragglers that have no heart and sound legs to keep up with.-Rev. Dr. Parkhurst.

The young graduate met with a warm welcome in the Granite State, and the days were filled with delightful visits in the parish and with various excursions in the beautiful region around Orford. Among the guests was a cousin, Miss Martha E. Lawrence, a well-known teacher of Lake Erie College, who writes:

There was about Edward an illumination which seemed to reveal the Christ within and transfigure him, without in any way overpowering his human nature.

I have always treasured a picture of him, one Sunday evening, at prayers, in Orford, N. H. It was just after his graduation. As he gave an abstract of his father's sermon, "I must be about my Father's business," without any physical resemblance to Hoffman's Christ, he stood there a strong reminder of him.

I always felt that the man Christ stood behind the human man whom I called cousin Edward, whether he preached from the pulpit, rowed the boat with half a dozen of us in it, went on a picnic to the fort, read aloud to us from Meredith's Egoist or some article of his own, played with Wallace, or helped to entertain company.

I was much struck with his warm friendship. It was revealed far more by the glow of his eyes than by the language he used. Like every one, I was impressed most strongly by his devotion to his mother of which I had heard from his boyhood, and which seemed to increase with his years.

After much consideration, Edward had decided to spend a year in Princeton, mainly for the study of Hebrew under Prof. Green, and after that to pursue his studies in Germany. And many were the talks about his future plans.

The days at Orford flew quickly by, and the happy circle disbanded and went their several ways,-the young couple to their Brooklyn home, and the son setting his face towards Princeton, while not long after the parents removed to Marblehead.

Orthodoxton, 24 Brown Hall, Sept. 11th, 1868. Had I known you would leave for Marblehead so soon, I would have remained to help you. Will you believe that I have come here to study theology with a Concordance, Prayer Book, and a Greek Testament, but without an English Bible!! Hebrew is progressing under the auspices of Prof. Green. He meets us six times. a week, and is a remarkably fine teacher, and very patient and earnest. Dr. McGill is also a charming man, suave and bland and simple as a child. We have him once a week in Homiletics, Dr. Hodge twice in Exegesis, Prof. Hodge once in New Testament Literature, and Dr. Moffat once in Church History. The latter is a fine, old Scotchman, with the kindest heart. It struck me quite strangely, at first, to have a prayer at the beginning of every recitation or lecture. If it does not degenerate into a mere form, I shall like it.

Sept. 22d.

I called, last night, on Mrs. Prof. Aiken, and had a right pleasant evening. It had been nearly three weeks since I had spoken to a lady, and I did not know before how much I should miss their company.

Sept. 24th.

I have just come back from a class meeting, at which a Debating Club was formed. I have good elocution practice. But my great work is Hebrew. Next in importance comes Prof. Hodge's Exegesis on Romans, which we have twice a week. I am also attending Dr. Hodge's theological lectures to the Middle and Senior classes. More than all, I trust that I am coming nearer my Saviour and learning something of my own weakness and consequently of his strength. I try to act on Prof. Northrup's advice and not play the hermit.

Oct. 12th.

Dr. Hodge lectured, to-day, on the various theories concerning the origin of evil, and pretty effectually demolished five or six of them. The board now is very good. Every night I have a large bowl of bread and milk, and with that, you know, I do very well.

Last night, while I was in Alf Myers's room, he and his chum were engaged in a little gymnastic scuffling at a rather late hour. A series of knocks came from the floor, and they stopped at once. This morning a Senior called and spoke of the disturbance. They apologized for the late hour, saying it should not occur again. The Senior went on to say that, if he might go still farther, he would express the fear that such undue levity was inconsistent with the Christian character. He thought there was danger of

grieving the Spirit by such conduct. While expressing their entire dissent, they treated him courteously. A great deal was implied in his tone that cannot be expressed, though, if I could draw a picture of a long solemncholy face, with pursed-up mouth, you might get some idea of it. But what will such a man do in the world?

There are many things about which I want to talk with you and father. Meantime, I watch and ponder and read and think and pray. I want more and more to remember that I am to address human nature, and to study that in the light of God's word, and the observations of others, and of my own. . Please leave all the hard work about the house for me to do, when I come home. If at any time you wish for me, don't hesitate to let me know it.

Edward started, one day, to walk with a classmate to New York-about fifty miles. At two o'clock in the morning they took a lunch and then set forth, expecting to reach the city at four P. M. They had walked as far as New Brunswick, when the pouring rain broke up their plans.

In a letter of Oct. 31st, he describes Pres. McCosh's Inauguration:

I succeeded in getting a standing place, such as it was, near enough to hear well, and there I stood for four hours. Dr. McCosh held the immense audience for two hours by a discussion of university study and university reform. He took a middle ground between those who would sweep away all the old landmarks, and those who cannot listen to anything new. In the evening he held a reception at his house, while outside, the College Green was lighted by hundreds of Chinese lanterns, under which fair maids and brave men promenaded, arm in arm, listening to delightful music from the band. But where was my maid, O Muse? Some of the college students are very conceited. On Tuesday, they applauded at the most inappropriate times,-once when the name of Christ was mentioned.

Edward bcame greatly interested in a German student, who was trying to pay his way in the University by teaching German, but who was not very practical. He helped him to a better room, and assisted him in Hebrew, advising him in other ways.

In the latter part of December he went to Marblehead, and then innumerable matters were talked over. After his return, on Jan. 17th, 1869, he writes of his journey from Springfield:

The familiar old cry of the conductor, "W-a-a-re House P'int," almost took me from the cars, in the expectation of seeing Nelly and the red wagon, with some one to meet me. . . I reached New Haven just as the college bell was calling to afternoon recitation, and on the way up met Ned Rawson. He was passing me, when at once his face became radiant, and out came two strong hands to grasp mine. I promised to spend the night with him and Robert Hume. Tinker and Will Wood were in their room, and I was well shaken with one at each hand. Mrs. Porter's tea table, where I had my old seat, looked as cheerful as ever. Mrs. Porter spoke of Miss Marie Cooke as saying that it was her great hope for Margaret's son that he should become a good churchman. I called at President Woolsey's, and found the three daughters at home, playing a blue-stocking game. The next morning I called on the President and received a general letter of recommendation, stamped with the official seal.

Princeton, Jan. 24th, 1869.

He

I am now, my dear mother, comfortably settled and at work again. We are taking fourteen verses of Hebrew a day and constantly increasing. But the week has been unusually busy with what came near being a fatal tragedy. My German friend, rendered desperate by certain circumstances, attempted suicide. called at the druggist's for a bottle of morphine, and took nearly the whole. On returning from the Wednesday evening meeting, of which I had taken charge, I was told that he was in great agony, and was calling for me. I found the poor fellow tossing about on his bed, only half conscious, and saying that he had but half an hour to live. I instantly summoned a physician, while I held his hand and tried to soothe him. I told him the doctor would shortly be here, but he only cried, "Too late! too late!" But when the doctor appeared, on examining the bottle, he said it was not morphine, but quinine, although he had taken almost enough of that to kill him. The apothecaries are not allowed to sell morphine without a prescription, so that his evident purpose was forestalled. I was up with him a good part of that and the following night, and had charge of everything.

Tuesday. My patient is quite recovered and about his recitations. At the Refectory we have a very pleasant company. At breakfast, however, I see but few of my friends, as I am uniformly early, and most of the others are uniformly late. Good manners and attention to the wants of others prevail extensively. . A fine, new Presbyterian church has just been dedicated. I like it very much, on one account. It is all true. There are stained windows, but no frescoing. All ornamentation is in carved wood and everything is what it seems to be. . . My German patient had hardly got well, when one of my classmates in some way wrenched his neck, so that any attempt to move it, caused him agony. I applied remedies, put him to bed, and helped him all I could. He is well now, and I am again free. I say free, though not because it was other than a great pleasure to be able to do anything for him. I should never consider that a burden. But, of course,

there were other duties that I neglected for the sake of this high

er one.

Our class is now preaching sermons at the rate of four a week. These discourses are written and committed to memory. I shall not write mine out, however, as I want to make my first trial of an extempore sermon where I can be criticised.

There is a so-called Parsonage School-House, about four miles distant, which gathers, every Sunday, twenty or thirty persons, who are mostly dependent on our students. Some one called last night, asking me to take the place of a Senior, who had been obliged to leave town. I hesitated, but was decided by a resolution I had made never to refuse anything of the kind without some very good reason. I had only this morning for preparation, so I stayed at home from the chapel. There were in the school-house between twenty-five and thirty. My text was, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." I was surprised, when I found my half-hour gone, and am pleased to know that I can think while on my feet. Of course, I have often made addresses, but never to have the sole charge, and with what could be called a sermon. I have had a good talk with Dr. Green on the low state of piety among us. He has a warm, sensitive heart, and will do all he can to promote a better state of things. For the last few mornings I have taken a light breakfast in my room, brought over from the Club the night before. I feel better for this simple fare, and gain time. This habit of a light breakfast Edward kept up to a great extent through his life, and, as he felt, with advantage.

Feb. 14th.

I preached my experiment sermon, last Thursday night, and then sat down and wrote it out. I shall be glad of your criticisms. Prof. Hodge supposed it was written, and said some kind things about it. My text was. "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." It is the practice here to congratulate those who are thought to have preached a good sermon. But when many came to me with outstretched hands, where I could do so, I held back. I took this ground, because there is a tendency to regard the exercise as a merely literary and rhetorical one. Indeed, it is rather the custom to write an elaborate and highly polished essay, reminding one of prize debates.

As to the style of meeting and parting with general acquaintances, Edward expressed himself plainly. "I don't know how others feel, but for myself I strongly object to making a male Copenhagen, even with college friends. I like them, I respect them, I admire them, but--a kiss is too sacred to be made thus common. I quite agree with you in this, regarding it as a symbol of something very deep and hallowed."