The Vagabond

14th. Awake betimes, but lay long abed listening to the little folks doing their merry square-dance inside my head. Lord, how mischievous they are to jump so hard and race their circles round and round. Pictures of last night's revelry coming between the little dancers. Tis passing strange that the good people of Boston keep giving parties when their guests come just for the wine and much too busy chasing one another to play a proper part.

Out of bed in a flutter with the chiming of ten o'clock. That worthy master of slaves, my tutor, sends me to sit in on lectures at the most ill-advised times of the day and night. A stop in the hall to glance at the morning paper and surprised to see the quarrelsome Republicans still flay our popular President. How they groan and tear their hair when they think that Mr. Roosevelt will lead the next Congress around by the ears, like a stable-boy at a Scotch tavern. And into my head march the jolly lines of those talented gentlemen, Messers. Gilbert & Sullivan:

"When in that House M.P,'s divide,

If they've a brain and cerebolium, too,

They've got to leave that brain outside,

And vote just as their leaders tell 'em to."

And so, after a lecture, to Widener, where in the theatre collection is an exhibition of playbills and souvenirs of Gilbert & Sullivan operas so splendid and diverse as to dazzle even a Saturday morning's eye. Today this noble building seems to be pouring forth more treasures than can be seen by hurried mortals. Up the stairs, atrot, into the Harry Elkins room, to see the display of books on games and sports. Indeed today is the time to think about sports, with the sturdy sailors journeying from Maryland to fire their cannon into the Crimson ranks.

Back from the football field with a sad eye and a heavy heart. But, Lord, how the players in our camp did fight! Methinks it ungentlemanly bold to call it "moral victory", but the soldiers of Harvard worked with each other like the very wheels of a parlor clock. In the stadium came into my head the words:

"The soldiers of our Queen,

Are linked in friendly tether;

Upon the battle scene

They fight the foe together.

There every mother's son

Prepared to fight and fall is;

The enemy of one

The enemy of all is!"

It would seem hard to forget Gilbert & Sullivan after this morning's wandering in Widener.

On to Kirkland, to visit H . . . , where a little refreshment soon raised heavy hearts to dwell on matters more pleasant than the football match. Soon into my party clothes and with F . . . to dine at Leverett. How the spirit of the navy has worked changes! Lighthouses in the Leverett windows and salty coils of rope dangling from the music platform. On with the dance till midnight curfew told us we were indeed yet in Boston and must still pay homage to the Puritan. Back in the tower, warm with the dance and warmer with the wine, to fall back and dream of operas and sports, of Gilbert and rows of men in blue coats.