Repository: UIHistories Project: Illio - 1896 [PAGE 192]

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Thon there's another, little fellow who part of the tune nets ;IH if he wan ekeervd and play* way back from the mix with blue eyes and light hair, hut hmd! when he takes the bull be knocks over fellows like old Nance do<-s cornstalks in the old orchard field that's " Hub." Then t h e r e ' s piles of others just 1 M as wild and ornery lookin fellows out t h e r e ; " O l d Hoi**," I n d i a n / ' " Keeb," 44 Zim," " Mac," " Big T o m , " and t h e r e ' * one big, fat, bossy sort of a fallow, out there, who shows the others how to light and kiek hardest. He has a gentle kind of fare, but he aets up awful rough when he gets hold of a man. They call him roach, but he's more like an ire-wagon. They say nobody's been hurt much this season; only a few noses broken and legs twisted. Guess I won't play football—am afraid my mother would miss me when I was irone. Saw some fellows in foot ball suits playing something down eolith of the big building. 1 went down t h e r e , a n d one of them came up to me, and I blushed real red and kind of sidled away, for he was a girl. I d i d n ' t go there any more. 1 am getting quite sporty—got a red necktie, black my boots, and smoked four cigarettes yesterday. Am sick today—must be from too much study—my supper didn't stay down last night. Sporting life is too much for m e ; I am going to quit. "Went out Hallowe'en night and had lots of fun; got shot at, ran into a wire clothes-line with my neck, and fell into a mortar-bed. Am going out again next year. Some fellows got a snake and put it in my bed, tlie other night. Ugh ! I gave a yell and skinned straight up the side of the wall, and when the landlady came in the beast had me corralled on top of the bookshelves and was licking the polish off my boots. I don't believe in jokes. I got even with them ; I put bread crumbs and nutshells in their bed, balanced a pail of dirty water at the top of the stairs, and spread molasses on all their chairs. Went to Purdue with a horn, two ribbons and new shoes on—besides other clothes. Foot ball field was (worser'n) wuss'n the old h o g p e n in March for mud. Our fellows couldn't swim, so got licked, but played great. The profs gave the team a supper. I sneaked in —guess the doorkeeper thought I was one of the young profs. Heard some good talks. Mr. Huff said the foot ball team in '81) didn't wear any suits when they played. They must of looked queer. Smelt the boneyard this morning—guess I'll go the other way after this. I'm in love—met her at the Hallowe'en party. Went to see her one night. I was afraid to go to the front, door, so went to the back one, and the dog took after me—chased me over a wood pile, a chicken-coop, two fences, and at last treed me on top of the cow-shed. He seemed to enjoy the taste of my trowsers, for he sat and ate the whole piece which he had got while I was " tin-canning" over the wood pile. I ain't going there any more. Got to have exams next week, so got to quit now. Found out what a horse is and have got one. Guess I'm coming along some. Your Respectfull Cousin, SILAS NAPOLKON J O N M .

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