St Johns College - Yearbook (Annapolis, MD)

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I . f El letter Wlrltten by wma of the Glass when a jlfresbman. ST. IGI-IN,VS, 'December 14, 1893. Mv DARLING MOTHER 1- Last Wednesday night the Royal Order put me through, in other words hazed me. The freshmen had long before learned their intentions, so we, though unprepared, were not taken by surprise. Before retiring I lock the door securely, brace it with bed slats and quietly await the arrival of a lot of country clodhops who compose the sophomore class, and whom I expect to haze my very fresh room mate. Pres- ently we hear an indistinct murmur which gradually increases to a deafening roar as the Devils come rush- ing up three flights of stairs 5 they stop at the other end of the hall, one moment of awful suspense, and on they come with an impetuous rush that nothing can with- stand. A knock loud and long, shaking' the panels of my door, reverberates down the corridors. No answer. Now bed-slats begin to play on the door, and ever and anon some foot-ball player casts himself against the barrier. It shakes, it creaks, it splinters into pieces and with the fragments there bursts into the room a crowd of masked, I hideous and fiery fiends, who would stop at nothing because it might be low, cowardly, base. Arise! Arise! the cry goes up, And come with us say they. Une glance at the hellish crowd suiiicesg one glance proves th-at resistance is useless, so up I get from my warm little bed and 'mid the chilling blast of night march to the hazing room, determined to take fun good naturedly, but equally determined to resist should blows begin to fall thick and fast as lightning from the moun- tain cloud. ' The room previously prepared for the purpose was most appropriate for such proceedings. At a distance from all professors any ineanness could have been enacted there, and no yell of pain, anguish or despair could have reached the ear of any pitying passer-by or our beloved profs. The door is closed. Disrobe thyselff' comes the command from the flllgk-6'0Ck-6Zf07'Zt7iZ of the band, and then my clothes are taken from on my back, and all behold a poor shivering form standing there in anxiety awaiting an issue about an affair of serious moment to himself.

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WHY motto. 1. II. f65?'O thine own self be true, To thine own self be true, Q3 In life's battles be brave, Tho' some practice deceit, U Though it is but the grave They must e'er meet defeat When thy struggles are through. While your heartls true to you III. To thine own self be true, To all mankind be just, And God, in Whom we trust, Will then be true to you. 145

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The frescoers, commanded to begin their work, they paint my body to represent a tiger fresh from the Indian jungle. This was not a difficult task. Mount the table and singa song: be quick there ! H hang H bang E goes slat after slat upon all my slatable parts. This puts much energy in my bones g much blood in my skin. XYith great activity a nude body shoots into the air, and alighting on a table with great alacrity com- mences to sing : Mary had a little lamb Its fleece was white as snow? Next I chase a smile around the table, write my name on the wall with my nose, climb the wall and per- form other feats of agility too numerous to mention. Finally a cent is put in a bowl full of icy water and I am commanded to root out the penny with my nose. I confidently dive in, make one hasty thrust, take out my head, and there-there in the bottom of the bowl quietly rests the obstinate coin. Qnce more I attempt to root it out. Slowly gauging its position, I place my nose firmly upon itg gently, little by little, inch by inch, it comes to the rim and finally is cast way to the middle of the room. I I am dismissed. I go to my room where Willie boy washes the filthy paint away and again I go to bed to enjoy a good night's rest, in the satisfaction that my haz- ing is over. I YoUR DARLING SoN. M, MXAYIY I