Northern Oklahoma College - Roundup Yearbook (Tonkawa, OK)

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5. . 1 ' : :Q 6' .ln An Old Colonial Library Wesley Ricks, '16 The book dropped from my listless hand, and slid down on the floor. Wi-th a start l awoke, recovered the book, and started to read again. The fire was warm, my story to say the least, was interesting, and my chair was Very comfortablel but YYY HS ham as I could, I was not able to concentrate my mind on my book. Something must 'bv the matter with me, perhaps the oyster stew that I had dined on had not agreed with me. With this comforting reflectiron I again Cl1'ODlJGfl my DOOR, and l3L11'lJG'Sl-Bly let lllll' many thoughts occupy my attention. At last, as I beco-me drowsier and drowsier. my mind began to wander in circles. I would think of the same thing tim-e alter time all of which tended to increase my desire to sleep. But soon a new and insistent thought came creeping through my dull brain, which finally gained recognitknn. 'i thought was this: tomorrow I must write a theme for my American Literature class. My weary mind tumbled the thought over and over without trying to penetrate U significance. What could I write about? Suddenly a title flashed before my hali- Closed eyeS,An Old Colonial Library. That title indeed offered many possibilit.. One ought to be able to write volumes about it. But then I had never seen such library, and what could one write about something one had never seen. Th s evidently gave me little distress, for I was too far gone to Care about fit. The tl1011?.'1V came less frequently, my eyes were now fully closed, and nothing but the glow from til' fire lighted the darkened room. Then came a sweet, peaceful, blank obliviong and l had slipped into the land of dreams, where one can gain one's greatest' desires in seem- ingly the easiest manner. I awoke with a start and a shudder, for I had just dreamed that I was running to make a touch down when some unseen hand had pushed me back and had not allowed me to 'touch the ball over the goal line. I rubbed my eyes and Started to rise so that I might switch on the lights and go to' bedg but as 1 tried to reach the switch, I touched some strange object with my hand. It was an old fashioned brass Candlestick with perhaps half a candle left in the socket. Then came an exclamation of Surprise- what was this Candlestick doing in my room? Again I felt for the switch, but my grasping hand encountered only a blank wall. Then I became truly curious. This must be my roomg but could I possibly have walked in my sleep. That surely must be my chair and my fireg but as I looked at the fire a second time, I saw that it was no gas fire. It was a real wood fire and not a gaslogg and those old fashioned and- irons would certainly be strangers at my grate. Tho ohaiy too looked different: oven by theldim light of the fire I could see that it was o-ld fashioned mahogany and not a cheap imitation. Then my curiosity and my desire for adventures overcoming my Call- tious fears, I decided to inspect th3s room. The candle was soon ablaze, and by its dim radiance I found several more. The light of the candles combined with the glow of the fire, lighted the room fairly well. Now, having all my preparations made, l started to explore this strange place. v ' lt was a large room with three large wfindows in the south wall opening on a wide - i b verandah. The north wall contained the fireplace which was an immense affair in ii'- 1 seqf. But the east and west walls were those which occupied my attentiondd Along each wall, running full length of the room, was a great bookcase Com jletel Y fill 1 yritl 1 A e x books. The top shelves of these bookcases reached almost to the extremely high ceili ing of the room. A soft thick carpet on the floor, and an old mahogany library table. flanked on one side by a chair equally antique completed the most t' bl f , r I no icea e urniturc ol the room. On the table I found an old and much worn Copy of the Bible lyme- by the side of Pilgrims Progressf' I couldn't imagine in whose library l. was but ? ag. termxned to make the best of my stay there. As I turned to the Sorfth Wap' uly amen- tion was arrested bv - nicture. It was a large picture yvjth a black 'frame suggestive 144 '

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-ff-ia pswgwi qrr, .-'mga an-1 Lai tsg faaa les ,Q render until we have killed him-. BY Joye, BOYS! Red spoke hastily. I believe that is old 'Gillstrape now on Rat- UGSIQHKG Rlflge- S0111eth111g Strange, too for him to be out by himself. Guess he isn't 10010115 to fllld C0H1DaHY Such a dar as this, or he would have his usual pack Of hired men with him. He has only one blood-hound, too-'twill be some surprise for old Gills all right. , The boys' looked and saw that what Red said was true. For the first time since coming to hunt the outlaws, 'Giisllstrape was alone. A swift gleam of hatred came into and hardened the face of each of fthe four men hidden from sight behind the cliff. John's usual surly tone was now made more gruff by the passion and bitterness he felt. He is alone, boys and there are four of us. That wouldn't be fair play. You Flu Stay 1191? and 1 H111 S0i11g to meet this man. iGive me your horse, Red. I am going- stand back! I will go, I said! If he should see me firrst then make quick work ot him boys. But don't shoot until I fall. He mounted the horse and was off without another word. Death was written in every line of his face. It was to be a fair, man-to-man combat. One of the two must dieg the result depended wholly on the quickness and coolness of the two men. Gillstrape was walking his horse slowly along the road. It was plain he wasnit lookiing for company. His face was cool and red. One could easily tell he had been using a stimulant to keep him warm. He was a wiry littlexfellow, cordially hailed by everybody, for he was well known to be o-ver-bearing and cruel. .Iohn Wycliff waited in the bend of the road-his hand on the trigger of his gun. As Gillstrape rode around the bend, Wyclirff pushed his horse forward. Cee-o, he said wickedly. Gillstrape instantly raised his g-un but Wyc!iff grinned and said. No, don't! A shot rang out but it had missed its mark. Said Wycliff, I'll show you how to whifp old men who are helpless. l'!l show you how to kill our brother. Like it? Bah! Coward! he cried as Gillstrape begged for mercy. You didn't have mercy-take gun, shoot. If I shoot first you die: The guns came up again. Two shots rang out, and Gillstrape lay dead in the road. John turned and shot the blood-hound that was standing near. The three brothers stripped Gfallstrape of his coat, spread it on the ground and lifted the dog upon it. Gillstrape they left lying, uncovered in the snow, thus showing that they had more respect for the dog than for the man. A month later, after the feeling aroused by the murder of Gillstrape had Some- fhit s bsided there rode into the little town of Grove four men on horse back. They u 2 'u s , came alone, unmasked, uncompelled: and gave themselves into the hands of the new sheriff. Three were tall, strong, dark, and rather'heavy setg the fourth was tall and l 1 l 1 with 1 shock of red h'V'r The Wycliff brothers had surrendered. After they s e ic c ' ' 2 t C l . had spent three months in the county jail. public sentiment became so strong in their favor that they were released. 143

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5'-7 '3 1 1. . Aww- -449 r r-rv. 91 ca 'Q of the ligure in the picture. The figure was one of the most beautiful that I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing. Gowned in plain black without a single adornment. she presented a face that was only enhanced by her garb. An involuntary exclama- tion escaped me, Puritan!', The picture by her side fully proved this, for it was of a young man simply dressed in Puritan style with a stern repressed look on his noble countenance. The two' indeed must have made a beautiful couple. I gazed at the pio- tures several moments in a reverent silence, and thought that the owner of the librarb' was certainly fortunate in having such ancestors. But soon my attention wandered and I began to inspect the books. I noticed that all the volumes were well boundg in fact most of them being in leather. I took down a volume and started aimlessly to turn the pages. It was then that I caught sight of the name of the author. Mather, Cotton Mather, was the name inscribed on the book. What was a book like that doing in a librarv like this? Again I looked to be sure of the name. Then I began in ear- nest to look at this curious library. I started down the shelf on which I had found the first book. All seemed to have been written by this same author, Cotton Mather. I-Iere were copies of his manuscripts and essays, there a volume of sermons, and at last I found a complete edition of the Magnalia. Reverently I took out Book Two which I found to be written about the early American heroes. the first book which tended to incite American patriotism. As I turned over the pages, I thought of the man who had written this book. We are accustomed to condemn much and praise little. But I wondered if we had a right to condemn such a man as this. He has written on- ly good of his fellow men, and it is no more than right that we write only good of hilm. Soon I replaced the book, and started in search of something new. I ascended a shelf. and lo and behold, there was Jonathan Edwards. The Freedom of the Will was the first Volume that I saw. and with a sense of pleasure, I began to look through it. There must have been some thirty odd volumes of his works, nearly a complete list, I saw a book of his sermons in which was his Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, and thought of passages that I had read. Even to me it seemed a shame that a man of hiS ability should be judged by this one sermon when he has written a book lilte the Free- dom of the Will. . Then the thought flashed through my mind that this was no ordinary library: this must be a real Old Colonial Library. I replaced my 'book and went over to the other bookcase to make sure of my find. The first thing that greeted my eyes was a. book by Claptain .lolrn Smith about Virginia. Next was Bradfordis Of Plymouth Planta- tions side by side with Winthropis .Iou:nal', and Samuel Sewall's' t'Diarf'. Then came a list of authors of the same period, some of whom I had never heard. I-Iere was a story bv the jovial William Byrd about the adventures of his lifeg and there was the 'tDay of Doom by YVigglesworth, the book which although it may seem ludicrous, is nevertheless- the sincere expression cf an honest man. One could hardly believe that so much had been written in so short a time as evidenced by this library. In one Cor- ner l found Franklin's Autobiography Which although not of this period was of this time. I drew the chair up before the fire, and started reading the Autobiography when slow- ly and without any intention. I dropped off asleep again. This time I really did wake up with a jump. As soon as I found my bearings, 'I heard some one knocking at the door, It was my father, and he was telling me ,itn no uncertain 'tone to go to bed. It was 'then that I realized that my beautiful adventure had been only a dream. but I was satisfied, for it would help me greatly in preparing my paper o-n An Old Colonial Library. 145