Virginia Polytechnic Institute - Bugle Yearbook (Blacksburg, VA)

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man. His faith in woman will be destroyed. But at last the high position which he shall hold, and the many honors accompanying it, makes it necessary for him to have a help-mate, and he chooses one who is wealthy, fair, fat and forty, for service, not for love. The other Taylor has, as my vision sees it, a future still more brilliant. In honor and wealth, perhaps, he will not be greater, but his affaire du coeuri will be fraught with more happiness. He and the Wiseman will open' an office together, the one dispensing aid to suffering humanity in the form of medicines, the other using his legal knowledge to get them out of difficulty. A physician of no mean ability will this Taylor be, winning fame, and honor, and blessings at every turn in life. Throughout the land shall his wonderful cures be published, and these shall be to him a monument that shall stand through the ages to come. Wearied with the faithful duties of many years, he retires from public life, seeking a much-needed rest in the peaceful enjoyment of a happy home. A gentleman of travel my vision shows to me, also. Waring will wander through foreign lands, by the side of rivers which mortal man has never crossed, through pathless forests and unknown plains. His life shall be one of pleasure, and few of the troubles so common to us mortals shall beset him. After many years of wandering in foreign lands he shall return to his native country to find himself famous, the lion of the hour. But now the vision begins to grow dim. Almost it has passed from me. Yet by its waning light I behold the future of the two last of the men of '98, One of them, Whitehurst, a great electrician, will aim to be, but a few years' trial at Vir- ginia Polytechnic Institute will convince him that his forte is not electricity, and he will seek for other things. So disturbed does the vision appear to be after this, that I think he must develop into a jack-at-all-trades, comprising every- thing from a book-agent to a socialistic reformer. The last will probably bring him notoriety, if not fame, and will be the most congenial occupation in which he may engage. Through all his life runs the same conscientiousness which char- acterized him when Officer-of-the-Day at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, so his work will always be thorough. Quickly the vision is passing away, so quickly that the phophet fears he shall not be able to see the future of the 'K Wise man of the class. But, looking quickly, by the fading light he can see him the legal adviser of many men, assist- ing them out of the many difhculties which are apt to surround them. The first opportunity he has of showing to an expectant world his eloquence will be in a divorce case, but future ages must tell you if he was successful. From law to politics is only a short step, and now our Wise man is in his element. He will win-. Ah, the vision has passed, its brightness has faded away, all is dark and vague. As, in its brightness and splendor, it has shown to the prophet the future of the men of '98, so has he recorded it. But the vision has passed away, gone to join the many, many dreams and ambitions which long ago have vanished, we know not where, and with it passes- THE PROPHET. 33

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life, the Class of '98 entered upon its existence. VVhat an event it was in our lives! To be college men, even though we did belong to that down-trodden, much- abused class, the Freshman, was, for the time being, sufficient for us. We felt that now there was nothing to be desired, that we had reached the acme of CX1SlI611CC. 'T was a balmy, beautiful day in September, 1894, when we were unloaded from those instruments of torture, Grissomis hack, and deposited upon the parade- ground, in front of barracks, with what mingled feeling of fear, homesickness, uneasiness, it is impossible to describe. Though the years have passed since then, the memory of that long ride from the depot, and our arrival at College remains as distinct as though it were yesterday, and the indescribable feeling which being a Rat gave us, will linger in our memory through long years. ,But after the customary welcome which those wonderful beings, the Sopho- mores, considered their religious duty to bestow upon us, after the homesickness had passed away, and we had entered fairly upon the duties of college life, we found that even then our paths were not strewn with roses, l' many thorns, in the shape of dreaded pillowings, sundry buckings and the commandant's recep- tion beset our path. Try as we would, we could not escape being torn by them, and they say all this is necessary to the well being of the rat ! Many were they who composed the Class of '98 in the beginning of its career. Many were the celebrities which it contained, but gradually they have passed away from our midst, until now, in our Senior year, we number thirty-two. As we glance back over the years, we are compelled to pause and wonder where are the many who cast in their lot with us four years ago, and the answer comes, 1' They have all dispersed and wandered, Far, far away. Yet we would know if their thoughts ever turn to the dear old College and the class-mates left behind, if they have been with us in spirit during the years we have been absent one from another, if they have rejoiced when we rejoiced, and sorrowed when we sorrowed. Much concerning those who once were with us we lain would know, but as Time has winged onward his relentless flight he has taken them far from our lives, and all that is left is, memory. How quickly the years have passed since we entered college It is difficult to realize that since then four years have been added to the long vista of ages. But sometimes we think, so much has transpired during this time, that it has been almost an eternity. How distinctly we remember with what awe and admira- tion we looked upon a Senior. VVe might dare aspire to being a Sophomore, but to look' forward into the future and imagine ourselves Seniors! Ye gods and little fishes ! we never, in our wildest flights of imagination, dared dream of such heights. For what knew Freshmen of Senior cares and joys P How dare they aspire to one day being honored with this noble title P Such heights were far bevond their ken. But Father Time continued with unabated activity to use his scythe, and when we became transformed into Sophomores, we would occasionally give harbor to the thought that one day we might be ' 35