was a
handsome, reserved fellow with the eyes and lips of genius. He played
the violin, and well do I recall the sensitive twitchings of his mouth
at any strain of unusual thrilling sweetness. It made my heart beat
faster when he spoke to me, which was rarely; and never before had I
felt such a deep emotion as when coming from the city one evening he
asked me to take his arm. It was the common custom with all of us when
walking or strolling about the grounds to lock arms or put them about
each other's necks. Only with him, the violinist, it was less usual than
with the others. How often have I wondered what was the subsequent
career of him whom we thought the greatest man among us.

With such freedom, such slight discipline, and so little pressure in the
classroom, it was nevertheless the best arena for the development of the
whole man which I have ever known. Our debates were exciting, often
fierce; sometimes we almost came to blows, and instead of being merely
practice and forensics, they were very real and vital, so much so, that
we generally resumed them when two or three met in their rooms or on
their walks. They were sure to continue until the next meeting, when a
new question would be proposed. Usually the topics for debate and the
principal disputants were selected a week in advance. Much time was
given to preparation, to the complete neglect of our studies. The
debates were extemporaneous, and after the preliminary speeches, the
question was open to all. The topics of debate were generally on the
social and political issues of the time; anti-slavery, temperance,
women's rights; these questions often led into religious and theological
controversies. Not who was the better scholar, but who was the better
speaker, and next the better writer, was the popular estimate of
reputation and settlement of rank in school. We strove above everything
to be eloquent, to become orators; that being at the time the aim set
before us by ambitious public men, inspired by the examples of Webster,
Clay, Calhoun and others. It is my belief that, at this period, one of
the great public prizes of glory, which young students set before
themselves, was to deliver a Fourth of July oration. Meanwhile no
instruction was given in elocution, rhetoric or composition. The
required exercises in declamation and writing were conducted with almost
no criticism. They neither added nor subtracted from our standing with
the teachers by any sign known