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32]
This letter to his boon companion,
Parker, has no date, but was undoubtedly written somewhat early in his college career:—
Oh be joyful—hooray—hooray—Interviewed the eccentric brick this morning and he informs me that the term begins “three weeks from next Monday” —id est, the 2nd Monday after Commencement.
Glorious, glorious—engage the horse & wagon, get a fresh supply of powder & shot, have your duck pants washed, brush up the Eminent, sharpen the knife and Jack,—and please the pigs we'll be off yet. . .
I cut my oration Monday and devoted the day to botanizing, which cheered me wonderfully and I feel quite nice now.
]
At the end of his sophomore year, he resolved to be fourth or fifth scholar, and a month later his diary contained this caution:—
Look out, Higginson, or your resolution, top of page 13, will go to grass!
The college term closed on July 19, and he wrote on that day:—
My Sophomore year is now over, this day concluding the second term.
My rank during this term has been pretty satisfactory (v. p. 8 [of journal]). I must beat Hoffman, however, if possible.
When, early in the following October, he went to the
President, the latter said to him, ‘You stand ’
