1894*

One doesn't like even to seem to run an opposition to the eloquent descriptions of the seasons which Al Dickerson issues from his upper room in the Administration Building but the following is submitted as an example of what a member of this Class can do. B. A. Smalley in his widely circulated booklet, "Between Ourselves" writes:

As WINTER COMES Far be it from us to cry down the New England winter.

Crisp airs sending red blood racingthrough young veins and old. Blue ice ringing beneath flashing steel. Spruce and balsam plumed with ermine. Webbed-shoe-prints under cathedral pines. Snowscapes challenging adventuring skis.

For oldsters, glow of blazing logs reflected in bowls of rosy apples. Popcorn, perchance, with a noggin of mulled cider on the side. An oft-read book for a quiet hour; or, better yet, an old friend to share one's leisure in good talk.

New England winter—enjoyed by her sons, and to be envied by outlanders in softer climes.

Sammy Palmer reports that during several months of the present year he and his wife have been in Hampstead, N. H., attending to some real estate business. He is now back at winter headquarters in Stoneham and joined the Boston Gang at its last meeting. Perhaps we had better quote what Sammy says about the Matt Jones round-ups:

I have always enjoyed the times when ithas been my very good fortune to join thehappy gathering of '94 men at your homeand pleasant memories ever remain withme.

While not essaying to be in a class with such world-wide and nation-wide travelers as Fred Bushee, Phil Marden, Vic Spooner, Curly Bartlett, Blakely, etc. etc., the class secretary does a bit of traveling in his small way. For example, the first Sunday of January he spent at Springfield, Vermont, in the home of Ernest Guy Ham. Ernest and his wife are preparing for retirement in June and seem to be looking forward to it in a philosophical way that is quite to be approved. The prospects now are that they will remain in Springfield where for fifteen years Ernest has had charge of the school system with around sixty-five people in his entourage. Moreover, Ernest says that these have been the happiest years of his life. So why shouldn't he do his retiring in Springfield. There seems to be no question but what Ernest will have an interesting time after he gets through his school job. When one goes into his study he finds the books piled "Pelion on Ossa" and Ernest has doubtless read them all but a rereading will be in order. Moreover, Ernest will probably want to go further with his study of Italian which he has somewhat recently begun, not to speak of Sanskrit, Arabic, Turkish, Ethiopian, and a few other languages which Ernest will want to explore, with his ineradicable thirst for knowledge. So far as the Secretary can see life will begin at seventy for Ernest and his gracious and understanding wife.

Secretary, 14 Beacon St., Boston, Mass.