of joyous anticipations as Walter at the thought of the new paths of science I was about to tread, I scarcely cast a lingering regret behind me, and she summoned her fortitude to bid me a cheerful good bye, saying it was needless to caution me against falling into bad habits, a compliment of which I was justly proud. Then she wrote me such beautiful letters which I always answered promptly. Before I was aware, the temptations of college life were undermining my fixed principles of conduct, and in a thoughtless moment I yielded to importunities to which once I would not have thought of listening. Convinced of my folly before really committing anything bad, has it not been for the associations connected with it, probably it would have left no lasting impression. I consented to join a party of students in high life, for what purpose I knew not, except that they were to meet for a convivial frolic, which needed no nice interpretation to foresee its character among such a set of fellows as those who first proposed it. Not requested to assist in the preparations, probably knowing I was not sufficiently initiated for that, they merely asked me to be present as a guest. At first my conscience hesitated a little, but it soon became quieted with the reflection that there was no necessity to set myself above others who were to be present, the sons of clergymen and professional men of the highest respectability in the land, not thinking that perhaps they were taking their first lessons in the downward career of vice. I cannot imagine now, how it was possible for me to have remained a whole hour in the presence of such conduct as I there
