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young, as full of high purpose and generous accomplishment ^achievement as could be found in
any town; either university or commercial.

Under President Humphrey, and also under
President Hitchcock, society was one. The village being smaller than now, was
fully represented at all the college levees, as the receptions were then called,
and entered warmly into all college affairs, lectures and literary occasions.
My recollections of the hospitality of President Humphrey are limited to the
children's games in the big kitchen and dining room of the old ^original President's house.
Such wild exciting games of blindman's buff as we ^were played there! The high mantel
in the kitchen was the rather perilous retreat for the taller boys of the party.
There, they were safe from the nervous clutches of the girls, who suddenly recog-
nizing a great shrinkage in numbers would sometimes pull up their blinders and
bring the culprits speedily ^down to justice. President Humphrey, when was ^there ever such
gently though firmly anchored conscientiousness as his! How wholesomely Beecher'
tribute, at a long time ago Alumne dinner, lingers in the mind! "The impression
he made on me unconsciously (at the time when I was a student at Amherst) of deep
strong manhood, has never for a day of my life left me". What an epitaph for a
man! It was on this same occasion too that Beecher spoke of Professor Fisk,
saying, "Professor Fisk too, -- clear and pure as the light on Mount Holyoke. How
I admired him!" X Then with a ^whimsical smile to himself he added, -- "I cant remeber [sic] though
that he ever put his arms around me!" Continuing in his reminiscences, he said,
"Professor Worcester too, -- a really great man mentally" -- rather sadly conluding [sic] --
"long since gone to his reward". But a faint ^reminding voice from the audience was heard
reminding, -- "Mr Beecher, Professor Worcester is still living"! All the fun and in-
genuousness in Beecher's nature flashed to the surface, as quickly rallying, he
he replied, "Well, if he is alive and wants to be, I am glad of it!"

I well remember
Beecher's levity was too much for some of our serious folk, who associated prayer

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[handwritten in lefthand margin:
^X but how his brain
chilled him --]