Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III HARVARD COLLEGE 1836-1840 William Orne White entered Harvard College in 1836, in time to be present at its two hundredth anniversary. He shared his college quarters with Edward B. Peirson, of Salem, who was most congenial and who was his warm friend to the end of Dr. Peirson's life. That first year they roomed at i Holworthy, and the young Freshman says, in writing to his father, "Things look quite comfortable now in Number One; that is the number you know we are told we must all look out for"; and he adds, "The Sophomores have been about for two or three evenings, and they took care of Number One." Cambridge was so much nearer home than Exeter that there were many chances for seeing his family, and his letters therefore were less frequent. They give, however, a vivid picture of the Harvard of those days. There is a delightful flavor of restfulness about these early letters. The very methods of travel carry us back into another world; for in comparison with the mad rush of the subway was the omnibus that went so seldom, and the toll at the bridge. After returning by stage from Salem, he writes: "I had just time to run to Mr. Sargent's office, and leave your letter at his door, as the office was shut. I caught up with the omnibus just as it was making round the corner, and secured a ride out, not without having rolled myself and bundle at full length in Brattle Street, to the admiration of many pygmy urchins." But if the modes of travel seem antiquated to us, there are passages in the letters that show that human nature has not changed. He writes on May 19, 1837: "Dr. Palfrey preached an uncommonly good sermon on 'the times' on Sunday, from Haggai 1st, 5, 'Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, Consider your ways.' He traced the present misfortunes as principally...