
In the hushed corridors of a historic campus, a young sophomore named Horace Hewitt finds himself locked in a restless dialogue with his older alumnus, Robinson Curtiss. Their conversation, punctuated by the soft glow of pipe smoke and the clink of a cigarette case, quickly moves from casual banter to a probing examination of what college truly offers.
Hewitt, eager yet uneasy, confronts the lingering doubts that have followed him since he left the university, fearing he remains an outsider in a world that promises camaraderie and purpose. Curtiss, fresh from his own recent graduation, wrestles with the responsibility of guiding a younger mind while confronting his own memories of youthful ambition and disappointment.
Together they explore the tension between scholarly achievement and social belonging, questioning whether a single chance at acceptance can reshape a student's destiny. The narrative captures the timeless struggle of finding one's place within venerable walls of academia, offering listeners a vivid portrait of hope, uncertainty, and the relentless search for identity.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (350K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: Copeland and Day, 1897.
Credits
Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2023-04-29
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1871–1938
A witty early-20th-century American novelist and essayist, he turned college life and travel into lively, observant books that helped make him a recognizable literary voice of his time. His work is especially remembered for its sharp take on Harvard and for the Mexico travel classic Viva Mexico!
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