“If you take me, sir?”
“Do you think we would turn you off, young man?”
“You mean that you’ll give me a chance, then?” I cried, in great exultation at his quiet words.
At last a faint smile did untangle itself from his austere line.
“You are already earning your board in the dining-hall, I understand.”
“Yes, sir.”
“That leaves merely the small item of tuition and room rent. I think that you will be able to find enough work about the campus and in the village to arrange for the payment of that. If not, you should be able to earn enough next summer to do it.”
“Just the thing, sir,” I cried. “I’ll do it! Here is the first payment.” I handed him the three dollars.
He waved his hand.
“Keep them for necessities,” he said. “There is no hurry. God is back of us, young man, and will raise up friends for us. I want you to work hard and make of yourself a useful man in the world. We have no luxuries here. It is plain living and high thinking: the two essential equipments of manhood, I believe. If you will share our hardships faithfully and work hard, we welcome you to us. That is all. Now we will see about your list of studies.”