Mr. Pennimore smiled.
“If it weren’t for those tutors, Gerald, you wouldn’t be here now.” Then he turned to Dan. “Now, Dan,” he said, “tell me what you do all day. When I’m away I shall often be wondering what this boy of mine is up to. Tell me something about your life here.”
“Well, sir, we get up about seven and go to Chapel at half-past,” responded Dan. “We have prayers and Old Toby—I mean Doctor Hewitt—reads a chapter in the Bible and Mr. Collins reads the announcements. Then we have breakfast at eight. I’m going to try and get Gerald a place at our table, sir, but I’m afraid there isn’t room.”
“Perhaps one of the fellows will change with me,” suggested Gerald hopefully. But Dan smiled and shook his head.
“I don’t believe so,” he answered. “It doesn’t matter much which table you’re at, though; you get mighty good feed everywhere. That’s one thing Yardley’s good at, Mr. Pennimore, feeding the fellows. They give us all we want, and it’s good, too. Recitations begin at nine and continue until twelve. Dinner’s at one, and then, from two to four, there’s more recitations. At four there’s gymnasium for the Prep and Fourth Class fellows. After that there’s nothing to do except study in the evening from eight to nine. Lots of fellows don’t do that; if you haven’t many recitations during the day you can do most of your studying then.”
“That sounds a whole lot, doesn’t it?” asked Gerald anxiously of his father.
“Well, it doesn’t sound like an idle life,” laughed Mr. Pennimore. “But I dare say it will go smoothly enough after you’ve once got into the routine, son. Method lightens toil. But there’s plenty of play, I take it, Dan?”
“Yes, sir, lots. We have a mighty good time. There are two societies, Cambridge and Oxford. Most every fellow belongs to one or the other. I’m going to get Gerald into Cambridge; that’s the one I belong to; but I can’t get him in until May.”
“Are these secret societies?” asked Mr. Pennimore with a trace of anxiety.
“No, sir, we haven’t any of those. Faculty won’t let us. Our societies are debating clubs, or, at least, they’re supposed to be, and we do have debates; there’s one every Saturday night. But they’re more social than anything else. Both societies have nice rooms where the fellows can get together and talk or play or read. Then, of course, a fellow can have lots of fun out of doors. There’s golf and hockey now, and after awhile there’ll be baseball and tennis and other things. And then there’s basket-ball, too; a good many fellows go in for that.”