Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 September 1879 — Experiences of a Harvard Student Waiter. [ARTICLE]

Experiences of a Harvard Student Waiter.

I have just had a talk with a Harvard student Who is acting as a servant —he frankly names himself as such—this season at one of the inns. I had noticed him at the table, having begn struck by his well-bred, superior manner, and after dinner engaged him ip conversation. Any one would have known that he was not in the place to, which was naturally accredited, that he was, to use that much misunderstood and abused term, a gentleman. It is so rare to see a gentleman—we mention the title in the capacity of a servant—that I asked him a number of questions, not from idle curiosity, but from genuine interest. He appreciated my motives and talked freely. He lost his fhther six years ago, and at a time wheitit was unfortunate for the family Spjiy, which came to nothing in the ament beyond*a very small competency for his mother. He was resolved to be educated; his father had been a Harvard man, and so had two. of his brothers, his sepiors, both dead. * He had no money, out he was determined to make his way. He taught for three

years in a country school at a very small salary, but he saved every penpy, and was enabled to enter.oollege. There he is in the habit of coaching other boys, and by doing everything that comes in his way he is enabled to get money enough to meet his expense® His class-books are expensive, and though he could borrow enough to render Mm easy, he has a horror of being in debt. Having learned that he could earn S2O dollar or so a month by being a waitbr, he applied for and procurecLa 'situation. He could make twice as. much by receiving gratuities, blit these he invariably declined, adding, with a irony: “When a gentleman turns servant, he must, 1 suppose, draw the line somewhere.” t. Having asked him if he were not treated rudely,. py persons whomhe served, he answered: “Oh,‘yes, frequently. But that is to be expected. I do not look to be treated differently from any other servant. When I choose to fill a servant’s place I have no right to expect exceptional treatment I confess I am mortified, deeply wounded, sometimes, but I smother my feelings and return courtesy for clownishness. People are not rude from malice, but from lack of reflection; and you can’t make reflection general, you know. I have had more than one man apologize to me for hasty temper, and I am, on the whole, surprised to see with how much consideration I meet. I have concluded that the best way to secure the treatment a gentleman deserves—you will pardon my frequent use ftf the word, for which no other is a substi.tute—is to be a gentiemim oneself, ttn-' ,der any* and all circumstances.” That Harvard youth, unless I gravely err, will amount to something. If any number of the men he waits on were his equals in character, self-discipline 'and independence.'. I, should have inereased respect for thehuman family.— White. Mountain Cor. Chicago Times.