1000-Word Excerpt
The Reverend Mr. Aaron Walker looked up from his desk. "Congratulations on your birthday, son," he said cheerily. "Sit down." Ben drew a deep breath. The look on his father's face told him he was in for another talk about what was expected of him as a Walker. But he thought it a bit premature; the last one having occurred only about a week before. Clearly, this one was going to be different. "I dislike bringing up such a serious matter on your day, son," the reverend said, pushing back his chair, "but something has happened that bears discussing. As you well know, your mother and I feel you should be giving more thought to your future. In that regard, weve decided to help your plans along." "Father, I . . ." "Hold on son. Youve heard me speak now and again of an old friend, Jonathan Beckett. The two of us have been corresponding ever since we graduated from Yale. Jonathan, who practices law in Norwich, Vermont, has been telling me about a Captain Alden Partridge, a former army officer and West Point superintendent, who runs a school there. It's called Norwich University. It seems Partridge has come up with a peculiarly American system of higher education that addresses what he considers to be the defects and shortcomings of a traditional liberal education. From what Jonathan says, the university is a fine school, and the captain, a true gentleman." Ben cast a nervous glance about the room. This was the reverend's domain: the mahogany-paneled walls trimmed in dark cherry wood, the huge desk, and the imposing library, contributed to by generations of the Walker clan, had always intimidated him. "I'm not sure I understand what this American system is about, Father. Hasn't a liberal education always provided our family with what it needed to make its mark in the world?" "It may still suit the Europeans, but this country is on the threshold of a new era and, according to Partridge, the educational ideas of the past will not meet the needs of a republic like ours. We're a young, growing and dynamic country. We should be taking advantage of the latest thinking in educational reform. Obviously, son, Ive never met the good captain, but Jonathan has convinced me his ideas are sound. I'm certain you can benefit greatly from a course of study that combines traditional learning with instruction in experimental science and other subjects designed to produce graduates who can think for themselves. I was particularly intrigued by the fact that the school offers a degree in civil engineering. By the way, military science is also an integral part of Partridge's system. Such training would stand you in good stead if, Heaven forbid, we ever have another war." "What kind of a place is this Norwich, Vermont, Father?" he asked, trying his best to show some interest. "The village lies half-way between Massachusetts and Canada, in the Upper Connecticut River Valley. It's a rural community, but that's its charm. Jonathan wouldn't live anywhere else." "To say his father's enthusiasm for the whole idea surprised him would be understating things more than a little, but he knew better than to try to divert him from the course he had set for himself. "Do you think I can really be an engineer?" he asked, suddenly conscious of his sweating palms. "Well, your grades at Morris Academy could have been better, but I believe you can accomplish anything if you've a mind to. With your mechanical skills and your interest in building construction, you're bound to succeed. You know, son, I can remember back to a time when our country had no civilian engineering schools at all and, except for a few individuals who were able to learn on the job, we relied almost entirely on the army or on foreign nationals for engineers. Today that's no longer the case. Norwich University and other American colleges are well on their way to meeting this ever-growing need, and you have the chance to be a part of it. How does the whole idea strike you?" "I'm not sure," Ben said, interlacing his fingers and placing them palms up in his lap. "I really like what I'm doing now and there's a good chance I could make foreman soon. Besides, I've never been more than thirty miles from home before. I won't know anyone there." The reverend frowned. "If all you want out of life is to be part of a work crew, you're on the right course. But it's a terrible waste of talent. You'll never truly know what you're capable of." Ben thought twice about his next comment, but decided it needed to be made. "What about a college that isn't so far away, Father? That strikes me as a better solution. For one thing, I'd be able to see my friends once in a while. Or is that what concerns you?" "Nonsense. I see this as a chance for you to acquire an excellent education while mingling with students from all over the country; an opportunity to become aware, first hand, of differing viewpoints." The reverend removed his eyeglasses and wiped them with a handkerchief. "The Walkers have always enjoyed a reputation second to none in New Jersey," he said. "Is it wrong for your mother and me to want you to assume your rightful place in the scheme of things?" "No, of course not." "Jonathan has expressed a desire to take you under his wing, so to speak. He expects you to call on him as soon as you arrive in Vermont. You'll stay with the Beckett family until classes begin. Thereafter their home will be open to you whenever you can get time off. I knew you'd be interested in the university's vacation schedule, so I asked Jonathan to look into it. Each year, a four-week annual vacation follows the August commencement. There are no other breaks. You'll enter near the end of that vacation."
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