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Article HOW ALFRED TIPTOP WON THE PRIZE POEM ← Page 7 of 12 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
How Alfred Tiptop Won The Prize Poem
enabling him to acquire . It AVP . S difficult to say whether Mr . or Miss Derwent were more proud of their pupil , for such Alfred frankly confessed himself . By some chance , a friend of Alfred ' s had Avon that most English and truly Oxfbrdian prize , the English heroic poem , recited annually at Commemoration . It is quite unnecessary to
say that Leila had a great desire to appear in the ladies ' gallery at the theatre on the next occasion , when , it was hoped , Alfred woidd appear in the glories of a first class , and would be quietly keeping his bachelor ' s term till " putting on his gOAvn " the next Aviuter . Now this prize poem had hung on Leila ' s mind . Although ,
believe us , ' dear reader , she never confided to us any of Alfred ' s effusions , ire feel morally convinced that she had some reasons for believing him something of a poet . At all events , we do not know what reason she could have had for saying , very laughingly , but with a great deal of purpose , as she bade a thirty-seventh last farewell to Alfred , " Mind , if you don't get the prize poem , I won ' t come to Commemoration . " We do not believe that Alfred was A'ery frightened at this
threat ; but Ave are certain that he followed up its suggestion . He was quite a changed man ; and though he did not cut a single acquaintance , most of them had the good nature to leave him to himself for the most part . Idle as numberless men are at Oxford , there are few of them , now-a-days , at least , Avho do not respect industry in others , especially when there is a prospect
of its being croAvned with success and honour . Alfred now rode and boated for health only . His mornings and evenings Avere devoted to study , and sometimes he stole half an hour to reply to a little pink paper note , which used to make a rather frequent appearance on his breakfast table . But fast young De Bootswho lived in a next roomseparated onl
, , y by one of those Avainscot partitions ( which appear made for the benefit of oral conversation between two houses or apartments ) , began to circulate a mischievous report to the effect that Alfred Tiptop was turned poet , —that he Avalked about his room repeating verses , —that he was liable to fits of abstraction , —that he had " spouted" his Greek and purchased
grammar , "Walker ' s Rhyming Dictionary , "—that he vacantly passed his fingers through his hair Avhen asked a question , —and that he had been distinctl y heard to order hock aud soda-Avater at half past seven o'clock A . M .
This Avas not all strictly true ; but Alfred was writing for the prize poem . Were we to recount all his troubles no one would believe us . How he began something splendid about " Dark was
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
How Alfred Tiptop Won The Prize Poem
enabling him to acquire . It AVP . S difficult to say whether Mr . or Miss Derwent were more proud of their pupil , for such Alfred frankly confessed himself . By some chance , a friend of Alfred ' s had Avon that most English and truly Oxfbrdian prize , the English heroic poem , recited annually at Commemoration . It is quite unnecessary to
say that Leila had a great desire to appear in the ladies ' gallery at the theatre on the next occasion , when , it was hoped , Alfred woidd appear in the glories of a first class , and would be quietly keeping his bachelor ' s term till " putting on his gOAvn " the next Aviuter . Now this prize poem had hung on Leila ' s mind . Although ,
believe us , ' dear reader , she never confided to us any of Alfred ' s effusions , ire feel morally convinced that she had some reasons for believing him something of a poet . At all events , we do not know what reason she could have had for saying , very laughingly , but with a great deal of purpose , as she bade a thirty-seventh last farewell to Alfred , " Mind , if you don't get the prize poem , I won ' t come to Commemoration . " We do not believe that Alfred was A'ery frightened at this
threat ; but Ave are certain that he followed up its suggestion . He was quite a changed man ; and though he did not cut a single acquaintance , most of them had the good nature to leave him to himself for the most part . Idle as numberless men are at Oxford , there are few of them , now-a-days , at least , Avho do not respect industry in others , especially when there is a prospect
of its being croAvned with success and honour . Alfred now rode and boated for health only . His mornings and evenings Avere devoted to study , and sometimes he stole half an hour to reply to a little pink paper note , which used to make a rather frequent appearance on his breakfast table . But fast young De Bootswho lived in a next roomseparated onl
, , y by one of those Avainscot partitions ( which appear made for the benefit of oral conversation between two houses or apartments ) , began to circulate a mischievous report to the effect that Alfred Tiptop was turned poet , —that he Avalked about his room repeating verses , —that he was liable to fits of abstraction , —that he had " spouted" his Greek and purchased
grammar , "Walker ' s Rhyming Dictionary , "—that he vacantly passed his fingers through his hair Avhen asked a question , —and that he had been distinctl y heard to order hock aud soda-Avater at half past seven o'clock A . M .
This Avas not all strictly true ; but Alfred was writing for the prize poem . Were we to recount all his troubles no one would believe us . How he began something splendid about " Dark was