BOYHOOD IN CENTRAL NEW YORK -1832 -1850 21 



asked what the reverend gentleman was reading. Upon 

 this Howell read in New Testament Greek another utterly 

 irrelevant passage. In reply the lecturer said, rather 

 roughly, "If you will speak English I will answer you/' 

 At this Howell said with the most humble suavity, "Do 

 I understand that the distinguished gentleman does not 

 recognize what I have been reading?" The preacher 

 answered, "I don't understand any such gibberish; 

 speak English. " Thereupon Howell threw back his long 

 black hair and launched forth into eloquent denunciation 

 as follows: "Sir, is it possible that you come here to 

 interpret to us the Holy Bible and do not recognize the 

 language in which that blessed book was written? Sir, 

 do you dare to call the very words of the Almighty ' gib- 

 berish?' " At this all was let loose; some students put 

 asafetida on the stove; others threw pigeon-shot against 

 the ceiling and windows, making a most appalling din, 

 and one wretch put in deadly work with a syringe thrust 

 through the canvas representation of the man of brass 

 with feet of clay. But, alas, Constable John Dey had 

 recognized Howell and Clark, even amid their disguises. 

 He had dealt with them too often before. The next tab- 

 leau showed them, with their tall hats crushed over their 

 heads, belaboring John Dey and his myrmidons, and pres- 

 ently, with half a dozen other ingenuous youth, they were 

 haled to the office of justice. The young judge who 

 officiated on this occasion was none other than a person- 

 age who will be mentioned with great respect more than 

 once in these reminiscences, Charles James Folger, 

 afterward my colleague in the State Senate, Chief Justice 

 of the State and Secretary of the Treasury of the United 

 States. He had met Howell often, for they were members 

 of the same Greek letter fraternity, the thrice illustrious 

 Sigma Phi, and, only a few days before, Howell had 

 presented me to him; but there was no fraternal bond 

 visible now; justice was sternly implacable, and good 

 round fines were imposed upon all the culprits caught. 

 The philosophy of all this waywardness and dissipation 



