16
THE BATTALION.
watches the swimmers in the pool. Again we see him watch
ing with intense interest the ball games on yonder drill-
ground. Go to the roll of our society anti you will find his
name recorded there. When he would visit us here at our
morning chapel service, we always knew that when the Gov.
arose that we were going to hear something of special interest,
there would be an extraordinary stillness, even the most rest
less cadet fixing his attention to hear what was going to be
said. We always expected a treat of kind words and we were
never disappointed in our expectations. In fact he was the
boys friend—not to humor him to petty and idle notions but
always stimulating him to noble and high aim§.
We know that w r e were not always conscious of what our
president was doing for us even when he was exerting his
most strenuous efforts for our good. But when we did real
ize some of the interests which he had in us, it only made us
respect him the more.
We know that he exercised great patience with unruly ca
dets, and he would bear with them just as long as he thought
there was any possibility of bringing out of the bo}" any
of his more splendid qualities. He has been known to go to
professors here and ask them to let boys enter school on con
dition when he thought that the circumstances and the char
acter of the boy would warrant such an act. Often has he
been known to resort to such means as this when he thought
it best for the students welfare. These acts of kindness to
the new, dull or unruly cadet only go to show what a noble,
generous and patient spirit existed in the man.
Many of us have listened with increasing interest to the
stories told us by our parents and grand parents of how Gov.
Ross nobly defended our southern homes by driving out and
subduing the Red men. bringing peace and prosperity to our
Texas homes and how he won the respect and love of all
those who knew him, for such was the record of our late
president.