A Queer Love Story.

Manawatu Herald, 2 August 1892, Page 3

A Queer Love Story.

— , ♦— .— r - Here 13 a queer love story. Twelve years ago an intelligent young fellow of 19 entered an Australia University under the following circumstances. As a boy he had shown much talent, and his father, a wealthy, unlettered storekeeper, decided to make a .scholar of him. But the young man became enamoured of > the family servant, and wished to marry her at once. To this his father strongly objected, but, finding that opposition had but little effect upon. his. son's resolution he effected a compromise ; he would consent to the marriage and give half his large' fortune to his son, provided the latter succeeded in gaining the LL.B. degree. The youth entered upon his university studies with the greatest ardour, and in due course; obtained hisß.A., and had but two more years' study for the LL.8. ,, In the second year of his law reading the object : of his passions, to whom he was still de votedly attached, married a: farmer. The jilted student fell into a, profound melancholy. When; this passed away it left him a monomaniac with a passion of acquiring degrees. In this new pas-don he forgot his girl and her treachery. He. gained the LL'B., and .then- set about beooming Bachelor of;:Scieflce; which degree he attained. iTihen he turned his attention to the engineering and, medical schools, arid.; (toe was now 8.A., LL.B., and „B.Sq.) he saw with gloomy joy new courses to be conquered, new degrees to be won. He. plodded sturdily through the engineering, course, and , at the end of three more years had , : the satisfaction of adding 8.E., to h,is,already.too extensive signature. ;i;,H'is father then died and left him the sole possession of his wealth, which gave, him satisfaction only as a .means whereby he could gain such degrees as were not conferred at his Alma Mater. He had still to graduate in Medicine. In the first year of .this ! course his poor overworked • rriin& collapsed. He became an imbecile,; with one main delusion and many minor ones, among which latter was the idea that he had lost one of his 'numerous degrees. He sought it (continually. He- was known to have ; I spent a whole day glaring through a j microscope at germ creatures, among ! which, he averred, his degree must have dropped. His friends kept Mm him away from the University 1 in. hopes of a recovery, whereupon he I began to haunt; the Publio Library, and for weeks assiduously studied the London Punch. Then he died.