to　the　〃Shgyptian　obelisk〃　that　the　engineering　problem　presented　struck
  him　as　similar　to　the　unloading　of　Cleopatra's　Needle。
  〃Careful；　careful！〃　he　cautioned；　as　certain　expelling　movements　began
  from　within；　〃Easy；　Ham；　you　jam…fool；　keep　the　door　shut；　y'll　break
  me。〃
  〃Now；　Jerry；　all　heave　sh'gether！〃　exclaimed　a　voice　from　the　blackness
  of　the　interior。
  〃Will　ye　wait　a　minute；　Mr。　Durrett；　sir？〃　implored　the　cabdriver。
  〃You'll　be　after　ruining　me　cab　entirely。〃　　（Loud　roars　and　vigorous
  resistance　from　the　obelisk；　the　cab　rocking　violently。）　〃This　gintleman〃
  （meaning　me）　〃will　have　him　by　the　head；　and　I'll　get　hold　of　his　feet；
  sir。〃　　Which　he　did；　after　a　severe　kick　in　the　stomach。
  〃Head'sh　all　right；　Martin。〃
  〃To　be　sure　it　is；　Mr。　Peters。　　Now　will　ye　rest　aisy　awhile；　sir？〃
  〃I'm　axphyxiated；〃　cried　another　voice　from　the　darkness；　the　mined　voice
  of　Jerome　Kyme；　our　classmate。
  〃Get　the　tackles　under　him！〃　came　forth　in　commanding　tones　from
  Conybear。
  In　the　meantime　many　windows　had　been　raised　and　much　gratuitous　advice
  was　being　given。　　The　three　occupants　of　the　cab's　seat　who　had
  previously　clamoured　for　Mr。　Peters'　removal；　now　inconsistently　resisted
  it；　suddenly　he　came　out　with　a　jerk；　and　we　had　him　fairly　upright　on
  the　pavement　minus　a　collar　and　tie　and　the　buttons　of　his　evening
  waistcoat。　　Those　who　remained　in　the　cab　engaged　in　a　riotous　game　of
  hunt　the　slipper；　while　Tom　peered　into　the　dark　interior；　observing
  gravely　the　progress　of　the　sport。　　First　flew　out　an　overcoat　and　a
  much…battered　hat；　finally　the　pumps；　all　of　which　in　due　time　were
  adjusted　to　his　person；　and　I　started　home　with　him；　with　much　parting
  counsel　from　the　other　three。
  〃Whereinell　were　you；　Hughie？〃　he　inquired。　　〃Hunted　all　over　for　you。
  Had　a　sousin'　good　time。　　Went　to　Babcock'shad　champagnethen　to　see
  Babesh　inth'Woods。　　Ham　knows　one　of　the　Babesh　had　supper　with　four
  of　'em。　　Nice　Babesh！〃
  〃For　heaven's　sake　don't　step　on　me　again！〃　I　cried。
  〃Sh'poloshize；　old　man。　　But　y'know　I'm　William　Shakespheare。　　C'n　do
  what　I　damplease。〃　　He　halted　in　the　middle　of　the　street　and　recited
  dramatically：
  〃'Not　marble；　nor　th'　gilded　monuments
  Of　prinches　sh'll　outlive　m'　powerful　rhyme。'〃
  〃How's　that；　Alonzho；　b'gosh？〃
  〃Where　did　you　learn　it？〃　I　demanded；　momentarily　forgetting　his
  condition。
  〃Fr'm　Ralph；〃　he　replied；　〃says　I　wrote　it。　　Can't　remember。。。。〃
  After　I　had　got　him　to　bed；a　service　I　had　learned　to　perform　with　more
  or　less　proficiency；I　sat　down　to　consider　the　events　of　the　evening；
  to　attempt　to　get　a　proportional　view。　　The　intensity　of　my　disgust　was
  not　hypocritical　as　I　gazed　through　the　open　door　into　the　bedroom　and
  recalled　the　times　when　I；　too；　had　been　in　that　condition。　　Tom　Peters
  drunk；　and　sleeping　it　off；　was　deplorable；　without　doubt；　but　Hugh　Paret
  drunk　was　detestable；　and　had　no　excuse　whatever。　　Nor　did　I　mean　by　this
  to　set　myself　on　a　higher　ethical　plane；　for　I　felt　nothing　but　despair
  and　humility。　　In　my　state　of　clairvoyance　I　perceived　that　he　was　a
  better　man；　than　I；　and　that　his　lapses　proceeded　from　a　love　of　liquor
  and　the　transcendent　sense　of　good…fellowship　that　liquor　brings。
  VII。
  The　crisis　through　which　I　passed　at　Cambridge；　inaugurated　by　the　events
  I　have　just　related；　I　find　very　difficult　to　portray。　　It　was　a
  religious　crisis；　of　course；　and　my　most　pathetic　memory　concerning　it　is
  of　the　vain　attempts　to　connect　my　yearnings　and　discontents　with　the
  theology　I　had　been　taught；　I　began　in　secret　to　read　my　Bible；　yet
  nothing　I　hit　upon　seemed　to　point　a　way　out　of　my　present　predicament；
  to　give　any　definite　clew　to　the　solution　of　my　life。　　I　was　not　mature
  enough　to　reflect　that　orthodoxy　was　a　Sunday　religion　unrelated　to　a
  world　whose　wheels　were　turned　by　the　motives　of　self…interest；　that　it
  consisted　of　ideals　not　deemed　practical；　since　no　attempt　was　made　to
  put　them　into　practice　in　the　only　logical　manner；by　reorganizing
  civilization　to　conform　with　them。　　The　implication　was　that　the　Christ
  who　had　preached　these　ideals　was　not　practical。。。。　　There　were
  undoubtedly　men　in　the　faculty　of　the　University　who　might　have　helped　me
  had　I　known　of　them；　who　might　have　given　me；　even　at　that　time；　a　clew
  to　the　modern；　logical　explanation　of　the　Bible　as　an　immortal　record　of
  the　thoughts　and　acts　of　men　who　had　sought　to　do　just　what　I　was　seeking
  to　do；connect　the　religious　impulse　to　life　and　make　it　fruitful　in
  life：　an　explanation；　by　the　way；　a　thousand…fold　more　spiritual　than　the
  old。　　But　I　was　hopelessly　entangled　in　the　meshes　of　the　mystic；　the
  miraculous　and　supernatural。　　If　I　had　analyzed　my　yearnings；　I　might
  have　realized　that　I　wanted　to　renounce　the　life　I　had　been　leading；　not
  because　it　was　sinful；　but　because　it　was　aimless。　　I　had　not　learned
  that　the　Greek　word　for　sin　is　〃a　missing　of　the　mark。〃　　Just
  aimlessness！　　I　had　been　stirred　with　the　desire　to　perform　some　service
  for　which　the　world　would　be　grateful：　to　write　great　literature；
  perchance。　　But　it　had　never　been　suggested　to　me　that　such　swellings　of
  the　soul　are　religious；　that　religion　is　that　kind　of　feeling；　of　motive
  power　that　drives　the　writer　and　the　scientist；　the　statesman　and　the
  sculptor　as　well　as　the　priest　and　the　Prophet　to　serve　mankind　for　the
  joy　of　serving：　that　religion　is　creative；　or　it　is　nothing：　not
  mechanical；　not　a　force　imposed　from　without；　but　a　driving　power　within。
  The　〃religion〃　I　had　learned　was　salvation　from　sin　by　miracle：　sin　a
  deliberate　rebellion；　not　a　pathetic　missing　of　the　mark　of　life；　useful
  service　of　man；　not　the　wandering　of　untutored　souls　who　had　not　been
  shown　the　way。　　I　felt　religious。　　I　wanted　to　go　to　church；　I　wanted　to
  maintain；　when　it　was　on　me；　that　exaltation　I　dimly　felt　as　communion
  with　a　higher　power；　with　God；　and　which　also　was　identical　with　my
  desire　to　write；　to　create。。。。
  I　bought　books；　sets　of　Wordsworth　and　Keats；　of　Milton　and　Shelley　and
  Shakespeare；　and　hid　them　away　in　my　bureau　drawers　lest　Tom　and　my
  friends　should　see　them。　　These　too　I　read　secretly；　making　excuses　for
  not　joining　in　the　usual　amusements。　　Once　I　walked　to　Mrs。　Bolton's　and
  inquired　rather　shamefacedly　for　Hermann　Krebs；　only　to　be　informed　that
  he　had　gone　out。。。。　　There　were　lapses；　of　course；　when　I　went　off　on　the
  old　excursions；for　the　most　part　the　usual　undergraduate　follies；
  though　some　were　of　a　more　serious　nature；　on　these　I　do　not　care　to
  dwell。　　Sex　was　still　a　mystery。。。。　　Always　I　awoke　afterwards　to　bitter
  self…hatred　and　despair。。。。　　But　my　work　in　English　improved；　and　I
  earned　the　commendation　and　friendship　of　Mr。　Cheyne。　　With　a　wisdom　for
  which　I　was　grateful　he　was　careful　not　to　give　much　sign　of　it　in
  classes；　but　the　fact　that　he　was　〃getting　soft　on　me〃　was　evident　enough
  to　be　regarded　with　suspicion。　　Indeed　the　state　into　which　I　had　fallen
  became　a　matter　of　increasing　concern　to　my　companions；　who　tried　every
  means　from　ridicule　to　sympathy；　to　discover　its　cause　and　shake　me　out
  of　it。　　The　theory　most　accepted　was　that　I　was　in　love。
  〃Come　on　now；　Hughietell　me　who　she　is。　　I　won't　give　you　away；〃　Tom
  would　beg。　　Once　or　twice；　indeed；　I　had　imagined　I　was　in　love　with　the
  sisters　of　Boston　classmates　whose　dances　I　attended；　to　these　parties
  Tom；　not　having　overcome　his　diffidence　in　respect　to　what　he　called
  〃social　life；〃　never　could　be　induced　to　go。
  It　was　Ralph　who　detected　the　true　cause　of　my　discontent。　　Typical　as　no
  other　man　I　can　recall　of　the　code　to　which　we　had　dedicated　ourselves；
  the　code　that　moulded　the　important　part　of　the　undergraduate　world　and
  defied　authority；　he　regarded　any　defection　from　it　in　the　light　of
  treason。　　An　instructor；　in　a　fit　of　impatience；　had　once　referred　to　him
  as　the　Mephistopheles　of　his　class；　he　had　fatal　attractions；　and　a
  remarkable　influence。　　His　favourite　pastime　was　the　capricious　exercise
  of　his　will　on　weaker　characters；　such　as　his　cousin；　Ham　Durrett；　if
  they　〃swore　off；〃　Ralph　made　it　his　business　to　get　them　drunk　again；　and
  having　accomplished　this　would　proceed　himself　to　administer　a　new　oath
  and　see　that　it　was　kept。　　Alcohol　seemed　to　have　no　effect　whatever　on
  him。　　Though　he　was　in　the　class　above　me；　I　met　him　frequently　at　a　club
  to　which　I　had　the　honour　to　belong；　then　a　suite　of　rooms　over　a　shop
  furnished　with　a　pool　and　a　billiard　table；　easy…chairs　and　a　bar。　　It
  has　since　achieved　the　dignity　of　a　house　of　its　own。
  We　were　having；　one　evening；　a　〃religious〃　argument；　Cinibar；　Laurens　and
  myself　and　some　others。　　I　can't　recall　how　it　began；　I　think　Cinibar　had
  attacked　the　institution　of　compulsory　chapel；　which　nobody　defended；
  there　was　something　inherently　wrong；　he　maintained；　with　a　religion　to
  which　men　had　to　be　driven　against　their　wills。　　Somewhat　to　my　surprise
  I　found　myself　defending　a　Christianity　out　of　which　I　had　been　able　to
  extract　but　little　comfort　and　solace。　　Neither　Laurens　nor　Conybear；
  however；　were　for　annihilating　it：　although　they　took　the　other　side　of
  the　discussion　of　a　subject　of　which　none　of　us