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[Letter from Lyle Bryan to his mother, May 17, 1909]

Oxford, GA May 17, 1909
Dear Mamma,

It is real rainy outside today and I am sitting in my room. The time is mearly [sic] [nearly] here for the final examinations which begin May 25: I hope I will make it alright with a fine mark. I think I will be at my mark of least fall a good deal as I am in better fix for the examinations than I was last fall.

"Examination days are here,
the saddest of the year,
Busted Sophs and angry Profs.
And freshmen full of fear."

Last night I was up till midnight writing latin prose for Dr. Turner. He forgot to give us any prose last week but this week he gave double so I really have to prepare these lessons for him for Tuesday: two in prose and one in the text.
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I got the composition from you alright. Thank you for correcting it. I have gotten (E) on every compostion so far. I have raised my grade so far then.

The boys played a good joke on Prof. Peed the other day. They locked his door and plugged up the keyhole. He had to keep us waiting till he went and got the plug out. Last year the Seniors played a joke on him after this fashion: The Freshmen were in the hall and had been raising a good deal of racket in the lobby and when the senior class went to leave they made out as if they could not open the door as if the Freshmen outside had hold of it. Some of the seniors pulled as hard as they could and others grabbed them around their waist and then all pulled a feint pull. Prof. Peed came up right quick and told his boys to let him have it. He sit back and pulled and bang! It came open for noboby had a hold of it.

We have a lady visiting here,
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Mrs. Lowery’s niece and named Miss Anderson. It was a good joke on Thrasher for he got up so late for breakfast that he didn’t put on any sox and wore his night shirt with a tie! And it fell to his lot sit next the lady visitor.

There will be a real laughable game of baseball which will come off Wednesday evening after the exams close. For the game will be played between a team of the Faculty and a team picked up out of the Senior class consisting of those who have not played on the regular team. I am going to it and "holler" for the seniors and "gye" the faculty.

I went to Mrs. Starr’s and had a real nice time, but had the misfortune to sit down under a Japanese lantern and let it drip down all over my coat. What will take tallow out of cloth?

Have you told Walker that you were going to let him come down here
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commencement.

What do you think of this question? Do you think that to win cum summa laude it worth it to relinquish all hopes of debating honors athletic honors and confine oneself to that one pursuit? I contend that it is and I believe that I would make nearly any sacrifice to get it and be the fourth man to ever make it, but lots of the boys say that it is better to make a lower grade and take part ineverything. I have come nearly at the parting of the ways. My ambition, love of honor, pride, tell me to sacrifice all and make first honor while the boys say to be more of and [sic] [an] all round man. But I believe that there is nothing to equal the ideal of graduating with C.S.L. written on your diploma and to have all the under classmen during your senior year to look on you as one grand.

Your son
W. Lyle Bryan

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