hink it
would have been a very safe experiment for one of these pugilistic young
gentlemen to offer an insult to a Hofwyl student, even though the
manhood of this latter had never been tested by pounding another's face
with his fist. Brutality and cowardice are often close allies; and his
anger, when roused, is most to be dreaded, who so bears himself as to
give no one just cause of offence. Boxing-matches and duels are
becoming, as they ought to be, like the ordeal by combat, antiquated
modes of testing the courage or settling the disputes whether of boys or
men, among the civilized portion of mankind.

But though little prone to quarrel, our indignation, I must confess, was
sometimes readily enough roused, when occasion called it forth. I
remember an instance in which, perhaps, the conservative portion of my
readers may think we carried matters somewhat to an extreme.

It happened that three officers of distinction from the Court of
Wuertemberg arrived, one day, on a visit to M. de Fellenberg. They
desired to see their sovereign's nephew, the same Prince Alexander of
Wuertemberg to whom I have already alluded as being no favorite among us.
He was accordingly sent for; and the interview took place in an open
space in front of M. de Fellenberg's _Schloss_, where four or five
students, of whom I was one, happened to be at the time, not more than
eight or ten steps distant. The officers, as they approached the Prince,
uncovered, and stood, during the conversation which ensued, with their
plumed hats in their hands. The young man, on the contrary, whose silly
airs had been a chief cause of his unpopularity among us, did not remove
the little student-cap he wore, but remained covered, without any
intimation to his visitors to resume their hats.

This was too much for us. "Do look!" said one of our group,--"if there
isn't that fellow Alexander standing with his cap on, and letting these
officers talk to him bareheaded!" And then, raising his voice so as to
be heard by the parties concerned, he said,--"Alexander, take off your
cap!"

But the cap did not stir. We took a step or two nearer, and another of
our party said,--

"Alexander, if you don't take that cap off, yourself, I'll come and take
it off for you."

This time the admonition had effect. The cap was slowly removed, and we
remained to make sure that it was not resumed, until the officers,
bowing low, took their leave,--carrying, I fear, to their royal master