And the communications Sam and Tom penned were equally long.
"We'll not trust 'em to the college mail," said Tom.

"We can take 'em to the post-office when we go to church to-morrow," And this was done.
After the letters were posted the brothers waited anxiously for replies, and in the meantime buckled down once more to their studies.
It was now well along in December, and one morning they awoke to find the ground covered with snow.
"Snowballing to-day!" said Tom with a touch of cheerfulness, and he was right.

That day, after class hours, the students snowballed each other with a will.

The freshmen and the sophomores had a regular pitched battle, which lasted the best part of an hour.

All of the Rovers took part in the contest, and it served to make them more cheerful than they had been for some time.
"What's the good of moping ?" said Tom.