A heavy cold and a fit of sickness were the consequence.
There was an entertaining custom of giving out what were called mock parts when the real parts for the exhibitions or Commencement were announced.

They were read out from a second-story window to an assemblage of students in the yard, and after the real parts had been given some mock parts were read.

Usually some peculiarity of the person to whom they were assigned was made the object of good-natured ridicule in the selection of the subject.

For example, one boy, who was rather famous for smoking other fellows' cigars and never having any of his own, had assigned to him as a subject, "The Friendships of this Life all Smoke." When the parts were assigned for the Commencement, which were given usually to the first half of the class, there was a procession of what was called the Navy Club and an assignment of honors which were in the reverse order of excellence to that observed in the regular parts.

The Lord High Admiral was supposed to be the worst scholar in the class,--if possible, one who had been rusticated twice during the college course.
The laziest man in the class was Rear Admiral.