HESPERIAN STUDENT
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA.
Vol. X.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, APRILS, 1882.
No. XIII.
Tennyson's now poem, "Tim Clinrjuc of
Hie Heavy Brigade," lias called fnrlli
very conflicting criticisms. The New
Voik Sun heartily condemns it, "because
It Is dull, labored, clumsy, and destitute
of imagination." The Troy Times is of n
different opinion, holding that "a second
reading will show that it has character,
originality, and beauty of its own. It
will rank high among the Laureate's
luteins; yet impnitinl critics will agree
Unit, ail things consideied, it is not the
equal of the immortal 'Charge of the
Light Brigade.' "
Smoking in the buildings and on the
grounds is prohibited at a large majority
"I the colleges and universities of the
country. A large number of the institu.
tiiuis object to Urn use of the weed on gen
cial principles, while a few are compelled
by Hip terms of their insurance policies
l make the prohibition. Of course it is
a great pleasure for the plodding student
and the tired professor to indulge in the
"fragrant" Ilavanna or the opiuin.charged
cigarette during vacant hours, but in a
coeducational institution the odor is
extremely distasteful to fully one half the
students. These have rights which are
respected by true gentlemen, but as so
ninny smokers have proven themselves
unworthy of that appellation, the rule of
the authorities becomes necessary.
We always have entertained a kindly
feeling toward the rural press, because we
conic from a '.small town with only one
iper ourself. But ere long, unless it re
forms, as our Judgment is getting the bet
'r of our compassion, we shall look upon
'" with changed feelings. To a great
extent it lias plunged into the University
turmoil not knowing any more about the
facts in the case than the Lincoln Journal
knows about the efforts now being made
to get the M. P. to extend a branch road
t Lincoln. Some papers are so enraged
Unit they demand that the Legislature
"I'lH'opriato no more funds untill all tho
professors are dismissed, while others
urge that the doors be closed uncondition
ally. What good would such measures
do V Would you deny the youth of tho
Ntiite a chance of competing with those
on all sides of us because, you consider
something has gono wrong? Let that
citizen, let that educator who advocates
such nonsense blush for shame. Like,
wise all who plunge into affairs they know
nothing about.
Prof. Woodberry's article on the " Ills
tory of Wood Engraving," in the April
number of Harper's Monthly, has called
forth not a few favorable comments. It
is only an earnest of what lie and other
members of our Faculty are capable of
doing. A University establishes its rep.
u tut ion partly by the thoroughness of the
work done within its walls, partly by the
scholarship and literary ability evinced by
the public efforts of its professors. The
latter is more potent, both because it more
frequently carries with it the former than
the former the latter, and the field is
broader, being unlimited, while the former
is confined to the college curriculum.
The point we are aiming at is this: Were
our professors to come in contact will) the
people oftener, cither as writers or lee.
Hirers, would not the result be beneficial
to both ?
Henry Wadsworlh Longfellow died on
the 21th, nit., at his home in Cambridge.
The true gentleman, tho scholar and the
poet is gone, lie tarried long at the "Way
side Inn" ere the gentle ''Voices of the
Niuht" called his willing spirit home.
His "Psalm of Life" was earnest and
real. Nothing written by him could add
a word's weight to the bitterness or evil
of any soul, but much to elevate and
ennoble the lives of all. His pure, classic
style has done very much to enlarge and
enrich our literature, lifting it from the
narrow cant and peculiarities of Atncr.
icanism. His name Is a household word.
Ho has sung himself into tho hearts of
every class of people from the hovel to
the throne, in every language and in every
tongue. A life of simplicity and beauty,
of measured I'tiUnes?, is over. He has
heard the "Footsteps of Angels,"
"And fioftly, from that hushed nnd darkened
room, . . , ,,
Two antfela bsued whoro but one went in.
Herbert Spencer remarks, "If you want
roughly to estimate anyone's mental cal
ibre, you cannot do it better than by ob
serving the ratio of generalities to person,
alities in liis talk how far simple truths
about individuals are replaced by truths
abstracted from numerous experiences
of men and things." Never were truer
words spoken. Go and listen to the talk
of the gossipers. Of what does it con
sist? Is it not about what James did or
what John said ? It may be that some one
is to be married, or some one has died.
No matter, it is all the same. The average
day laborer with his shovel or team indul
ges in the frame kind of discourse all is
personalities. He, too, is not able to
grasp generalities. The man of culture
and thought is able to see and grasp not
only the particular but tho general. That
heterogeneous mass to the untutored mind
he brings into order and system. When
lie writes ho evolves principles and laws
that apply not to one individual case, but
to all of the same class. The diilereneo
between a mind that cannot grasp a gen
end idea and ono that can, is the distance
between Ignorance and Culture.
The books whose covers bear the signs
of wear are presumably the books read
most in the library. Granting this we
look over the shelves to see what volumes
are favorites. We find on the shelves
devoted to scientific works very much
worn, especially all of Darwin, Spenser
and Tyndall. Quatiefagus "Human
Species," Draper's "Conflict Between He
ligion and Science," Spencer's "Sociol
ogy," and similar works are read. His
lories are used only in connection with
historical studies. Works on Political
Economy are consulted quite frequently,
Mill seeming to be the favorite. In the
line of Philosophy, Porter, Reid and Mc
Cosh am well thumbed. Some of the law
books look a little old, Blackstono's espe
cially, and the works on ancient law arc
referred to not a little. All the books on
Language, especially Taino's English Liu
erature, liavo seen wear, and the references
made in literature classes arc generally
looked up in full. Our library is sadly
deficient in novels, and such as are on the
shelves bear marks of constant use. A
onco complete set of Dickens is laid away
for repairs and Thackory is quito out of
his bindings. Ruskin and other author
ities in art scorn to have received some
attention. Tho North Americans and En
cyclopaedias are in use constantly. Alto
gether, tho library is extrpnudy useful and
well patronized.
v
WIW!fWiw?y
