UMMUMMHMN
T HE HESPER1A N.
I
HI i
LITERARY.
One of the most valuable periodicals leceully added to the
university library is Public Opinion. It contains the pith of
the most important news of the country. It will pay students
to examine it.
In the Strand ol this month Max O'Rcll speaks in his
usual happy and lively way of American women. While he
is quite positive that there is no such thing as a typical Amer
ican man, he is equally positive that the American lady is
typical. The following interesting extract shows why he
holds this opinion: "In France you will see monsieur and
inadame arrive together. .. .talking and smiling at each
other though married. Equal footing. In England you
will see John Bull leading the way. He docs not like dining
in public and thinks it very hard that he should not have the
dining room all to himself. . . .Meek and demure, with eyes
cast down, follows Mrs. John Bull. But in America! Oh, in
America, behold the dignified, nay, majestic entry of Mrs.
Jonathan; a perfect queen going towards her throne, bestow
ing a glance on her subjects right and left and Jonathan
behind.
Mr. Lowell was a prodigious worker and had many of the
unmethodical habits that are said to come with genius. He
disliked details and rules, and took up correspondence, read
ing, and physical exercise without the slightest regard to
order. He was a careful reader and possessed great powers
of concentration. The production of a poem or essay of any
considerable length was always carried on under severe men
tal tension and, as a result, he would be mentally and phys
ically exhausted. To break up the continuity of his work,
his wife and daughter often resorted to ingenious expedients,
and in this way saved him from absolute prostration. He
always gave considerable thought to the plans of his essiys
and poems of which he would make a skeleton and All it out
as he wrote. Discarding desks, he always wrote on a paste
board pad which rested on his knees; he was careful in com
position, and the pages of his copy would be filled with eras
ures and interlineations.
The columns of this department are always open to such
original work as may come under the approval of its editor.
We print below an original sketch submitted to the depart
ment of English by Morgan M. Maghee, '92. Ed.
Camped on the side of a mountain was a party of huntcts.
They had started from the ranch early in the morning, and
had reached the camping ground in time to be well prepared
for night. As darkness crept up from the valley, they col
lected around the camp-fire to enjoy its brightness, to dis
cuss the events of that day, and to forecast the events of the
next.
Their destination was a small lake near the summit of the
mountain. To reach this lake, they had yet seven miles to
go. Though fhe distance was short, the road, or rather the
trail, was difficult. For it wound up the side of the rugged
mountain, through dense timber, along huge banks of snow,
to the very summit of the mountain, then down a short dis
tance to the lake. To add to the difficulty, the trail was dim
and was obstructed by much fallen timber.
Appreciating the difficulties, the party intended to make
an early start next morning. So, before light had fairly
reached the valley below, the horses were saddled, the tent
struck, and necessary provisions packed in the panniers ready
to be placad upon the pack-horse. But the pack-horse was
not ready a chronic condition with such animals. He
seemed to feel that the party was imposing upon him; and,
although it was only by use of his heels that he could express
his resentment, he became very expressive. The hunters
understood him: they were sorry for him; but they could not
help him.
When he realized the uselcssness of his exertions, he
sulkily submitted to the inevitable. As the panniers were
placed in position he groaned. As the load increased in
weight, his groans increased until they were of such magni
tude as to alarm the youngest hunter. That person looked
for some sign of alarm in the faces of his companions', but as
he could detect none he remained silent.
When at last the pack was securely lashed and all was
ready to start, the pack-horse with a groan calculated to
move the inexperienced sank to the ground.
At this the young hunter, no longer able to restrain him
ielf, exclaimed: "I knew that that load was too heavy."
But one of the more experienced members reached for a club
that was near by. The pack-horse saw and understood.
His understanding greatly lightened his load, judging from
the way he got up. In fact, after this, the animal moved so
willingly and so briskly that the young hunter, who was lead
ing him, began to realize that pack-horses are queer creat
ures. He realized, too, before he had gone far that they
experienced a feeling akin to revenge. At least that is the
only plausible theory by which he could explain the pack
horse's invariable practice of going on the wrong side of every
tree a practice which consumed considerable time.
To make progress more rapid, the hunter turned the ani
mal loose and attempted to drive him. This plan worked
excellently until the pack-horse came to two trees that were
too close together to allow him to pass with his pack. As
might have been expected, he made the attempt and was
wedged in between the trees before the young hunter could
interlerc.
When tightly wedged the animal ceased to struggle and
waited patiently to be extricated, It was not from the young
hunter then that the pack-horse received sympathy. In fact
the very patience of the animal seemed to exasperate him.
Noticing this, one of the elder hunters wisely took charge of
the animal after it had been extricated and repacked; and
"the party moved forward to the lake.
As for the young hunter, the beauty of the lake and the
grandeur of the surroundings made him forget, for a time, his
experience with the pack-horse, and brought his temper
ogain to its normal condition. He could cherish no gloomy
or revengeful thoughts as he looked upon that peaceful lake
that was surrounded on three sides by impassible mountains
covered with timber and capped with snow. As he looked
down through the clear, pure water of the lake and saw beau
tirul speckled trout darting about at a depth of twenty-five or
thirty feet, he felt contented with himself and with the
world, In this state of feeling he thought that no one could
be so morose and unimaginative as to be unaffected by such
scenery. Morgan M. Maohee.
A Communication.
To Editor of The Hesperian:
In the last issue of The Hksferian an editorial says in
defense ol the recently adopted elective system: "We believe
this system will give the student just what preparation he
needs to cope with the trials and tribulations of life. Life
is too shott to become acquainted with all the knowledge
that the learned men have ever possessed. Most students
enter college with a future career mapped out. ... If
the student choscs sciences for ' his field of operation, it is
highly commendable that he should study science."
The above lines, express, as I know, the opinions of many
students, and of a few educators. But, do they not express
