THE HESPERIAN
4
Ml
the students of the Academic and Industrial
colleges, the laws repeat with emphasis,
"The Seniors have, we think, acted wisely
in drawing the line as sharply as possible
between the Academic and Industrial
colleges and the college of law." How
considerate of the academics to cut the laws
at such a time! The laws have the temerity
to thank them for it. The laws are more
than ever convinced that "a college educa
tion is something entirely different from a
professional education." We have affi
davits and confessions and resolutions and
lots of other proof of the truth of the state
ment, and all furnished by our academic
friends.
"We might as well offer a six months'
course in book keeping and call that a
college education," says the Nebraskan.
"A six months' course in book keeping"
under the genial management of the
Nebraskan, what would the harvest be?
Again the Nebraskan says, "The Senior
who has spent one or two years in the Law
School should not have the honor of gradua
ting with the student who has earned his
sheep-skin by four or six years of
hard work." "Honor" "Honor" the
Nebraskan says "honor" and the academic
chimes in chorus "honor!" That is amaz
ing! We of the Law School had feared
that the word was classed as absolute in
their vocabulary. No, gentlemen and
ladies of the Academic college, the laws are
willing to live and die "unwept, unhonored
and unsung," rather than have the honor
that association with you can impart to us.
As a matter of fact the laws prefer a
seperate commencement, held on or about
June 1, as they have not the time or the
means to fritter away in the city from that
date till June 13. We are with the
academics in demanding a separate com
mencement. In fact the law seniors are
considerating the advisability of graduating
from the boiler house with John Green to
arrange the orchestral effects, rather than
compromise their reputation by appearing
on the Lansing stage the same day with the
academics. T. F. A. Williams.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF RUSSIAN
LITERATURE.
KNIGHT TRIZE ESSAY.
Russia as the land of the Steppes and the
'Volga, as the land of Peter the Great, has
always possessed an interest peculiarly its
own. It is however within late years,
through the travels, writings, and lectures of
George Kennan, that the sympathy of
the whole world has been aroused for this
distressed country. Like the United States,
Russia is a nation with her future before
her. She too has felt the heavy hand of
the oppressor and longs to be free.
In the midst of this life little favorable as
it may appear to literature, there has sprung
up in this far away country, a literature
that no nation has equalled.
If there is one characteristic more pro
minent than any other in Russian character,
it is an intense patriotism. Inspired by
this feeling, the Russian writer naturally
gives it expression. Romanticism was at
best a growth foreign to Russian soil. The
best Russian minds felt this subservience to
German and French models, one of the
great evils against which they had to con
tend. Russianism, not eclecticism, was
needed. The Russian writer, feeling how
impossible a task it would be lo appeal to
the people and to give expression to social
evils through the medium of romance, threw
off the yoke and spoke to the people in his
and their language. Instead of scenes
fraught with romantic interest, he wrote to
the present intense with life; instead of
imaginary heroes, of the life Le saw every
where around him.
For perhaps another reason, realism
found its way into Russia, sooner than into
other nations. The Russian people also felt
a lack of sympathy with romanticism.
Yery shadowy indeed must imaginary
heroes appear to those who see real ones
every day; even as the picture of a battle to
those engaged in the strife.
So with Gogol romanticism vanished and
realism took its place. His novel, "Taras