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THE HESPERIAN
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OXFORD FASHION.
In u letter to one of Thk Hesperian
editors, Miss Mary Tremain, the well known
instructor in history in the University for
several years past, tells very entertainingly
of the way they do at Oxford, where she is
now pursuing her studies. The following,
from her letter, while of special interest to
her friends and former pupils will be
scarcely less interesting to anyone who may
be curious as to the nature of university life
in merry England:
Even aside from all historical and literary
associations Oxford is a dear old town,
lying low in the valley of the Thames.
University life is nearly all the lifo there is
here at least you would think so if you
came in vacation, though of more than fortv
thousand inhabitants only three thousand
are students. To an American it seems
very strange that a whole city should appear
to exist and do business for so small a num
ber, who, moreover, spend only twenty-four
weeks of the year here. But thoy do spend
what a Nebraskan must regard as a dispro
portionate amount of money, and that ac
counts for the whole matter. Such a thing
as taking a degree at Oxford without actually
residing hero is unknown is not permitted,
in fact, and the value of residence in com
parison with actual work accomplished, I
think is somewhat exaggerated. The terms
are short, about eight weeks each, and there
are only three in a year. The vacations are
all long, in order, I am told, that the stu
dents may have some time to study; for
there is so much to occupy them in terms
that they have no chance for work. These
things that do occupy them arc what makes
residence so very important. Everyone
acknowledges that the work can be done
somewhere else. So, in the main, the stu
dents are hero to have a good time, and to
get what culture can bo absorbed while they
are about it. Of course this undoubtedly
does not apply to everyone, for I am told
that nearly half the graduates each year
have taken honors. I simply mean that the
thing that most forcibly impressos one is the
apparent absence of serious work.
Very fo oiudonts have lectures beginning
before ten. The Camera, the reading-room
of the library, opens at ten. From one to
two p. in. is the lunch hour. After that the
whole university turns out doors; the streets,
the parks, the college fields and all the
pleasant walks out of town are filled with
students. This is the time for foot ball,
tennis, boating, and other athletic clubs to
do their practicing. Those not club men
take bicycle rides, or walk, or row. The
Thames forks near here, and its branches,
the Isis and tho Cherwell, nearly surround
the city. Each of these streams branches
two or three times, and though narrow and
winding, arc well cleared and have a good
depth, so there is very excellent boating
considering the seemingly small quantity of
water. The lower course of the Isis is
almost given up to the clubs in tho after
noon, but there is an abundance of room
elsewhere for those bent on this sort of
pleasure. Boating has become popular here
within the last liftv vears, and Oxford
glories considerably in her proficiency in
what she now regards as an art.
Five o clock generally closes recreation
time, and from then till dinner most men get
in two good hours of reading. Some lec
turesvery few are given at that time.
The evening is supposed to bo the time for
social enjoyment, the most common form in
college being the "smokor," frequent
theatres and concerts, an occasional small
party balls are not permitted or a recep-
tion, furnish a sufficient variety of entertaili--ments
for tho brief time when one must bo.
bound by rules. You will see that five or
six hours a day for work, including lectures,,
are provided by this program. The lecturers
here tell me this is about tho average time
of students. Men studying for honors put
part or all of tho evening into work, espec
ially if tho examinations are approaching
for everything worth having here rests on
the result of an examination. Even an
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