THE HESPERIAN STUDENT.
AuHioi'lllos, liutli mioluiit iintl modern,
uremii lucking lo uphold' lliu rebellious
jack in It 1h determination not lo bo made
ii "dull boy" by till work and no play
Ami by tli way tliia hiiiuo Jack must be
of at least us remolo pui'LMilagu us the (lays
0f (he O.iesurs, for Porslus describes with
lll-odiicculod glee his mischievous tricks
U!) ii schoolboy lo escape Ills hated tasks
mid ("liris.so.H il was ills supremo delight
tohtiuh chances and compute wli.tt sum
llic larky dice would secure and wliat the
fuliil aces sweep away! First cousin, a1
least, to the boy of tin period witsl his
liomuii school-boy. Hut rercnons a nos
M,mimis. Holli poets and sages, from the
tho great Preacher himself down to the
doming philoMiphurs of the present inys. I
lifylng school, are decisive on one point l
while the New and Old Philosophy agree
In owning allegiance lo tho charms o
"Youthful .lollity " and bow together be.
fore the Oirconn altars of Pleasure. Il is
true, indeed, thai here and there are
entirely unpremeditated. It should be an
impulse of (lie moment, au inspiration
born of the perfect day and that gypsy ing
spirit which yet remains In our veins. A
spirit which, with vial as of Robin Hood
have exhausted most of the sources of
evil, Al any rate by making respectable
many things that are now opprobrious we
have removed just so many stumbling
blocks from (he paths of the young and
eyes ol Maid Marian, entices us
to Hid fitlro forest
To hum lliu foulus' hciiijj.
Hut a moment Is needed, when called by
the happy voices of companions, to gath
er up a 11 tt lo to eal under the spreading
beeches, snatch up a book, (a lln-cup, pro
saic as ll sounds, is a very good thing to
have along), and, suu-bonnel lu hand, to
run out to the old wagon which, to keep
up the pleasant travesty, h: mentally des
ignatud as u "wain." The whole long
day in the woods is one of dreamy enjoy,
ment and perfect abandon. If one doca
not chance lo moot Kriar Tuck or the
Nut-browno Mayde till they are hiding
somewhere in the leafy hollows too shy
lo make llic acquaintance of tilth conlury
i.w...i.ilo lOnip Onint mill S'iM'l. 1'iikil iii'm
.. . . ....... A...... II... ...llll.lli.IK .........I ' v
,cw nposm.es ....... mi. -,.... ..... OV0l.llU ini.edavlsnot one In Area.
For instance, the w Itching tongue of Beau- , u miV(, jU u.m,llou ,h(. Mtr
f ..1..... ..I' tt Cu.miliul f..l.. Ii.tli ill I. ' 111 ' '
mom niiign wi unvuiviii hiuiiiiiiiiij in 1.....1
strains mat wotru almost, win a oyuaruo
to forswear all those vain delights which
no iuuiuiuiiiiiu.ua-iuuuKii u .....3l uu ' ' 01l lhill,P u ,aa been talked of nearly
milled that the Mermaid was like lo I'""' iu ,n,mlht discussed in committee meet
"quite different sentiments expressed over I , Uld aum,,,ml in the papers. Mir
back to the beaded rim," while he undo wl n t0 Wliy ol- llrusau.s ,ulV0 u0(ll de.
therestof that merry crew drank to (Hiick, 1 visC(luml ,lUlinlUiWb of Uio most hull
ejed Pleasure, as ho himself terms the !gcalibl(! ,-oinpounua thai human ingenuity
enehanlress-aiid moreover lliu rosy morn ' cm conc(K,,i hllV0 ijCcn prepared for the
was quite apt to rise blushingly upon tliu 1 0CC11S0. Tho ever present 'bus is on
end of many n noisy revel ll.nl surely did i . , . ... UeiuUca pleasurc-seek-
i
in his Lincoln green and the laughing luado JuhI so many more Innocent amuse
ments. Indeed many of our amusements
aro Interdicted by the Church to-day only
because a small majority of stern fanatics
who burned witches and branded heretics
decreed that they should be so, several
hundred years ago. Whoa we have ceased
to reverence authority instead of simply
respecting It we shall have a change for
the better.
To make llic application of all this to
those grave and rather ponderous stu
dents who look down in contempt upon
their fellows with capacities for lighter
enjoyments, we parody our "text."
Dost Hum think hec-nixo thou urt miuIIuiih. ihuie
hIiiiII bo 110 more emi'iiul and hunt- tmll?
Hut how does all this oiled us iw slu
deals? Very little, perhaps, yet enough lo
point the moral There are a class of peo
ple to he found in University life as else
where, who are no doubt sincere in Ihelr
opinions, but who nevertheless do au in.
Harvard find", as u result of the Elective
System, a manifest decline of Class spirit
and feeling. Some of llic college men
deplore (his falling oil' from the ancient
.customs while again perhaps llic larger
number hall il as au evidence that they
have passed from "the little old fashioned
college" into the broader University life.
On Iho other hand Columbia Is iigita
ting the revival ol the Cap and down
going backwaid several centuries Instead
ol pi ogrossing with Iho rest of the cdu
cattotud world. Leavlngout all discussion
concerning the questionable utility of tho
fashion of wearing gowns, the fact that it
Is an old dead and gone practice long ago
laid aside with other college customs, is
sulllcieut evidence against lis advisability
in the present age. It had its day and au
attempt to revive ll now is simply foolish
and absurd.
There are ninely-soveu Colleges, Acade
mies and institutions, in this country, in
which Ihe sexes aro educated together
just ninety.seven too many. Ala. Univ.
.Utmthlu. Precisely ouisonllinonts. Owl.
And emphatically ows.Xiayara I minx.
Behold, how good and pleasant It is for
Hut a picnic conducted on strictly calculable amount of harm in their well- j brethren to dwell together in unity! his
American principles is au entirely differ, meant clfort to do good and one of your ,jst a little comical to see what wonder-
.tupid-sinccro people can do nearly as , fl unanimity of sentiment against co-ed-
much harm as lialf.ii-do7.eu downright sin. ucallon, there is among the '-Ojllogos
ners. Of Ibis class are very apt lo be ' Academies aud Institutions" which have
those students who have "an Object in never tried the experiment. Those that
life" aud who make that mysterious "ob-! have, take It as a matter of course and
not celebrate the pruisos of " lovely Mel.
micholy." Since practice and theory, as
often happens, did not go hand in hand
wo need scarce hesitate to class him
among the devotees of Mirth. Kuripidca
may bo cited to give a still man- ancient
testimony indirectly in our fit or. For
though ho declares
01 nil tho (Ircimii of IiIIkk thorn urn
Not lo ho horn U bent by fur,
lie immediately adds as a sort of half-way
consolation,
Noxl bent, by far the bmt for mini.
TO itpuutl W fllMl lH HH'('(l hit fHII,
which advice. wo, of Iho present age, aro
ers to their place of torture. It is sure to
rain or be so hot thai it is an exertion to
breathe. Speeches and tlirtatlons aro tho
order of the day. When did an American
citizen ever think a speech superfluous?
What American girl could resist the
tuinntalioii of a nubile tlirlation? And
1 so the day passes, eacli one, at nigh I, con
Isoienllously trying to persuade himself
ject" a very Moloch to whom they oiler
up all that is joyous and pleasant in life.
They condemn all amusements as frivo.
Ions and vain and there is a visible "Thank
God 1 am not as other men" on their fa
ces if there is chance mention of billiards,
croquet, cards, or dancing, in their pros-
would never dream that it could be a
question of dispute, if itjvere not for of
ficious outsiders.
The Nation thinks that uudcr.gradu
atcs have nothing to say which an audi
ence would care to hear for its own sako
atul therefore decides that 1. 0. L. contests.
ence. They condemn them on Ihe worst ( imJ ,,,,-y facilities for the dovelopoment
possible grounds simply through igno.
vauce. They have heard other people ex.
press their holy horror at. these "instru.
meats of the devil" aud they follow suit
with n sort of a martyr-llke spirit. A
, great many of us prldo ourselves upon be-
tlutt ho has enjoyed it.
Saint and sinner, priest and penitent; ing martyrs. I hey do not know, or they
alike discover tho need of some outlet of forget, that the evil in these things lies in
thai superlluous .animation which if ro-1 Ihe association wholly, and that the sooner
. . i .1.. .1. ...... ..,.,'..... .... ! tlimr mid nil tlu iktliin inwiil mmilit of tint
pressed renew in lummy ui'-Ht-ssuui, m : ". " - o- i--1---
tindoublodly pulling Into practice, though bronks out, at last, in deeds of violence ( world band together to redeem them from
iirobubly with our characteristic irrovor. ,wi nisitiiitv. What is more evident lltan
taee for the authority. It has been said ( tmt it is well to give it outlets which are
of us so often as lo have become a trite Sllc ,uUi pleasant? Humanity craves ex.
Aphorism, that wo as Americans have no i eitement. It is a positive necessity to tho
liiiio for enjoyment. We aro so immersed i well-being of each one. But everything
and overwhelmed la business as to leave ' ,miv j0 uhnsed. Therefore tho less harm-
no leisure for pleasure. The truth lies in t.tf!j our uinusomoats are, tho better. There
a nutshell. Wo do not know what enjoy
their evil associations, the belter il will be
for them, and nil concerned.
Wo have but few of that class of stu
dents among us licit' and hope to reform
the few we have. The faculty bind us
with no rules. If ,wc get our lessons and
keep out of the saloons they care very little
ment itself is. Wo have limo and wo take
time enough for what we call amusement
but it is uo moro tho real thing than our
vile decoction of logwood and alum is the
old Faleriau whoso praises Horace was
wonl to celebrate.
..1- .. i .iKaiiI miflitil ll' (1 Jtf 1wiltliJil t1wllilt tltkt
is no doubt thai Happiness is giviuiy pro-, - - ..-.v ...w..ft.. .......
molivo of good morals. Thai keen and i did not. succeed in that, so for as the girls
practical philosopher, Becky Sharpo, re-1 were concerned, during the Crusade. And
murks with her accustomed shrewdness, ' thereby they show their wisdom, for the
ti.ut inmniness and success go a great way , liberty is acknowledged as our right and
'towards making people passably good, so is seldom abused. We may dance, play
Wo find the larger part ot our nappi. i-nii'iu-i ". s -.. o .m.-
The difllcultv Is that instead of makinir ..., t. ... amusements. If wo can goi , theatre, but rarely to the detriment of our
oar work, play, wo make our play, work. UWHy for a while from ..ur work and los lessons. Ix-sh often is Ibis the ease per
Witness our national game as an example. ;oUr0aresand ourselves in lliu pleasure of, haps, than if these things were strictly
We make a settled business of getting tl0 l0iu- it is a very good thing and one , forbidden.
happiness as we do of getting money aud ' which by all means wo ought to do. But i
like any other capricious daiasol, the more iKJi-UJigaiu la our question In morals. IT.CMS KOITORIAL AND OTHER.
wo will, tho more sho won't. Wo havonot , yyull su our amusements be? Wo' J
yet reached the conception thai It may bo i imv n groat deal about stealing the livery Pennsylvania claims to have tho largest
wall for 0f imuvoii to servo tho deil in, but the namucr 0r bcIiooIb of any suite in the
Union. Sho has 10,305.
The number of colleges in this country
is 822.
Prof. Shaler will open i. Summor-School
of Geology at Cumberland Gap, Ken.
tucky, on the first of July. Its pupils are
limited to twenty-five and the manage
ment will be upon tlie plan of that at
belter to sit down qulotly and
liupnlaoss to coiuo lu its own good time 1 0ihiu hlo of iho shield Is seldom present
but wo must rush around la frantic search ' 0lit Why do wo not boldly take tho livery
with a sort of consolatory fooling that Lf tn0 tieVll und consecrate it to the ser
vice of Heivveu ? There is a great ueaioi
it that need it. It may he Unit this would
tnko away tholr zeat and liuinnn ingenuity
.....M ImtnnillAtelv 80t itSOlf ttbOUt lu.
veatiiiK now sluu to be forbidden., ut
V.B,"'1o. . . .... 1. il,Mani I'Oarfl lutlflt-
even if wo do aot find it wo are, at least,
doing our duly. And " duty " i nch a
atisfactloi to tho American heart I Au
an instance of this, take that peculiarly
Allcrtrun tiiutttntlmi 11 nlp-Iilfi. NrtW. to
be perfectly, .enjoyable, it -pfe-nlc ahould be ;Uie wcd,!.! ftlxthou.ml yVws , wustj neke..
of "fluency and assurance." Undoubted
ly most of us already have enough of that
-more perhaps than wo will have in after
days when the rubs and knocks of actual
life have taken some of tho conceit out of
us. But, surely, out of the thousands of"
young men and women who throng
our Colleges and Universities there aro.
half-a-do.oa who "have something to say.".
What, are Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Wil
liams and others doing what have they
been doing all those long years since tholr
founding, if thoy cinnol now, setting:
aside natural abilities, furnish culture ancl
thought that would "interest for its own
sake?" Vassar, Holyokc, Ami Arbor and
Oborlia ought to furnish, by thlui Unto,
something of worth. We dont want.
'sweet girl graduates" of seventeen, froia
them, or half-fledged boys of twenty from'
other colleges, no one claims they hnvo
anything to say worth tho hearing but.
cultured men and women worthy to stand
side by side on the platform and present.
the results of their study and self-uisoi
plino, as something Mint is worthy for its
own sake. This, we contend, tho I. 0. L.
contests will in time show us, aad if the
Xation di.es not wish to see and hear so
much "fluency aad nssurnuee," let it stay
at home ad growl nt a distance.
By way of reparation for -his "heresy of
the prayer gunge, Prof. Tyndall has hi."
vented a fireman's lint in which life Is snfo
for half nn hour in au Atmosphere- whtcli" '
could act bo endured otherwise for hidf a
minute.
President Robinson, of the New Hamp
shire Seminary and Female College,. oji.
in press a work entitled, Infidiiy 4:.,
attend whether copcluaively andforver,.,
anpwered ian.oj stated..!. ..'' . ;,. .,jj .....
'jr-SM.
i
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