THE HESPERIAN STUDENT
means by belief ncquiescctise in some others view of it,
he is right, bul If lie regmds belief us ''accepting the affir
mations of the soul" which is true belief, wo must say ho
has failed to understand Carlylc. This latter seems to
lie the trouble with both of these writers. Carlyle's pro
vince, most scholar.", I think, will agree, is chiefly thut
of a critic. The function of the critic is not to flatter
and condole, it is to penetrate into the beliefs, customs
institutions, all that bears upon the history of man, and
ascertain whether they arc true or false. His duty is
where ever he pcreceives error, to deal it a blow. His
office to men is to see that tiic ship bearing them is
sound, that it has no weak places, which giving away
will submerge all under the waves. In such a position
what is most important is. that he should tell the truth
whether agreeable or disagreeable. There are times
when it is necessary to say no. Every sham demolished,
is an advance toward the truth. Carlylc was strong in
his denunciations against the weaknesses of his generation,
but he nevertheless believed and loved the truth. He
hated the superficialities of human nature, but loved and
reveri-d what was high and noble in it. These are not in.
consistant. Such is this man, he is not Dr. Watts or
Bishop of Winchester, but Thomas Carlyle, a worker in
. the liberation of humanity, who with all his faults, ever
struggled toward a higher ideal, and walked across the
world, not us a cringing mendicant, but. acting from man
iy, nabic principles. No one cut. peruse his works without
becoming stronger and better, ihis is enough. Judge him
for what he is, bet aside what he is not. Ascertain
whether the teachings bodied forth in his works arc for
good or ill, whether they keep men "flat in the mud"
or incite them to be honest, and true , ta act the manly
part. This is the only lest. If men havihg no "love or
faith in humanity', can do this, let us have more of them.
Finally fit your argument to Carlyle, do not attempt to
make him fit it. If you do not understand him, do not
attach his name to a creation of your own. It is quite a
common custom for literary critics to append author's
names to conceptions which have no likeness to the
owner. The practice may not seem just, yet it is done
unconciously by well-meaning men.
DRIFT.
They have all sorts of flirtatious. The latest is the rol
ler skate flirtation. The Diufteu has collected a few of
the most common varieties at a great expense and takes
pleasure in presenting them for the careful attention of
his readers.
Skating into a lady and knocking her down means
"We are thrown together."
Reclining en the floor and permitting seventeen men
to 6it upon you means "I am crushed."
Kicking a friend's skates while he is trying to do the
"Philadelphia" means "Do you tumble?"
1 utting one skate in the mouth and describing an hy
perbola in the air witli the other means "I throw my
self at your feet."
Climbing frantically over the railing whenever an
awkwaid skater comes into view means "You need uot
attempt to make an impression on me."
Elevating the skates about eleven feet from the floor
and then rapidly assuming the sitting position means
"Please take mo home to mother "
Running head first into a c uiple w 1 projecting thorn
in opposite directions means "I hope I don't intrude."
Suffering tho same individual to fall over one nineteen
times in the course of the evening means "Your atten
tions are embarassing."
Going homo in a hack, accompanied by three doctors
and a Sister of Charity, means "My spirit is broken."
A little etiquette is a good thing in its place. Wo
have always embraced every opportunity given us of in
troducing, principles of politeness into the minds of stu
dents. They need politeness, to tell the truth. To un
derstand the ways of society will help us all and, as this
is practically impossible without n clear comprehension
of the various rules established by universal custom for
the government of behavior, we hereby submit to tho un
initiated especially the Preppies the following short,
but compact code of etiquette.
Never, when ordering "whole stews", wink at the
waiter with botli eyes at once. Your cirl might observe
you.
Never, when undergoing your first experience as es
cort, insist upon walking upon opposite sides of the
street with the lady. You can venture within, say ten
feet, without danger.
Never call a ladv by her given name unless you have
known her at least a week.
Never try to tell a Sophomore how to play euchre. He
is sure to be cither a professional or a Y. M. C. A. memT
bcr.
Never offer to help a Senior in his melaphy&ics lesson.
He's past all human assistance; poor fellow!
Never incur the enmity of a medic. You may die'aud
be buried soineume. .
Nevei sit down on a Juniors stiff hat. He might ob
ject. Never attempt to carry more than threo unabridged
dictionaries out of the library at the same time. You
might he taken for a member of the legislature.
-Never leave bauanna peels upon the girl's stairs. They
would resent it.
Finally, never wear a mortar-board to church. You
might be taken for an archbisnop and be asked to lead
in prayer.
The Diuftkk had studied his "Phaedo". Ho was tired
and dreamy. Ho was sitting in the recitation room of
the Greek Professor. The gas burned dimly and the
clock in the temple tower beat the hour of midnight up
on the frostj air. The sleeping city was still and tho
ghostly sileuce of tho college halls was un
broken by the faintest eclios of a sound. A
strange, uieirililf liaVt p;rvM.bl the silent
room.The mysterious voices of the past flitted to and fro
in far-off whisperings and the sombre influences of by
gone antiquity gently drew a veil of oblivion over the
weariness of an unvarying present. Soft murmuring
tones came floating through the open casement and the
slumbering corridors. In tho language of prose tho
DnirrEU was asleep. From their pedestals the busts
turned their sightless eyes upon him.
Then the indistinct reverberations became intelligible.
From tio marble. lips of Bocrates issued a sepulchral
voice.