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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1886)
TUB &SPXtAjV. 1 III II ' when the University seemed divided against itself, has lately written from Johns Hopkins that adverse criti cisms are perhaps as frequent and as violent there as here. He had thought that the U. of N. was unfortu nate in that it was a state institution, and there was consequently greater opportunity for criticism, but a wider knowledge pjoved to him that criticism is not worse here, and perhaps not so. utterly groundless asl elsewhere. We too have been convinced that such uncalled for criticisms belong to the community of colleges and all similar .well-meaning institutions Groundless criticisms can indeed work to our disad vantage. Friends of the school will therefore be ex tremely careful lest in writing up the news for our stale paper, they should 'carelessly misrepresent us. We have no sympathy however for those who call themselves studentsand who profess friendship, and a common in terest while in reality they avail themselves of our confidences only to lay bare our shortcomings, and make sport oi out accomplishments. Such students, students in name only, wall sooner or later be discov ered, and when known cannot be treated as other than their actions -stamp them. us, since we must ask others to contribute to our pub lication. Again, we would find it hard to discriminate between the articles handed in for publication, and would too often be accused of asking or accepting such aid from a certain class or clique. No, Sans De tour, we prefer a college paper with a foil local col umn, a few editorial notices, and short, spicy contri butions, such as yours are, to any miniature North American Review, or similarly dry and weighty publication. MISCELLANY. REVIEWS. Wa certainly agTce with nr contributor in hi "opinions" concerning the work of the college cdi- tor. We acknowledge the ground for complaint and we appropriate the excuses made for mi. The fact that instructors and students do not support a 'college paper so liberally as they should is patent. And yet we of lie XL of N. have little ground for complaint on that score, but could of course reconcile ourselves to any improvement in that line. Whether or moj instructors and students should feel themselves bound to aid ms by literary contributions, however, as quite another question. It as true that many college pa-l iDers arc thus supported. It 5s also true that The' Hesperian Ihas been criticised timeand again because its management preferred a paper published for the students, subject to their control, but the work of composing and (editing delegated to a board of edi tors, rather than a paper made up of literary contri butions. That as, since the paper could at anost con tain but .a Emired portion of tihe articles written by the students, and since those articles arc of little val- aie or interest to others tl an students, we have thought at best to publish very Few such contributions. In the last number we asked for contributions from jiZumat, but you understand that such articles must of necess ity arouse a snore general interest, and in general be of a snudh snore creditable style than those of the (un dergraduates. But as an editor we could suggest oth er reasons why the publishing of promiscuous articles should be discouraged. In the first place we should I be charged with inability to do the work sequired of While Oliver Wendell Holmes ha attained eminence in snany lines of thought. The always sms to rem ember that Ibe is a (doctor, and me never allows his readers to forget that fact. Moreover, he is somewhat given to theorizing, and he often carries his theories to cnnclusiDns that appear rather startling to timid minded people. " His object in writing Elsie Vennor is to Illustrate his ideas on the subject of heredity .and its in fluence on tie vexed (question of moral responsibility. Some of these ideas are elucidated at the very beginning of the book. As each character is introduced he is ticketed off as belonging to a certain class, produced by a given com bination of circumstances, much as as a naturalist might label a collection of insects and -urate out the characteristics of the species to which each belongs. The result of this is to give the reader an uncomfortable feeling that he is looking at the movements of a collecrjim of automatons instead of real men aDd women. But as Ir. Holmes'' theory, carried to its logi cal conclusion, would reduce us all to so noany machines, we cannot complain of this feature of the book. This theory is put into language by Bernard LangdDn as follows: '"Each of tub is only the footing tup oi a (double column of figures that goes back to the ifirstpair. Every unit tells; and some of than are plus and some minus. If the columns don't add tup right it is commonly because we can't snake out all the figures. I (don't mean to say that something may mot be added by Na ture to make -up for Dosses and keep the race up to its aver age, but we are anainly nothing but the answer to a long sum dn addition and ubtraction.','' Elsie Vennor is introduced as a strange and incomprehensi ble being. Self-willed, violent, and capricions, she will sub unit to no authority. Neither her father nor her teachers con control her. Her anost prominent feature seems tto be her piercing black eyes, which have the power of fascinating and drawing to her any whom she may fix her gare upon. The secret of her existence is not explained unto near the end of the story, but hints are so frequently thrown out that we soon understand the case; and any resentment we might feel at her conduct ai changed to pity for her misfortune. '"As ante-natal dmpreBsion has mingled an alien element in her mature,'" and has poisoned her whole (existence. This is the reason that she takes her solitary rambles on the mountain, seeking the fatal jrattlrsnake ledge. The serpents themselves seem to feel her affinity, and cower before the glitter of hec eyes . The two natures struggle within her, resulting in constantly varying moods. At length love comes to t!he aid of the wom anly element, and ttrom that time a change is apparent. 3 appears possible that had this Reeling been reciprocated she nmgct nave ibecome nnmanizea ana, areea trom me curse her birth, lived a happy life. But Bernard ILangdon, the DRESS PARADE GLOVES 2 R 25 AT MAYER BROS, noth ST. CLOTHIERS."
