4
THE HESPERIAN
of pleasure in reading the notes in the current number. Now,
for example, that paragraph on Milton's attitude in the
Baconian question is really not bad. We hope Mr. Hutton
may continue to improve on his style, for, verily, his need
of improvement is great.
Another of Miss Amelic Rives' matchless prose poems ap
pears in this number. Miss Rives is a genius; she has a
line of thought and ways of expressing it that arc peculiarly
her own. It is possible to imitate any literary style, and
some one may be found who is able to imitate Miss Rives';
indeed, she herself may be an imitator surpassing her models.
Her thought, however, is exclusively her own, and she needs
fear no rivalry from any source. She docs not see in
people what we do not, but she has the rare natural
endowment of clear vision where others see but as in
a mist. The delicate thread of hei woman's instinct and hu
man sympathy leads her without difficulty through those
most complicated of labyrinths, the acts and feelings of rare
types of humanity, persons that do exist, but arc met with
once in a lifetime. "Virginia of Virginia" will be pro
nounced an impossible character by such of the critics as con
sider it a critic's duty to be cold-blobded; but few indeed will
read her story and not be reminded of some one they have at
some time known, though they may have been of unconscious
of her worth, of her joys and her sorrows as was Mr. Rodcn
of Virginia's. The particular one we have met may have
been tempered by the levelling influence of a contact with so
ciety, yet the leonine spirit will assert itself when the proper
occasion offers. Moreover, we are not so privileged as to be
permitted to say that the character is overdrawn. We do
not know what kind of people Miss Rives may have met in
her Virginian early home, and so her inferences as to the pos
sibilities of Virginians arc not to be judged by us. We can
say that the acts and words of "Miss Faginia" are consist
ent throughout, and that is enough.
In all the stories of this author a strong bent towards the
pathetic is noticeable. This is not to be condemned, for it
certainly is a great relief from the sickly comedy some writer
in these dialects. They arc not at all fitted for comedy, a fact
which even Charles Egbert Craddock sometimes loses sight
of, but Miss Rives, never. In "Inja," in the Dccembe
number, the close seemed unnaturally sad. The plot would
have been no less real, and it would have been infinitely
more pleasing, had the end not been so sorrowful; but in
Virginia's story we would have been loath to give credence
to a liiprjier ending.
The meeting of the State Historical Society in chapel last
Tuesday night was a success though the attendance might
have been larger. No doubt more of the students would
have attended if they had understood that it was an enter
tainment. It was not announced in chapel and only a few of
the students knew anything about it. Mr. Cox, one of the
earliest settlers in this county, read a paper on the early
history of Lancaster county. He told many interesting
stories of pioneer life in this county before the town of Lin
coln was heard of. History of Art in Nebraska was the sub
ject assigned to Miss Moore, but as art in Nebraska is too
young to have much history she extended the subject and
spoke of the means by which art will make the greatest
progress in this state and in the United States. Mr. , of
Omaha, then told some interesting stories about the early
French settlers in the territory.
COMMUNICA 'JED.
Oratorical contest by students of the Nebraska Central Col
lege at the opera house of Central City, Dec. 21st. Exer
cises began at 7:45 o'clock with a song by the college chorus
entitled "Greeting Glee," followed by prayer byBro. Hilton.
Then followed five orations by Mcsscrs. W. H. Wilson, W.
G- Fowler, W. F. Chase, J. L. Combs and Miss Evaline
Brown. Instrumental music by Miss Jesse Benton entitled,
"Twittering of Birds." This was followed by five declama
tions by Messrs. Albert Wilson, Henry Chapman and Misses
Jennie Olingcr, Cera Webster and Mamie Fowler. Vocal
music entitled, "We'll Have to Mortgage the Farm," by Miss
Laura Lecdom, June Hilton, Maud Winder and Messrs Her
bert Ross and Fred Morril. Following were six more dec
lamations by Messrs Bert Fersing, Herbert Ross and Fred
Morril, and Misses Lillic Johns, June Hilton and Laura
Lcedoin. The exercises were closed with a cornet and piano
duet, by Mr. Fred Morril and Miss Anna Thurston. The de
cision of the judges was then given in favor of W. H. Wilson
for the first and W. F. Chase for the second prize on ora
tions, in favor of Lillic Johns for the first and Albert Wilson
for the second prize on declamations. The evening's enter
tainment was good and the productions were all well deliv
ered, showing a great deal of hard study and faithful atten
tion to their duties on the part of the students. The prizes
were $5.00 and $3.00 for orations and $3.00 and $2.00 for
declamations. H. T. U.
NEW SPECIES OF NEBRASKA FUNGI.
The department of botany in the University of Nebraska
began practically with the employment of Frof. Besscy.
Since that time, three years ago, a large herbarium has been
collected, representing nearly every country in the world,
and including many sets of authentic specimens, some of
which cannot be duplicated. There has been added also
much apparatus and a quite extensive botanical library. We
are not yet inclined to brag, for we arc modest. But in all
confidence we invite comparison in regard to our work and
appliances, believing we will not suffer by such comparison.
Under the direction of Prof. Besscy .hc flora of the state is
being worked over and catalogued, a.nd, undoubtedly, wc
will soon have a complete listt to present to collectors entering
our state.
Among the many features of the interest in our flora is the
occurrence of two species of Earth Stars, (Geasler). These
interesting little plants were formerly supposed to be limited
in their distribution to pine regions. It was a surprise, then,
and a new feature in their history to find them in abundance
here in our prairie region. Specimens of each were sent to
A. P. Morgan, of Preston, O., who pronounced them new to
science, and upon request, characterized them as follows:
"Geaster campestris Morg.
(Figure 1.) Outer peridium
thick, multifid; the segments,
(eight to ten) reflexed, whitish
below, rufescent within. Inner
Peridium globpse, subpcdicel
late, verrucosc, gray, or brown
ish, the mouth conic, sulcatc
plicate, in a circular, marginate
disk. Spores globose, verru
culose, brown, .0055- .007 mm.
in diameter.
Inner peridium to of
an inch in diamctcr.thc expand
ed segments one to two inches.
The outer neridium is concave
or vaulted underneath, with the segments often inflexed at
tip, as in G, bryaantii and G. Umbatus it also has the same
Fig. 1.
o
4