o
THE HESPERIAN.
i
il
i J
t.i
If
seriously, and especially since we are in a place
where material for thought comes to us in abund
ance wi'hout so much as solicitation on our part.
As to this year's sport, it must be said that it has
the advantage in quantity and quality over that of
any year for some time, and probably it would not
suffer in a comparison with what has been done in
any equal time in the history of the University. The
most of the outbreaks of the year have had a spirit
of humor and good-fellowship connected with them
that defends them against any charge of coarseness;
tie battles have all been closely contested; the rivals
have been enthusiastic and well matched; and then
there have been no results serious enough to mar the
pleasure of calling the events to mind. One cannot
help experiencing a commendable pride when the
class strife in our own University is contrasted with
that commonly shown in older ones, for the reason
that, so far, there has been here no descent to any
thing like brutality, and no noticeable tendency to
such a descent. The laurels are given to the class
that succeeds in turning the lauj.h against its rival,
rather than to the c-"'.' hat demonstrates its superi
ority in muscle. Our history does not record a
single case of hazing. This state oHhings may change
completely when there comes to be clo.se competi
tion in the exercises of the gymnasium, and the boys
begin to be more proud of their muscle than of their
brains. It may change, but we hope it will not, and
we do not expect to see anything of the kind. We
give the students credit for having too much common
sense to forget that they are not in training for the
ring, and for being too progressive to look with favor
upon customs that have nothing to recommend them
except their antiquity.
It is now our pleasant privilege to record tlte
fourth noteworthy event in the class wars of the year,
the three first being, of couise, the cane rush, the
Fresho-Gillespic contest,and the involuntary drive of
the Seniors. On Arbor day morning several Senior
sombreros were observed to be moving about the
campus, but the fiendish grins of their wearers were
hidden, so that all were ignorant of the dire schemes
being originated under those domes of felt. A
wagon drove up containing a very innocent looking
bundle of twigs. The bundle was unloaded, securely
planted, and then unveiled with appropriate cere
monies. A monument was exposed to the gaze of
the curious bystanders. The legends gave the in
formation that it was to mark the last resting place of
the class of '89, which had died of "overwork and
mental exhaustion." Some execrable verses testified
to the sorrow of the Seniors at the loss of their "dar
ling pet," and numerous skulls and cross-bones dis
played the artistic ability of the designers. The
University bell was solemnly tolled, and the cere
mony was at an end. In about fifteen minutes a very
lively corpse was seen approaching from the eastern
side of the campus, the Junior yell was heard, and in
a few moments more the monument was in ashes. A
more competent judge would be required to deter
mine which class now has the best of it, for, of course,
each claims the honor.
LITERARY
The chance ami scattered evil that may here and there
haunt or hide itself in a powerful book never does any harm
to a noble girl. Ruskiu.
An article that cannot fail to interest all lovers of literature
will be found in the May Harper's, entitled, "London as a
Literary Center." It gives portraits of a number of the men
who arc known the world over, with short accounts of their
work, not in the line of an estimate of their ability, but in a
simple informal way. One gets a glance at the personality
of men, known usually only through their works.
England has just lost her greatest critic Matthew Arnold.
He was a son of Dr. Thomas Arnold, of Rugby, born in
1S22 and educated at Westminster, Rugby and Oxford. He
took the Newdcgate prize on his poem "Cromwell," and in
1S57 was appointed professor of j)oetry at Oxford, which
position he held ten jears. During the earlier part of his hie
his literary work was principally poetry, but in later years he
has devoted himself more largely to criticism, and has done
loi his country what Sainte Bcuve did for France. It would,
of course, be the most flagrant presumption forme to attempt
to give an estimate of his work. It is almost universally ad
mitted now that the best writer will write for everybody.
Thcie are, however, remnants, at least of the old "popular"
and "academic" schools, and Matthew Arnold belongs to the
"academic." Perhaps this is best shown by his criticism on
the work of Emerson and Carlyle, in his lecture, delivered
in America, some time ago. It is apparent throughout this
production that he has an exalted idea of form, even to the
extent of slighting the value of matter.
The pluase "sweetness and light" characterizes the move
ment he represents and the standard he has set up for himself
and for England. The famous ai licit- his last on "Civiliza
tion in the United States" is, IkjUj from the fact of its being
his last, but more particularly (torn the views it expresses on
American institutions, at present attracting universal atten
tion. It is thoroughly characteristic of Mr. Arnold, in one
letpecl at least, that of frankness. However much we may
differ from the views presented we must concede that it is
not written in bitternes. Those criticised seldom are able,
be they ever so good natural, to admit at once the justice of
all criticisms offered. Undoubtedly, though, many of those
ghen by Mr. Arnold are deserved.
In places 1 found the article extiemely amusing on account
of the evidence it bears that an Englishman even a
Matthew Arnold is totally unable to enter into the spirit of
American life. The extra drop of nervous fluid by which
Cl- Higginson has characterized us, in contra-distiuction to
the English, seems to have become a veritable sea, impas
sably sepaiating them from us. Mr. Arnold raises his bauds
iin holy horror because a Boston paper said, under the head
of "Tickings": "Wales says, 'Mary is a darting' ", the idea
