We are pleased to add to our list of Exchanges "The University Literary Magazine” of Virginia, "The Students' Miscellany" of the Wisconsin State University, "The Wabash Magazine" of Wabash College, Indianna, and "The Momus," a very creditable 8x9 inch sheet-edited, printed and published by two enterprising lads of the New Haven Hopkin's Grammar School. Augustus H. Strong, SOCIETY ELECTIONS. At the regular Election, Feb. 25, the following Officers were chosen. Henry S. De Forest, President. Berkeley Premiums for Latin Composition, 3d Term, 1855–6. till February, 1857.) (Award delayed Class of 1857.-Myron N. Chamberlin, John C. Day, Wm. E. Doster, Samuel M. Freeland, Levi Holbrook, Stephen Holden, Joseph C. Jackson, Wilder Smith. Class of 1858.-Robert O. Dwight, Josiah W. Gibbs, Robert C. Haskell, Arthur N. Hollister, George B. McLellan, Daniel A. Miles, Henry E. Sweetser, Addison Van Name. Class of 1859.-Edward Carrington, Franklin Carter, Hasket D. Catlin, Thomas B. Dwight, Charles H. Gross, Edward C. Huggins, William W. Phelps Arthur W. Wright. The following prizes for English Composition have been awarded to the Sophomore Class, (1859.) Editor's Table. GENTLE READER-It was the week after New Years. The moon, like ourself, now almost in the last quarter, rode high above us, the planets Jupiter and Venus shining oh, how beautifully! Mars, his fiery hue toned down by distance, sinking nearer the Western hills-and Saturn, far behind the others, all in a great circle across the unspeakably blue heavens, bending with exceeding depth, tenderness and beauty over the spotless snow new fallen, was a sight to shed upon the soul a strangly quiet, unearthly joy. We sat gazing through the clear plate glass panel of the cars, unheeding the light talk and merry laugh of a knot of Students near by, our senses soothed by the heavy rumbling of the train and watching the weird shadows that the white vapor from the engine cast upon the snow. One by one the stars came out and threading themselves upon the telegraphic wires seemed like silent bars of celestial music. Under the influences of such an hour and such a scene, how one feels irresist ably led to pleasant musings! In the ponderous train with majestic roar rush. ing through the still twilight, strange as it would appear, is just the place for contemplation and castle-building. The ruddy fire light streaming from the farm house yonder, the remorseless train has thundered past and shut it from the sight, but still we can in fancy see the group of rosy cheeked children gathered around the open fire-place watching the dexterous mother as she turns the savory griddle cakes that are to make their evening meal; off in the further corner we can see the eldest boy, who has just deposited an arm full of wood at the fire, and his younger brother, whose hands are still cold with milking, tinkering up their skates for the nights campaign, while the old white-headed grandfather in his arm chair before the blazing hearth" with the baby on his knee is not the least happy or picturesque member of the group. Then we think of that gem of beauty, the elegy of Grey, "Let not ambition mock their useful toil, Their homely joy and destiny obscure,” and are about indulging in a speculation upon how little reason ambition has to do so, when the door opens, (of the car we mean,) in rushes a blast of the keen air, and the hoarse ominous words of the Brakeman are heard vociferating, 'Norwalk”—and we proceed to contemplate the probabilities of a cold plunge bath in case the "draw" happens to be up. By a happy accident, perhaps because the river is frozen, the "draw" happens to be all right, and the train moves on, so too, on moves the train of our musing. That little brook winding under the moonlight so gracefully through the low meadow, that seems by its tortuosities a mimic Mississippi,-crusted over with fairy creations of the frost, brings to us (albeit we are no poet-far from it) the exquisite description of a frozen brook in the "Vision of Sir Launfal." Can it be that one of the "Lit." readers has never read it; for his sake then we will venture to quote a few lines, well witting he will read the rest. "Down swept the chill wind from the mountain peak. and then by a natural association of ideas, (the sort termed “of likeness and" particularly “opposition,") our thoughts recall a stanza from one of our early poetical effusions running nearly as we remember-and we remember it as being the best in the piece-thus: And when the icy sleet had gemmed the trees, Albeit as we said we are no poet. Away with your tropic suns and everlasting verdure, give us the brilliant glories of a northern winter with its bracing air, its glorious moonlight, its stars of steel, its coasting, skating, sleighing parties, and its auroras, provided the Professor who has charge of that department will allow us one occasionally, even out of the assigned period. At this point the train stopped, and we got out and were soon ensconced in old South College. It is perhaps due to the tropics to say that the excruciating cold we suffered during the rest of the night somewhat abated our admiration for winter as a practical institution. Professor Langdon is still teaching the young idea how to fire, or rather how to cut and thrust, and should the reader of history pass the massive portal of Alumni Hall when the Professor is drilling on the broad sword, alias baskethilted-stick exercise he might fancy himself looking at some old Feudal Baron in his castle hall training his retainers for an attack. A learned gentleman having proposed a few pages back some philological queries, we are incited to a similar course in a different department. QUESTIONS FOR THE ENGINEERS.-What would be the probable cost to the Corporation to lay a flag-stone over those interesting gutters that at regular intervals traverse the walk running in front of the College buildings! What would be the probable cost to the Corporation to flag the walk from North College to the North gate! PRIZE ESSAY TO THE BOAT-CLUBS.-A prize of dollars will be paid to that member of any of the boat clubs who shall furnish the best essay on the most practicable method of getting across the back yard in wet weather. Special reference must be had to the vicinity of Cabinet Hall and Trumbull Gallery. Blank to be filled by the Corporation. METAPHYSICAL QUESTIONS FOR SENIORS.-Ought the Faculty to furnish knitting or plain sewing, to fill up the time otherwise wasted at Lectures by those who neglect to provide themselves with newspapers? Ought whittling to be taken as an equivalent accomplishment? Speaking of Metaphysics, is a man morally accountable for the character of his dreams? For example, would one swear or steal in a dream unless profane or light fingered when awake, or at least inclined to be, and if he would, how far is he responsible for it, and why? We are here reminded of a classmate who dreamed one night that he had committed murder, and fearing such a slight matter might escape his memory, arose or dreamed that he did (we forget which now) and wrote on his card" E. L. Hoecake murderer." Rather an interesting card that, to send in, in case the young lady happened to be out. It is perhaps unnecessary to state that "Hoecake" is a substitute for the real name. QUESTIONS FOR ALL COLLEGE.-Can the President's Lecture room be ventilated? Will it be? When? QUESTIONS FOR THE FRESHMAN CLASS.-Ought Yale College to have a Gymnasium and if so, when? We put this question to the youngest class, in the hope that they may stay here long enough (not to see one, that would be presumption, but simply) by aid of the exhaustless resources of the calculus to solve the problem. GENERAL QUESTION.-Is there a Physiological as well as an Academic connection between a Sheepskin and BA? Active life is pressing on us, (Seniors;) already our friend and classmate Eaton is on a voyage of scientific exploration in the Schr. "Dewdrop." Two ingenious statisticians of the Senior class, after accurate research, have obtained the following valuable results in the item of whiskers. An entire day was employed in getting these data to hand; they may therefore be considered as perfectly reliable. Pairs Whiskers raised by the Class '53.. .20 '54. .23 It is proper to add, that credit has been given in all cases from the faintest penumbra on the upper lip to a full grown Campbellian beard. The immense superiority of '57 over its predecesors in other respects has thus been triumphantly established also in the important item of whiskers and in fact appears, so to speak, on the very face of the subject. To succeeding classes we would say encouragingly "Crop out." The melted snow, Last week the indications of Spring were again upon us.' the warm sunshine, the soft Southwind, the "Shawondasee," the blue birds A (literal not a convivial) “break down" at their office has delayed the publication of the Lit., which was to have been out last Saturday, until to-day. * Printers are but men and Presses won't last forever. singing in the still leafless elms in the morning, and the Seniors singing before North College at sunset, the Juniors sitting on the fence in front of South College after dinner, and the Sophomores setting up their horns and bass drums after tea, the Freshmen jumping in the front yard, and the waters drying up in the back yard, were all tokens that the winter had gone. But this week, "the fierce Kabibonokka" whirling the snow about our windows has taught us that it is never safe to "hallo till you are out of the woods," and reminded us that we may have to pay for all this fine weather yet, unless indeed we did pay for it in advance, during those first weeks of February, when the mercury thought nothing of going down to 20° below zero, and couldn't be coaxed to get higher than -8°. A classmate of ours in coming out of the Hutchinsons' Concert the other night observed a fair young lady just before him in evident embarrasment: one of her-well we must say it-yes, one of her-Hoops! had broken from its orbit and was "flying lawless" through space; the maiden after one desperate but ineffectual effort to recover the refractory article of her apparel kicked it contemptuously down stairs. Our friend, a benevolent and withal a modest young man, rushed forward, seized the disobedient circumference and after vainly waiting for the owner to claim her property, bore it off in triumph to his room, No. 9 South College, where it still hangs, an object of universal admiration. It has already been visited by large numbers of the students, and will be open for exhibition "for a few days" longer. We are requested to state that the lady can have the article by calling at the above room and paying at our office the cost of this advertisement. On the same principle that "speaking of Wildcats" to the boy suggested “his grandmother," speaking of the Hutchinsons reminds us of a veritable anecdote which we give on the authority of an Ex-Governor of New Jersey. A bill had been brought before the Legislature of that famous State, for "Organizing the Militia;" whereupon a Dutch member arose and declared his determination to oppose the measure as entirely unnecessary, for, said he with emphasis, “The Milishy don't want no organ; drum and fife is good enough for 'em." And now, gentle reader, we must say good bye; we feel sad to leave you, but you see by the Memorabilia that our successors are appointed. One more number and we leave the Lit to the care of our Junior brothers-a few more weeks and we shall sit down beneath the elms as a class for the last time, we shall smoke the parting pipe and sing the parting song, and then like the thrice fifty generations before us, we too shall pass away and these old walls shall echo never again to the tread and the voice of the men of '57. May we go at peace with all-to labor and to pray for Yale, our Country and the World! |