About nine o'clock the information was rapidly circulated that we were to adjourn to the dining-room for refreshments. Here an agreeable surprise awaited us. Was it, or wasn't it Phil? Certainly the tables, so prettily arranged, looked very much like it. To such length did we prolong our collation, that the customary Virginia Reel had to be omitted. We retired to our rooms feeling that we owed the heartiest thanks to those who had done so much for us, and that we had had a most enjoyable Thanksgiving. COLLEGE NOTES. Philalethean Day, Dec. 2nd. Chapter Alpha had her hall meeting, Nov. 12. The gymnastic classes have been organized. Two divisions meet in the evening, after eight o'clock. Prof. Backus read a paper on the "Philosophy of Collegiate Education" before the Philalethean Society, Nov. 18th. The Freshmen have chosen for their motto, "Dabunt aspera rosas." Their class color is silver-gray. '82 entertained '83 and '84 at a "theatre party", Nov. 11th. The Senior chemistry class has finished laboratory work. The class is now having lectures on Organic Chemistry. The Juniors who have been studying Mineralogy have finished it, and taken up Geology in its place. Room G. was fitted up as an Art Room, on Philalethean night. The corridor teacher's room on the second south was arranged as a coffee room. The alumnæ in college and in Poughkeepsie, have organized a history class. They are to study modern history, the subjects to be taken up topically. Dr. Caldwell will supervise the work. A valuable collection of Polar birds has been sent to the Museum. The Society of Religious Inquiry held its monthly meeting, Nov. 20th. The society was addressed by Mrs. Pruyn, of Albany. The usual address on Philalethean night was omitted, as the speaker whom the committed had engaged disappointed them at the last moment. The entertainment for Thanksgiving Day was arranged by Miss Goodsell, instead of by a committee from the Senior class. The Natural History Society no longer exists. On the evening of the "Theatre party" '83 presented '82 with a handsome placque, which was placed in the Senior parlor. The class of '81 sent a handsome bouquet of flowers to Dr. Caldwell on his birthday. Prof. Dwight preached in the college chapel, Dec. 4th. One of the rooms on the first floor formerly used as a recitation room, has been fitted up as a kitchen, for the use of those who wish to exercise their skill in candy-making, etc. Wanted, the programme of Founder's Day for '76. Please send it to the MISCELLANY. Among the books added to the library since Sept. are the following: Taine's Revolution, Vol. II. Dixwell's Premises of Free Trade examined. Holden's Sir William Herschel, Lodge's English Colonies in America. Lange's History of Materialism, Vol. III. Cook's Commentary. O. W. Holmes' Poems. Morley's English Men of Letters. Wuttke's Christian Ethics. Johnson's Lives of the Poets, edited by Matthew Arnold. Carll's Calculus of Variations. Gardiner's English History for Students. Merriam's Phaecians of Homer. Veitch's Greek Verbs. Roscoe and Schorlemmer's Treatise on Chemistry, 2 Vols. Mayor's Juvenal, 2 Vols. PERSONALS. '76. Miss N. A. Large, is staying in Oakland, California, for her health. Miss M. A. Johnson is first assistant in the High School in Burlington, Vt. '77. Miss L. D. Watson sailed in October for Europe. She is to spend the winter on the Nile, and a year or two in study in Germany. Died, October 31st, in Cleveland, Mrs. Fannie Rhodes McCurdy, formerly of '76. Married, Nov. 29th, Miss Lillie H. Shotwell to Mr. William W. Beebe. Misses Kirby, '72, Weed, '73, Cushing, '80, Bryan, Meeker, '81, Tinker, '84, Cleveland, Ames, Welsh, Nichols, and Cooley were in college on Philalethean Day. EXCHANGE NOTES. The Cornell Review for December contains a well-written article entitled "Jottings on Browning's Poetry," the first of a series of papers on that subject. The literary ability manifested in this magazine is always of a high order; its editors and contributors have something to say and know how to say it. Its chief fault is that it is too purely literary in its tone, and expresses but little of the social life and spirit of its college. The Willistonian, The Phillipian, The Exonian and other representatives of "Our Boys' " schools may seem too small for great praise, but they certainly deserve it. The articles are written in good, vigorous English on every-day topics and the tone is sincere and healthy. The athletic training received at these schools has always made their graduates soon become noted when they entered college, but this journalistic training will be of inestimable value to college editors. The editoral department of the Williams Athenaeum for Nov. 9 is well filled. The fearless yet respectful tone of its protest to the faculty against the present method of teaching mathematics at Williams we like. The editorial upon the narrowing tendency of an early choice of one's "future vocation" is worthy of careful thought. "Viola's Vassar Venture" is ended. The chapter upon the MIsCELLANY we enjoyed heartily. It was excellent, and showed that, if the writer had, in the other cases, been in the possession of facts to work upon, he might have produced something very readable. If we had only known that he was contemplating any effusion of this kind, we should have been most happy to furnish him with desired information. We think that his literary talent would display itself better in the realm of fact than of fiction, and if, hereafter, he should desire to improve his style by writing up Vassar College as it is, the MISCELLANY board would gladly give him statistics and look over his manuscripts before they go to the press, to correct the inaccuracies into which he seems liable to fall. The late issue of The Round Table occupies itself with a plea for Inter-Oratorical Contest, and with a full account of Beloit's founders. It cuts up several of its exchanges with relentless hand, and closes with several pages of locals and personals, tending to make it very valuable to Alumnae. The last number of The Syracusan is much better in its local articles than in its literary department. The editorials are especially bright, and the clippings are the newest and best we have seen. With this number a supplement is issued, and an account is given of a board meeting at which a dividend was declared. What prosperity! The first number of the Lehigh Burr promises well for the future of the magazine. It is above the average of first numbers showing none of the crudeness which is usually so painfully apparent in Vol. I, No. I. It is well printed, well edited and thoroughly imbued with the college spirit. CLIPPINGS FROM EXCHANGES. Harvard wants a Garfield window for Memorial Hall. The Faculty at Dartmouth subscribed $51 last year for the support of the base ball club.-Colby Echo. Lessons in Political Economy: "Is time money?" "Yes sir, it is." "Prove it by an illustration." "Well, if you give twenty-five cents to a couple of tramps it is a quarter to two." Trinity Tablet. Our poet says that the best time to study the book of nature is "when autumn turns the leaves."—Argo. |