The scenes of "that wind-wild eve in February," are stiring ballad-stuff, and the poet has thrown the gloom and force of the incidents into strong relief by touches of exquisite tenderness.

"Then he smiled the smile I knew so well
When he thought to please the Queen;
The smile which under all bitter frowns
Of fate that rose between,

For ever dwelt at the poet's heart
Like the bird of love unseen.

And the song had brought the image back

Of many a by-gone year;

And many a loving word they said,

With hand in hand, and head laid to head,

And none of us went anear.

And he caught the pale, pale Queen in his arms,
As the iron footsteps fell-

Then loosed her, standing alone, and said,

Our bliss was our farewell!

Stedman's hope has been fulfilled. Rossetti finished the erection of the "House of Life" before he died. It now comprises 101 sonnets, among them some of the loveliest in the English language. We have quoted largely from them above.

"A Sonnet is a moment's monument."

This Sonnet-Sequence is a noble monument of the years of the poet's life. In it, he tells us that Death seemed to him

"An infant child,

Which her worn mother Life upon my knee

Has set to grow my friend and play with me."

Now that his "incommunicable ways" have followed the "desultory feet of Death," has his soul

"Stooped through the spray of some sweet life-fountain,

And culled the dew-drenched, flowering amulet?"

Ah! when the wan soul in that golden air,
Between the scriptured petals softly blown,
Press breathless for the gift of grace unknown,—
Ah! let none other alien spell so e'er

But only the one Hope's one name be there,

Not less nor more, but even that word alone!"

Editors' Table.

Reform of any sort must always be attended with more or less disturbance to both reformers and reformed; and the present Junior class, occupying as it does, in this matter of reform, a position bordering both upon that of the agent and the acted upon, suffers the discomforts of both. The expense of the Junior party has been gradually assuming proportions which people in general and the faculty and older students in particular, have regarded with serious disapproval. Still every Junior class, "on hospitable thoughts intent," and intent, too, on not being surpassed by any other class, has hesitated to bring about the much needed change, and so the Junior party has continued to be an elaborate and, by a critical public, much condemned entertainment. Not that we have deserved all the censure received. The majority of outsiders seem determined to regard Vassar students as inordinately extravagant, and, accordingly, have magnified the expense of the Junior party into an amount corresponding to their preconceived ideas of what we would be apt to spend. However, we have been extravagant, and reform was needed. As exponents of the higher education, we ought to be above making any display for display's sake; we ought to be sensible enough to keep our expenditures within the limits of moderation. The class of '83 realized this, and were made still more sensibly aware of the fact by the action of the faculty when the plan for the Junior party was submitted for their approval. Of course it is hard, exceedingly hard, for the class to cut down its expenses

as it has been obliged to do. The fact that, in order to give the Seniors any sort of desirable entertainment and still keep the sum expended as small as necessary, '83 has been compelled to omit the teachers from the number of its guests, is one which causes the class deep sorrow and mortification. however, as seems true, the sacrifice was necessary for the good of the college, no loyal daughter of Vassar can regret that it has been made. The party, as we understand it, is designed as an entertainment to the Seniors, and, of course, as such, must, as far as possible, be arranged so as to give them the greatest possible pleasure. The charm of the occasion is that it takes us away from the old haunts and gives us a few hours of out-of-doors among new scenes; and that it should degenerate into an entertainment given in the college buildings does not seem to us desirable. The absence of the teachers from the day's festivities will be one deeply felt and deeply regretted; but one which, we trust, will not be misunderstood. Of course, the class of '83, like every other class, would have preferred not to subject itself to the charge of discourtesy by so radical a reform in the matter of expense; but, for the interest of the college, it lays itself upon the altar, and enjoins its sisters who come after to go and do likewise. Setting aside selfish considerations, every student must rejoice at any change which bids fair to raise Vassar College nearer the height which she ought to attain.

What religious privileges have we Vassar girls? The problem is one which has never been forced on our consideration so strongly as this year. Since we are informed that the spirit and action of the college in regard to the religious instruction of its students has been the same since '76, this probably indicates our lack of public spirit before election to the Miscellany staff. Prior to '76, the catalogue distinctly stated

that students whose parents desired them to attend church in town, would be allowed to do so. Sometimes the clause was inserted, " provided that suitable arrangements be made,” sometimes not. In '76, both statements were omitted, and have been ever since. But until this year, permission for occasional attendance upon church services has been easily obtained by non-communicants, while girls with relatives or friends in town, were even allowed to attend church with them at regular intervals, if they so desired. This year, the college gates are closed to us on Sunday morning. It is far easier to get permission to go to the theatre than to go to church in town. Communicants can, of course, not be debarred from their monthly privilege; but we do not think that the action of the college, in refusing religious instruction to the rest of us, except through the medium of its own appointed mouthpiece, is likely to swell the numbers of those who draw near the Feast of love and charity.

We feel so strongly on this subject that we scarcely dare write, lest we ourselves overstep the bounds of that liberality and kindliness which it seems to us the college violates here.

Ought not "all appearance of evil" in a matter of liberty of conscience to be avoided? Ought it to be possible for our girls to feel and say that the college authorities "want to put a premium on church connection," or "care more about getting us into chapel than about doing us good?"

Again, is this course fair to those parents who strongly desire that their children shall not drift from under their own church influences during their college life? Ought it not now to be distinctly stated in the catalogue that no student is, under any circumstances, allowed to worship God outside the college building? This is hardly a rule to "go witout saying" in a college for the "liberal education of women!"

It is not possible for any one man to be fit preacher and pastor to our motley crowd of Jews, Romanists, Agnostics, Trinitarians and Unitarians. Neither is it possible that Pough