but one day when I was quietly dozing, a sheet of paper was flung violently into my arms. I was so startled I could hardly grasp what had happened. I was in possession of a whole sheet of a letter instead of the fragments! The writing I had seen before-large, rather, for a girl-firm, clear, and regular. I had judged her a noble, womanly sort of girl. No fooling or deceit about her, and in what I got of her letters there was nothing to disprove my deductions. One in my position learns a good bit about the interpretation of handwriting. Well, the girl must have written her about the man, and it was quite evident she did not approve of the girl. I can not recall the entire letter, but one sentence I remember. 'You have no right to let him continue to think that you care.' Just as I finished this the girl snatched up the letter and when I received it again there was not a scrap big enough to contain an entire word. The friend seemed to be influential, and later some fragments in the girl's hand fluttered down. 'I am very sorry', 'help one's heart', 'girl better than I', 'could not last', I read, and so I judged the girl's better self had come to the fore. And now after three long weeks the answer has come, 'never can forget', 'always-forever', 'nothing left', 'ruined life'. This is what

I read."

The scrap-basket ceased and the desk sighed sentimentally— "Poor fellow," it said, "Heartless girl! and so it is all over." “Oh, I don't see why," answered the scrap-basket cheerfully. "I should say it had just begun. You see the girl bought me second-hand of a senior, and I've had a good deal of experience." ABBY SHUTE MERCHANT.

SOMEWHERE

I said the night seems long and drear,
This hour to grief belongs; but stay,
Somewhere the sun still sheds abroad
Its brightest beams on some one's way.

The flowers still bloom, the birds still sing,
And lovers wander through the lane,
Down by some merry babbling brook
Perchance young love is told again.

Somewhere a brave and noble life,

An earnest striving for the right,
Has led a weaker soul to try

To conquer in the bitter fight.

Somewhere some heart has found its rest,
And laid its griefs and fears away,
Somewhere it crossed the border land,
And dwells in everlasting day.

Somewhere, sometime we too shall cross
And leave behind life's toil and care;
A joy, a peace, a calm content

Is waiting now for us, somewhere.

GRACE EVELYN MERRILL.

EDITORIAL

After examinations are over, and the fateful two weeks have passed, without too many demands upon the sympathies of our friends, in the line of quietly removing certain things from the official bulletin; when our minds are set at rest one way or the other, it becomes almost a luxury to philosophize on our experiences during the ordeal. We are able to smile at the Scripture passage, "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof". It seemed almost a little too prophetic at the time, but distance lends perspective to a good many things.

President Seelye, in his talk at the beginning of the second semester, emphasized two facts: that the examinations had been approached in a much more tranquil spirit than usual, and had been met more satisfactorily as a result. Of course there was some worry and some excitement as there always is, yet any one who has noticed the state of the college feeling on similar occasions would admit immediately that there has been less. apprehension this year than ever before. There were not many busy signs in evidence, particularly off the campus, and this might be taken as conclusive of the fact that much of the preparation for examinations was only in the line of the regular work. A few of the most fearful locked themselves in, with German grammars and Driver on the Old Testament, or paced the floor learning indiscriminately the contents of their note-books. On the whole, however, the general spirit was, if not tranquil, at least more nearly tranquil than in other years.

There is no doubt that such a lack of worry, combined with plenty of skating and general games thrown in, contributed to rapidity and clearness of thought, and to the general power of self-control which every one certainly needs after she has written the name of the candidate" and the "subject of the examination" in the exciting moment before the questions are passed. It is ordinarily taken for granted that this happy tran

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quility comes from a good conscience, and a knowledge of "faithful work" done during the course. Of course it might come from this, and in a few cases it does. Unfortunately, however, the few who have trusted to theory in the matter and gone to examinations with no other preparation than their good consciences, have found that theory and practice don't agree. Those who have trusted to theory once, don't venture again.

It looks very much as if our boasted tranquility and peace of mind sprang, rather, from a perfection of the cramming system. The English department would be encouraged if it could possess copies of the elaborate analyses of courses that we are able to make. These analyses or "crams" are direct and concise, covering the important points in a course, and also the out-of-the-way information that may have been required by examiners in previous years. As time goes on they accumulate in matter and value. Besides these analyses there is the "quiz". Several taking the same course hold a lengthy meeting just before the examination, where each gets the advantage of the ideas of the other. It is learning made easy by perfectly legitimate means. When the cramming process is carried on thus systematically, a certain sense of power is the result.

The manner in which any one prepares for examination depends in large measure on the kind of examination that is expected. From experience many of us have come to the conclusion that examinations as a rule are not opportunities to show what we know, but what we don't know. And while we can pass a test of this kind by cramming, we certainly will continue to do it, especially as it is impossible, even for a good student, to pass such a one without.

Systematic cramming has certainly some advantages, and should not be condemned without a hearing. Cramming does not mean that a student never studies. There are a few perhaps who never cram, a few who do nothing else, but a large majority who combine both methods. Cramming gives one a rather superficial knowledge and that grasp of a subject which loses its strength in a short time. But only too often it is this same superficial knowledge that is called for in examinations. If cramming is to be condemned, then why not condemn the kind of examination that fosters it? If the examinations could be made real tests of power, such that no rapid process could

prepare for them, then the rapid process would at least be modified. Such examinations were given this year in several instances and are proof that it can be done.

The problem of the cramming system is included in that of the examination system. In the solution of the problem of examination there are two extremes advocated: change in the form of the examinations and absence of examinations. In the latter case the solution of the cramming difficulty would be solved efficiently. If the examinations were changed in method, so that there was not so much dependent upon them, or in form, so that cramming could not be a preparation, we might easily expect a solution of our secondary problem. The system of cramming would die a natural death, or at least become modified so as to lose its worst features.