If any one of our literati is looking out for something to occupy his talents over, we would suggest to him that he write for the prize which the Russian Academy offers for the best essay on the life and reign of Alexander I. The minister of Alexander I. left a bequest of 50,000 roubles in charge of the Academy, with the conditions attached that the money, after accumulating for one hundred years, should be given to the writer of the best work on his master the Czar. The Academy, therefore, now announces a prize competition for this bequest. Inasmuch as the original donation with its accretions will amount to $1,000,000 on the day for awarding the prize, it will be quite worth one's while to win it. The fact that the essay is to be written in Russian will not keep anybody from competing, for there will be plenty of time to learn that language before 1925, the year when the prize will be awarded. There is no reason whatever why some member of English 5 or 12 should not be the happy owner of the million dollars.