We have been informed that the gentlemen who are canvassing the freshman class for subscriptions to the foot-ball eleven are met, in many instances, by a point blank refusal on the part of those asked to subscribe. Now we wish to say once and for all, that this sort of spirit has never before been displayed by a freshman class, and never must be displayed in the future. If a man is unable to subscribe liberally he has but to say so, and he will be respected for his independence. But if, as in many cases, the refusal to subscribe is based on the ground that the eleven is sure to be defeated, then the college can do nothing but censure such an exhibition of mean spirit. Would the college have scored its brilliant victories of last year if the students had argued from past defeats that the championship in base-ball, in rowing, and in lacrosse could not be brought back to Cambridge? The freshmen must learn without further delay, that the burden of team and crew expenses must be borne by all. Each man must do what he can, be it little or much. We cannot believe that it is left for eighty-nine to introduce in our midst a spirit of selfishness heretofore unknown at Harvard.

The rumor that an employee of the library had been arrested for the theft of books proves to have its foundation on a more serious affair. It seems that a graduate of Chicago University, who had once been arrested for stealing books in that city, has been hanging around Cambridge for some time and making a practice of stealing whatever he could find. The unfortunate man was arrested and locked up in Station 1. Shortly afterwards he was found dead in his cell, having taken poison. We give space to this explanation in order to prevent any mistakes in the columns of our contemporaries.