EDITORS DAILY CRIMSON. - While not wishing to seem a grumbler on principle, I think a word against the practice, too common in our English department, of tediously dwelling on the life of an author and rehearsing all the small talk about his actions, might be well-timed; especially, when this practice is allowed to become detrimental to the impartment of a critical knowledge of the said author's works. Short enough time is given in a half course to acquire even a superficial acquaintance with the best writings of our authors of this century; so let us not detract from that short time in order to give undue prominence to matters surely of little importance. When out of but two lectures allotted to a writer, nearly the whole of these two lectures is devoted to a review of all the petty incidents in this writer's life, and, at the most, one-half hour is spent in the consideration of his writings, it is difficult to believe that we are gaining our object in taking this course. With some authors we might pursue this method with advantage, but it seems to be unnecessary to do so when we come to discuss an author whose life and actions were of such shameless degradation that they should be referred to only in order to subject them to the severest condemnation. With all due regard to French Realism, I can scarcely believe that for two hundred students to listen to a detailed account of such a life, unless it be delivered in order that its hideousness be shown, is either profitable or consistent with the high tone of this college.

'87.