The new Monthly continues Mr. Carpenter's translation of Ibsen's "The Lady of the Sea." The third, fourth and fifth acts occupy almost the entire space of the magazine, and leave room for only a communication and a poem, besides the editorial department and The Month. It may well be doubted whether the editors are justified imdevoting so many pages to a work not original nor written by an undergraduate, even though it is of so great intrinsic merit as Mr. Carpenter's translation. This article is a great honor to its contributor and to Harvard, but it should not have been allowed to occupy so great a portion of the Monthly's limited space.
Mr. Tassin contributes a poem in blank verse, entitled "A Summer's Gift." It has the merit of being simple and unpretentious, and its metaphors are appropriate, though not especially original.
The Letter by Mr. Finlay is a welcome contribution to the much discussed problem of Harvard's inferiority in athletics. Coming from one who has had such good opportunities to judge the situation on its true merits, the views expressed deserve careful consideration. The writer finds the solution of Yale's victories in the fact that "Yale has better men," and that where our rivals have not been physically superior, the discrepancy has been made up by excellent management. He thinks that the "talk about college loyalty in athletics is nonsense," that what we need is more love for athletic sports, not more loyalty. He thinks that Harvard will soon gain the upper hand by better management and better training.
The question dealt with under the head of Editorials is the all-absorbing athletic situation. The Monthly shows that Harvard was influenced in her action by the desire for a "reform in athletics for reform's own sake." The precipitate action is, however, "a cause for grave regret," and has given rise to the pertinent questions which are now being asked by the public press. The Monthly believes that the withdrawal was not dictated by mere pique, and that two months hence the same action would have been taken, but regrets that "when it was possible to take this wise step with dignity and in a manner not to give offense, the college has chosen to appear like a pack of headstrong boys,"
The Month, reviews the foot ball diplomacy since November 5, and the championship series. It also mentions the university treasurer, and is closed by a comparison of the number of students in the university this year with those of the last four years. The usual book reviews are omitted.
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