The appearance of the Monthly may be said to mark the beginning of purely literary activity see the college, for in the work of a daily paper the literary element does not predominate. Another week or so will in the opening numbers of the Advocate and Lampoon. While the athletic portion of the college is devoting itself body and soul to football, it would be pleasing to see a corresponding vigor on the part of those by whom the literary reputation of the college is established.

Real literary ability seems but rarely to be attained at Harvard, or rather it rarely makes itself evident through the medium of the College periodicals. To explain this we must admit that the interest in this particular line of work is not sufficiently general. What really good writing there is from time to time, is the work of but a few men. We are not, however, disposed to believe that with these few the literary skill of the entire College is exhausted. There must be more clever writers in Harvard than ever contribute to either Monthly, Advocate, or Lampoon. Whether from laziness, or because the prizes in view are not tempting enough, these men persistently refrain from doing their part to raise the standard of the papers which are the only visible index of Harvard's literary achievment.

This state of things is wrong. The athlete who denied his services to the College would meet with reproach on every hand. It should be the same with the literary man Every student of ability should fell it incumbent on him to spend his efforts in Harvard's service, it matters not in what direction. Selfishness in witholding power by which the College might profit is of all kinds the worst. We do not doubt that a little more strenuous effort would often rouse the literary power, weakened by disuse, and turn it to the benefit of the College periodicals. The new year would be an excellent time to inaugurate the change.