When the first of the newly-devised "reading periods" at Harvard University are put into effect shortly, to take the place of lectures, recitations, section meetings, and tutorial conferences for a given period, the old saying. "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink," is going to be changed to read, "Will a horse drink if you don't lead him to the trough?"

For the students it will be a phase of the honor system. They are subtly invited to consider, by the provisions of the reading periods, that they will not be expected to consider the periods just so much holiday, applying themselves to the reading lists only at the very end of the period and then under the deft ministrations of an expert hired tutor. When they are supposed to be reading about Laertes and the nebular hypothesis and Socratian argument they will be expected to be doing so, not keeping social engagements in Boston or playing squash and hand ball.

If the student fails on examinations of work done in reading periods it will be his own fault. If he takes higher honors than be ever thought he could that, too will he his own fault, albeit a happier one.