OUR EXCHANGES.

The Student (Urbana, III.) has copied - we say copied because it does not bear the usual "Written for The Student" upon its heading, but some other name - an article comparing Dickens and Tyndall, for no other reason than that they are both Englishmen, - a sufficient ground, no doubt, in The Student's eyes. We are sorry to see the matter so indisputably settled. How have our idols fallen! Before reading The Student, we had always regarded Dickens as quite a good author, - brilliant, interesting, and instructive. But no, it can't be so; for "Dickens's life was spent chiefly to amuse idle people; albeit, we must acknowledge that incidentally he was useful, once in a while, by exposing social defects and vices." Poor Dickens! Some people are foolish enough to look back with pleasure upon his last visit to this country, and will carry for many years the impressions his Readings left upon them; but in Illinois they think "all that he left was the Dickens Scarf and the Dickens Collar, which he, after all, had not the honor to invent." An honor, surely, if the great novelist had invented them. We also learn that "Dickens was a self-conceited Englishman; Tyndall is a cosmopolitan, as is the case with every true scientist." But enough of this. It is sufficient to say that the rest of the article is in the same senseless style. The great question for us is, What will be the effect of this tremendous article? If The Student has an extended circulation in England, we tremble at the possible result; but if, as we suspect, it only harmlessly circulates in a small part of Illinois, the article may not decrease the sale of Dickens's works in this country even.

The other articles are upon subjects which can be taken directly from common text-books, and are simply statements of facts already well known. When we read the Natural Science and Agriculture, The Household and Young Ladies' departments, we are forced to wonder what constitutes a Western college.

THE Denison Collegian has an article on the "Morality of College Catalogues," which exactly expresses our views upon the subject; some of its remarks are such that, if they proceeded from one of the older Eastern colleges, the author would be directly accused of a snobbish desire to trample on struggling merit in the wild West; on this account, we are glad to find them in the Collegian. Speaking of the catalogue, the writer says: "It cannot tell you, from the course of study laid down, anything about the quality of the teaching. Promises made to the eye may be so imperfectly kept as to be broken to the hope. We have before us the prospectus of a college that has but five regular professors, and yet the curriculum is substantially that of Yale, besides the offer of a special course for post-graduates." Our limited space prevents our copying half so much as we should like, but we cannot help quoting two of the things which, according to the author, a catalogue should be expected not to do. "It should not neglect to distinguish between resident and non-resident professors, and between professors and mere lecturers. A college may engage a lecturer, residing at a distance, to give 'a course' of five or six lectures on chemistry, geology, or what not, and then put his name in the list of instructors. Such an array of names on the faculty is imposing in more senses than one." "Finally, a catalogue should not contain a view of the college buildings and grounds, as they are perhaps to be. We have seen on a frontispiece to the catalogue, or on a heading to letters, a stately edifice, situated in the midst of charming grounds, designated - University, the greater part of which we knew to be only projected. This may indicate only a sanguine temperament, but it is also susceptible of another interpretation."

The Spectator (Union College) closes Vol. I. in its last issue. We compliment it on its fine appearance and the peace that has existed in time past between The Spectator and The College Journal. The number now before us is full of interest to students and outside contributors. Their success is insured if the new editors make Vol. II. as good as the last number.

A FACETIOUS Senior asked a Freshman to tell him the difference between a fac-simile and a sick family; but the laugh was on the Senior; for the Freshman instantly replied, "No difference: a sick family is a family that is sick, and fac-simile means 'the same.'" - Williams Review.

"THE history of Wabash College is a powerful argument for the efficiency of prayer. The increase of students and patrons, funds continually augmented by the most liberal donations, and steadily advancing power and influence, give the best assurances to its officers that their supplications have been heard. To those 'seeking a sign,' both the recent gift and numerous others from the same source afford the strongest evidence of Divine assistance. Nor could Professor Tyndall's elaborate theory be more admirably refuted than by these wonderful proofs." - Geyser.

"THE Forty-Second Congress contained ten graduates of Yale and three of Harvard." - Record. Such a candid confession goes far toward disarming criticism. Indeed, we half believe that the natural tendencies of this unfortunate ten incited them to their disreputable courses, almost as much as the effect of four years at New Haven. We hope that the paragraph will not have so bad an influence upon the size of '77 at Yale, as we apprehend.