Review of Monthly by Prof. Harris

Under the title of "The White Bear of Norway," Mr. H.G. Leach gives a somewhat journalese account of Bjornson and his struggle to form a national language in Norway. One can only hope that Mr. Leach is not a good reporter; according to him Bjornson admits that the rural speech he is trying to suppress is more beautiful than that of the cities, which he is trying to force on all, but maintains that the future of Norway, "like the future of all other nations, is to be industrial, and the language of industry is the language of the cities, of culture, and progress."

The Monthly prints the lines on "April and the Scholars" which Mr. Rogers read at the recent smoker given by the Harvard Club of Boston to the scholars of the first groups. The familiar swing and go of Mr. Rogers's verse appear again, he writes in gentle mockery of the scholars of today,--

"So are you chamber scholars,

But what is the sum of your lore?"

The smoker was a most enjoyable evening, filled with infinite jest; yet I fear Judge Grant in his preamble hit it off very well--"Why not trot the poor old scholar out?" There was a certain sign of patronage for the scholar on the part of the man of the world, in which the poet joined. I should have been glad if the dignity of scholarship had been a bit more emphasized.

Mr. Macgowan has a story of India, "In the Name of the Empire," which suggests Kipling in subject, but without the terse directness of Kipling's style. In "The Army of Unalterable Law" Mr. Pulsifer tries to show a larger principle in the universe; somewhat of the same nature is Mr. Follett's "Star-Wondering" in which he sets the stars to pondering the old question which the first thinking man proposed to himself, the question which played so large a part in the schemes of the early Greek physical philosophers--"What is this world about us?" Like Odysseus, Mr. Blythe communes with his soul and dreams brave dreams. Mr. Tinckom-Fernandez writes in honor of the memory of Walter Pater in words which suggest Pater's style, though the title to the verse is not quite happy. Mr. Ward Shepard writes seriously on "The Spirit of Traherne." Traherne is unknown to so many of us that Mr. Shepard would have done better to have made his essay more of an exposition. Mr. Grandgent Fils tells a story of war and love with realism and a sense of humor. In "The Winged Stone" Mr. Reed retells a story that is as old as the Greeks, that of the ambitious youth who has to choose between true happiness and wealth and power. The youth chooses the latter and finds how little profit there is in winning the whole world and losing his own soul. The story is well told. In "Song," C.E.H. prays to taste of pain, of hate, and sin, that he may know what lies beyond. In "Spring Snows," W.C.G. has a pretty conceit; "Should our spring become a winter's day again, can we not build a dream-spring lasting through the years?"

The editorials deal with the campaign for a new gymnasium, and with Memorial, urging in the case of the latter that an efficient professional caterer be found. As I look back on my own days at Memorial it seems to me there was an enormous waste; the waiters used to bring us vast quantities of roast beef, for instance, from which we could select the tid-bits which suited our palates. Such waste of course would not be tolerated in a hotel. Economy at Memorial is greatly to be desired; I should think the Corporation might accomplish a great deal by keeping a large number of cows, sheep, pigs, and hens at the Bussey Institute, as well as growing all the necessary vegetables there; the teams which brought the produce to Memorial and Randall could carry back all the refuse, to be used in feeding the stock. It is just such a scheme which brings profit to some of the large hotels in Boston. In addition the Corporation could thus greatly help a school of practical farming at the Bussey. Such a school is much desired in the eastern part of the state