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sar the responsibility thus placed upon her becomes a painful burden. Is she of a lively disposition, fond of society and "a good time?" Some serious-minded matron shakes her head and fears that Vassar girls have too many things to distract their thoughts from study. Or is the unfortunate young woman inclined to be retiring in her nature and literary in her tastes? Some leader of society laments that a college education should so completely unfit young girls for social life.

Mr. Howells, in a recent novel, makes one of his characters say: "The typical Southerner, like the typical anything else, is pretty hard to find." If it be true, as it undoubtedly is, that the individual who represents the type of his class is among the rarest of mortals, and to be discovered only by the eye of a philosopher, can any one explain why, in the face of these facts, people in general are so determined to see in each one of us that mythical creature of their fancy-the typical Vassar girl?

"It is not the things that you do, dear, but the things that you leave undone," which cause so many of the trials and tribulations of our college life. Not to mention the slight but very effective omissions, such as thoroughness in the preparation of a lesson and often anything that can properly be called preparation at all; we would speak chiefly of our relations among ourselves—our social and friendly intercourse.

We girls here are apt to grow careless of the little conventionalities which we respect in the outside world. Here there is nothing in that line which we respect except each other's "engaged." "We don't need to be polite with our friends," we say. "It is too much trouble always to be on one's good behavior." So it is, we grant that, but we still hold that we are apt to drift beyond the limits which ought to be set to such freedom. Some where the other day we read a sentence somewhat to this effect. "Friendship is a sweet and brittle bond,

which is oftener broken through chance or accident, than by deliberate intent"; and our College friendships are no exceptions, for though perhaps we do not allow them to be really broken, yet many a long and unhappy misunderstanding has been caused by "chance or accident" which is often another name for carelessness. Our friends seem more to us here than outside in the world where we have so many and diverse interests, and we notice many little omissions which there would not be regarded, and which are commonly supposed to be all right, between friends." And even when we do not attach much importance to them, when in fact we do not know whether they have been done or not, she who "doeth little kindnesses" shall not fail of her reward.

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It really is not hard work, girls, and it is especially interesting as a study of human nature to watch one's friends and to keep in sympathy with them, to learn just how to treat their various moods and find out how to help and strengthen them and your friendship in the surest and quietest way. In fact, it is the good old doctrine of unselfishness that we are preaching. We were not aware of the fact when we began to write, but as all roads lead to Rome, so does any friendship find unselfishness its surest foundation.

HOME MATTERS.

It is not often that on our return to college at the beginning of a year, we are met with so many unfamiliar faces. While we miss with regret many from among both faculty and students, we are glad to welcome our new instructors, and especially glad to see the north side of chapel so well filled with "new girls." Of the latter, one hundred and thirty-five have been registered, and the Freshmen already number over eighty. The MISCELLANY offers its heartiest good wishes to the class of '94, whose existence begins with so much promise.

An important advance was made last June, in the establishment of an associate professorship of history and political economy. Dr. Herbert E. Mills, who was appointed to the position, is a graduate of Rochester University, and has spent four years in study at Cornell, teaching Greek and Latin during the last of these years. He received the degree of Ph. D., summa cum laude, in June, taking as the subject of his thesis "The French Revolution in San Domingo.".

Dr. and Professor Hinkel will be greatly missed by their many friends. Dr. Hinkel's place is supplied by Dr. Snyder, a graduate of Harvard in the class of '86, who received his Ph. D. at Leipzig, in June, 1890. The subject of his work for the doctor's degree was a study of the Mahavansa, an ancient Buddhist chronicle of Ceylon.

Fraülein Herholz, of Cincinnati, takes the position left vacant by Fraülein Hinkel's resignation.

Our new physician is Dr. Gertrude Farwell, a graduate of the New York Medical College, and formerly lecturer on therapeutics in that institution.

Miss E. C. Greene, Vassar '87, who has been teaching with great success for the past three years in the school of the Misses Gerrish and Sterling, Englewood, N. J., has been appointed teacher of Latin and Greek. Miss Jeannette Perry, a graduate of Smith College, takes the position of essay critic, and Miss Story, of Gloucester, Conn., is organist for the year.

On the evening of Sept. 20th, the new students in her parlor.

Miss Goodsell received Many of the "old girls

assisted her in welcoming the new-comers, and introductions were the order of the evening. The Glee Club's rendering of our college classics served to banish all formality, and to awaken a spirit of patriotism and loyalty to our Alma Mater in those who for the first time heard

her praises sung. Thus pleasantly was spent an evening which might otherwise have given sad occasion for homesickness.

A suggestion has recently been made by a member of the Faculty, to which the MISCELLANY would call the attention of the Students' Association.

We have all appreciated the inconvenience occasioned, especially to visitors, by the large number of notices which it has seemed necessary to have read in the dining-room. It has been suggested that this inconvenience might be to some extent obviated by utilizing the bulletin-board outside the dining-room door, as a kind of signal service station, where notices of class and society meetings might be posted. To economize the time spent in reading these notices, a series of signs might be adopted, which should inform one at a glance as to the society posting the notice, and as to the time and place of the meeting. For instance, a circle, with the figures 1:30 and the letters L. R., would signify that a meeting of the Students' Association was called in the Lecture Room at half-past one. Other symbols might be used to designate the various classes and societies, and by lessening the number of notices read in the dining-room, this system would do away with a cause of considerable discomfort.

The Young Women's Christian Association has a most delightful method of making itself known to the new students, and its method was never more successfully put into practice than on the evening of Oct 2d.

The fallacy of a popular impression to the effect that all receptions are formal and "a bore" was completely established; for conversation, dancing in Room J, and refreshments combined to make this reception one of the most informal and enjoyable of the mild festivities which begin the year's social life.

When, at breakfast time on the morning of October 4th, the sun positively refused to shine, the feelings of Seniors and Juniors were inclined to be in harmony with. the aspect of nature. Was our promised Mohonk trip destined to elude our grasp like so many other" dear delights" that were too good to be true? We felt like quoting, "I never loved a dear gazelle," etc. But fortunately those melancholy lines were not long applicable, for the weather improved so rapidly that by half-past nine six wagon loads of '91 and '92 left the college under a sky whose blue gave promise of a perfect day. Our joy at this change in the condition of affairs was necessarily restrained while we were passing through the streets of Poughkeepsie; but no sooner had we crossed the river and left civilization behind, than it manifested itself in renderings of "Our Alma Mater," "Vassar College" and other favorites, which were remarkable rather for enthusiasm than for melody. On reaching Mohonk Mountain, it was hinted by our drivers that perhaps we might prefer to walk for a change; some of us, impelled by a humane sympathy for the horses, did prefer so to do, and found our sympathy growing more acute with every step. The summit and the lake being finally arrived at, lunch was served in the hotel dining-room, and the hour following was spent on the lake or in the summer houses; in making the ascent to Sky Top or in visiting Eolus in his rocky abode. By four o'clock we were ready for the drive home. And what a memorable drive it was, down the mountain in the cool afternoon air, and across the valley with the sunset light on the gorgeous autumn foliage! It was quite dark when we reached the college, tired out but full of gratitude towards the unknown but warmly remembered friend to whom we owe the enjoyment of an ideal day.

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