The Aegis, Dartmouth '86.

I believe that all the American colleges, excepting Harvard, have an annual publication of the same nature as the Dartmouth "Aegis," which has just come to my notice. The nearest thing that we have to it at Harvard is the "Index," but our Index is not to be compared with the elaborate affair published by Dartmouth and other colleges. Our "Index" is for use and convenience only, but such a publication as the "Aegis" not only embodies a full college directory, but has hard "grinds" on the students and the faculty as well, sketches of college life, cartoons, and so on. All the wit, wisdom, and ingenuity of the year is crammed into it. Sometimes the results are remarkably good, sometimes they are equally poor. Doubtless the publication is looked forward to by the students with a great deal of interest, and, it is to be supposed, on the part of many with no small trepidation.

The Dartmouth Aegis, 1 suppose, may be taken as a type of the similar publications in other colleges. As a type, then, it is an interesting study. Let us examine it. We find two engravings of the new college chapel and library, both very handsome buildings. Two prominent full page cuts are entitled "The Last Cane Rush," and "Cremation," the latter referring to the day annually dedicated to Mathematics. Lastly is a full page picture of the editors of the publication. Among many of the list of clubs and societies we find some very appropriate cuts. The name of the "Dartmouth Literary and Philosophical Ass." The society made up chiefly of members of the faculty) suggests a heading immediately. Dartmouth has, we learn from the "Aegis." a Bicycle Club, a Lawn Tennis Association, a Handerand Haydn Society, an Opera Company, a D. A. A. and Foot Ball, and Base Ball Associations, all apparently very prosperous. Class teams are evidently more prominent at Dartmouth than here. Boarding clubs are very numerous, fourteen being mentioned. The manner and size of the Greek letter fraternities is surprising to us Harvard men. With us they are "way down," but at Dartmouth, and I suppose at most other colleges as well, they are "way up."

The following from the "Aegis" is of considerable interest: -A Tragedy of Errors, or 'Dartmouth picked out of the League,' a drama of facts." The first is on the "College Ground, Cambridge," with "groups of dudes twirling canes and adjusting eyeglasses." The whole drama is very good reading indeed-to Dartmouth Men. The personal "grinds" in the "Aegis" are almost without number. "Nominibus onusis" here are some of them, "-, 'asinus asinorum'; -, 'I had rather tell ten lies than say a word of truth' -, 'Great Bacchus is my deity." These grinds are doubtless the soul of Dartmouth wit. We may well pity the subjects of them all.

Such a book as the "Aegis" lets one into the college life as no other book could do. Containing, as the "Aegis" does, a little of everything, and the essence of that, it enables one to make a comparatively perfect picture of Dartmouth life, a picture that is of interest to us because Dartmouth life is much different from our own. The "Aegis" is published annually by editors from the junior class.

L.