Old Thayer Commons' Hall.

Many students are doubtless unaware of the great improvement made in the department of co-operative boarding since the days when Thayer Commons' Hall, which formerly stood near the Law School, and is now used as a stable on Holmes Field, was the headquarters of the Harvard Dining Association. The following poem, descriptive of associates connected with this old hall, was read at the dinner of the Directors of Memorial, and is published at their request, and by the permission of the author, Mr. L. B. Fiske, '73.

We meet to-night to celebrate

A year of work together,

The labors done, the victories, won

'Mid fair and stormy weather.

And as we meet with jovial cheer

And kindly greet each other,

We find we have assembled here

One Board around another !

Great oaks from little acorns grew,

As has been often shown-

And our Association too,

Progressive growth has known.

And memory with Janus face

While still the present viewing,

Looks backward to another place

Remembered scenes renewing.

For I who once in Commons' Hall

The frugal feast was sharing,

With pleasure now those days recall

That time with this comparing.

Sometimes while sitting in my place,

The waiter's pleasure waiting,

Half dreamingly those scenses I trace

Their joys and sorrows rating-

Memorial's walls come crowding in,

Sinks down the lofty ceiling,

The pictures vanish, there within

Four blank-white walls revealing.

The tables narrow, crowd the chairs,

Vanish the dusky faces,

Instead of Sambo unawares

The Bridgets take their places.

The tables with the joints are graced,

From sheep or oxen burly,

Each carves-or hacks to suit his taste-

He fares best who comes early.

Of knife and tongue-ah! what a din.

Within these walls contracted

Full many a stirring scene has been

'Twixt soph, and fresh. enacted.

A taunt, a word would oft suffice,

The cane some freshman sported,

Some pointed joke that in a trice

Was back again retorted.

And then perchance a biscuit flew

Presaging fiercest battle,

The maids in waiting quick withdrew

Like thunder frightened cattle

Oh, hotly raged the contest then

Each side the storm maintaining,

Till war his visage smoothed again

And Peace resumed her reigning.

Sometimes without the Commons' door

The organ-grinder screeches,

Sometimes we hear the learned lore

Of the great Daniel's speeches!

One morn, behold, some joker sad

Had placed a sign-board stating

That "Feed for Horses" could be had

With boarding there or baiting!

We saw the joke and called it good,

By students' standard testing,

But Time, in an avenging mood,

Sometimes brings truth from jesting.

Or is it "Irony of Fate"

That takes the themes we jest with

And makes the truth discovered late

Sometimes to be expressed with?

How e'er that be, I often see,

As Holmes' broad field I enter,

The very wall within whose hall

So many memories centre.

But there no more the student feeds

Brain nutriment demanding,

For patiently the well groomed steeds

Within their stalls are standing.

So time has done and done with all,

So glory fades and flowers,

But long may fair Memorial Hall

Resist Time's changing powers.