Harvard Monthly.

With the January issue the Monthly assumes its familiar appearance, and presents attractive and varied articles. The graduate contribution, by Mr. H. P. Bowditch, is a thorough discussion of the question, "Is Harvard a University? The writer inquires "can Harvard at present be properly termed a university? If not, are changes of organization or method, which would justify the use of the term, desirable? It so, what are the character and extent of these changes?" In answering these questions he shows that Harvard does not correspond to the types of English, French or German universities, but he does not seem to consider that she may stand between the English and German. He goes on to show in what respects she falls short of the foreign standards and decides that she has no real claim to the title of university. Her present functions are "to furnish a liberal education as complete as possible," and to prepare students to enter upon professional careers." Of these Mr. Bowditch thinks the former absorbs too much attention. He suggests that "the somewhat overgrown academic department should be divided into two distinct departments" the "academic" and the "philosophical." The philosophical department would correspond to some extent to the present graduate department, while the academic course would be shortened to three years. This arrangement he believes would attract more students and induce many men to take a full course of six years through the professional schools or philosophical department, and so from a financial point of view "more than compensate for the loss incurred by shortening the academic course."

In "Between Two Worlds" a powerful sketch by M. Wilcox, is suggested a problem of theosophy. Its defect is an unsatisfactory vagueness which is not dispelled by skill in narration.

N. Hapgood contributes a thoughtful paper entitled "Zola's Attack on the Modern Drama." He shows development of the drama through the nine tenth century and the deterioration from art to "movement." His argument is strong; but his views are perhaps a little too gloomy.

"Serious Nonsense" by K. Brown, is a vivacious and suggestive bit of dialogue. The verse consists of "Thy Eyes are Mirrors of Strange Things," by H. Bates, and "To Pan" by H. McCulloch, jr. The latter shows a love of nature.

The "Letter" is a reply to J. R. Finlay's communication in the December Monthly. It attempts to show by a comparison of our recent athletic teams with Yale's that Yale has not had better men and suggests that Harvard's greatest deficiency is "a lack of trainers."

The "Editorial" compares Harvard's recent freshman class to Yale's in the distribution of the members, and shows that Harvard has lost in her percentage of students from the west and south and made a striking gain only in Massachusetts, while Yale has lost less in the west and south and gained most in New England, outside of Connecticut and the Middle States. The writer predicts from these facts greater future developments for Yale than Harvard unless our undergraduates are more ready to undertake "missionary work" in the distant states.

"The Month" reviews the athletic discussion with Princeton, summarizes the changes made in the overseers' visiting committees, and mentions other important facts in athletics and college government.