ILLUSTRATED LACKS LIFE

A modest and straight forward editorial in the February Illustrated stated that the task of the magazine is to be ä record and as far as possible an influence." It records by illustrations and by solid artifices. The really interesting illustrations in this number are those of the old library, of the Cadet. Corps, of a Shelby portrait in the Library, and of the Western colleges with which we are exchanging professors. Among the "recording" articles is none about "the "new Medicine" by Dr. Richard Cabot an extremely clear summary. Another is a description of the Medical School, which reads like the Catalogue and is not especially timely. The account of our vanished library by Mr. Grinder is substantial, though it fails to tell as who Gore was, and calls Dr. Thaddeus W. Harris an etymologist instead of an entomologist. Other articles "of record" concern the Harvard Cadet Corps and our foreign language societies. The inference of the Illustrated in exercised by pertinent editorial articles and contributions, such as in this number discuss the Union, hockey, the free medical Lectures, intimations and the like--all sane rather than convincing. Professor Van Dyke contributes a few graceful works about Chapel; and there are science book-reviews. Of course it cross to print illustrations, but does that justify the exasperating fashion of pluming the advertising pagers with item of intercollegiate news, which in their place would be all very well? The great trouble with this number is that it is practically a corpse; hardly a sign of life, handily a scintilla of style, is to be found in the whole copy; and although the Illustrated may make an excellent "record," it can never be much as an influence among us so long as it entirely disdains the graces of style.