the dollars-and-cents point of view, it is not worth the effort. The .small value of the prizes heretofore given is an op probrium against the dignity of the contest. When the student puts forth so much exertion to produce and exe cute what lie and all his hearers regard as a representative or summing up of his literary and oratorical abilities we think the value of the prize should be in keeping with the importance of what it signifies. If not fixed, it should be confined within certain limits, as is the case at most institutions. The insignificance of the prize will not, we feel sure, be a source of dis couragement to the student. The ad vantage gained by thus testing one’s self, and that recompense which is not reckoned in money that follows all toil and trouble—these are the true and sat isfactory remunerations, THERE often arises in the mind of the thoughful student a feeling of dissatisfaction with his course of study ; and not unfrequently, he is conscious of a deeper and a wider feeling that his po sition in general is a misadjusted one. We do not refer to those periods of men tal depression which are common to all, at least, to all students ; they are consti tutional, to a great extent, or arise from peculiar physical environments. We mean those extremes wherein the mind suffers the nature of a rational insur rection ; the conflict of motives hold THE FREE LANCE. their sway and questions like these con front the student : How will this study benefit me ? What is the use in both ering my brain with that problem which I never expect to haive occasion to di rectly use? Many a tough problem has been gotten around in this way, much to the injury of the student’s mental powers. Then, too, he is not alone in the attitude he takes ; he is often de ceived by the remarks of grown men, to whom credit for common sense is given, who cite the old log school house where readin’, writin’, 'rithmetic and spellin’ made up the course of study, as the only college from which many of the world’s greatest men graduated. This fallacy is too apparent to need comment. He who is pursuing a college course is supposed to be acquainted with the two great ends which it aims to secure : (i) Mental discipline; (2) General knowledge. Of these mental discipline is really the more important. It is here that we acquire the facility to lay hold of the subjects which practical life will subsequently bring up ; and it is here that we acquire that power of feeling forward and selecting from the mystic unknown the threads of truth .and to follow them up through all their wind ings. There is such a thing as one be coming habituated in the art of correctly and readily apprehending the lay of facts and dealing with them legitimately. There is unity in the course of all