way. It is doing a work that for beneficene
and almost limitless scope, finding its way as
it does to the very heart of our educational
circles and securing the flower of our youth
for posterity, is almost incomparable in mag
nitude with that of any similar association.
It is well worthy the recognition and aid of
any sober-minded and good-intentioned stu
dent. Let us show a progressive spirit and
support not only by personal advice but by
individual work our Young Men's Christian
Association.
COLLEGE LIFE,
COLLEGE life is what you make it. It de.
pends solely on yourself. It is a period
when you form habits that will follow you
through the rest of your life. You can make
it one of usefulness and profit or one of worth
lessness and loss.
In it there are two ways or paths to follow.
The one ascending, the other descending.
You have your choice. Will you choose the
one to success and honor, or will you prefer
the one leading you downward, perhaps to
humiliation and disgrace ?
The way to success involves hard work,
steady and earnest application and a resolve
to do your best in everything. The other
way is a very easy one to follow. It merely
requires neglect of studies, dishonesty, mean
ness or some other bad habit and if you follow
it faithfully you are pretty sure to come out
at the end dishonored.
In the society of college life there are what
we may call two crowds or factions. It is for
you to choose to which you will belong. If
you choose the right one, the one in' which
there are fellows who mean to work, you are
pretty sure of getting along ; but if you choose
the other one you will have a hard time.
In the first named crowd you are closely
THE FREE LANCE.
associated with steady fellows for three or
four years. You form acquaintances and
friendships with those who in after years will
be the leaders in their respective spheres, you
learn to depend on yourself and not to be de
pendent on others, and to work earnestly and
steadily. On the whole, if you get into the
right crowd, your days of college life will be
such that you can look back to and say truth
fully, that they were among the happiest, as
well as most useful days of your life.
If, however, you get into the wrong crowd,
you will experience the other side of college
life. The boys with whom you associate are
fellows who don't care ; they are reckless and
indifferent concerning their work.
If you become one of the members of this
crowd you will soon
,acquire the modes of living
and working followed by your associates ; your
comfort and enjoyment will be first in your
mind while your work will be last. True, you
may enjoy the mode of life and have an easy
time, but it will be at the expense of your
studies and your college life instead of being
a benefit to you will prove a detriment.
Now the influences of these two crowds is
very powerful. Much more so indeed, than
you imagine. They are at work on you all
the time through your whole college career,
and during that time are most important fac
tors in forming your habits. Since you under
stand their great influence for good or evil
think earnestly of their effect on your life and
work now and in the future, and when you
have done this make your choice.
While the students were away during vaca
tion, Schaffer, the tailor, exercised his large
yellow Spanish blood hound by taking it walk
ing every morning and evening. This bit of
news is not intented as a joke. We merely
desire to warn those students who are indebted
to him, as he intends to take the dog with
him when he collects his bills.
J. M. S., '93,
MEI=