HALL AND CAMPUS.
How narrow, some may think, are the limits
that constitute the boundary lines of our world, as
we as students find it at P. S. C. We are brought
together from all parts of the coun try to spend the
greater part of the year. The majority, we will
find, are earnest students intent upon better fitting
themselves for the higher duties of life. Some
come because they have to endure a certain num
ber of years of study, if for no other purpose than
to carry out, what seems to them a whim of their
parents. A few, we will find, with no higherambi
tion than that of the honor of graduation. Thus
we find in our little world all sorts of ambitions,
all kinds of characters and all the different man
nerisms of as many different localities.
The College like a huge and complicated piece
of mechanicism with its different forces, influences
and curriculum, takes up a strange conglomera
tion of raw material with which to turn out the
finished graduate. And yet, we choose to ob
serve, to what a remarkable degree of perfection
is the work accomplished.
There is a blending force in the common inter
est which all must have if they would be loyal in
the least degree to their college. This is the force
that tends to being all to a common plain, where
distinction is based upon ability only, and invari
ably the best interests are served by the ready
recognition of this condition. One force tends
to tear down and eradicate another to build up and
round out. And so the forces all work together
like the irresistable and hidden laws of the uni
verse, and living in the little world which is con
stituted by the college and its surroundings we all
are subject to them. 13ut, can we call it a little
world without any further qualification ?. Does it
not all depend from what standpoint we take our
view ? If in an intellectual sense we would draw
our limits we would find them lost in the almost
boundless space of ages. If we look from the
practical and worldly standpoint of view, we find
our limits become very much contracted ; and if
THE FREE LANCE.
we wish to look at it in a social light some might
say our world is very narrow indeed. Let us look
at this little world as it is reflected in the social
light and see what is going on and how its people
amuse themselves.
Dancing I Yes! A splendid means for recrea
tion and pastime. But let me think a. moment.
The fact is Ido not readily recall the occurrence
of this pastime or amusement. Ah ! I have it
now! It was last term, I believe, that the Senior
class, with a magnanimity forced into their natures
by custom, gave the students an opportunity to
indulge in this rare pleasure. But, strange to soy,
they did not indulge to a very great extent. The
truth is they seldom do. However, people came
from the outside world and had a very pleasant
time, and contributed very materially to the pleas
ure of the Senior class. In the intervening time
there has been one or two very small but very
pleasant entertainments given in this delightful
art. A new interest has been awakened
in this amusement that bids fair to have a very
lasting effect upon society at P. S. C. The 400
is the noble band that was willing to stake their
pocket-books and reputation upon the success of
the dance given. But in order that it should
be a success and that the greatest number of stu
dents might have an opportunity of taking part in
it, young ladies were not allowed upon the floor and
the students all went masked.
As was expected there was a large turn out and
much amusement was derived from this society
Another means by which the social horizon is
widened, is Whist. The indulgence in this game
at times becomes almost a mania with some, and
in the worst stages of the epidemic it has been
aptly named Whisteria. It gets hold of all sorts
of players, good, bad and indifferent, and the
more indifferent players it takes possession of the
more acute the suffering. At this phase of this