UNIVERSITY COURIER.
9
and zinc crystals have been removed by the process of nature.
A fine collection of forty pictures, in water-colors, twenty illustrating the most interesting game birds and twenty the most valuable game fishes of the United States. The pictures are very handsome and will undoubtedly be very attractive and instructive. The birds are representations from Pope's originals and the fishes from Kilbourne's famous paintings, some of which, the originals, sold for no less than from ten to fifteen thousand dollars each. We understand that only a limited number of copies were struck off and then the plates were destroyed. Agents are not allowed to dispose of more than three sets in any one locality. Hence the pictures can but be very rare, and the University may well feel proud of its possession. They will not be on exhibition for two or three weeks yet.
The other night about 8 o'clock as we were passing from the north gate to the University building we stumbled over some sort of a beast which immediately showed fight. It was raining and very dark and we could only hear the threatening grunts and hisses of the animal. After a short skirmish in which our only weapon was an umbrella, we secured the stranger by the end of the tail. Then we ran for light and assistance, meanwhile whirling the thing around vigorously, fearing that it might be a dangerous or biting beast. It proved to be a very fine specimen of an opossum, which may now be seen in the Upper Natural History Room, in the attitude of surprising a very dignified and self-important squirrel.
At the recent session of the Academy of Science Prof. H. S. S. Smith delivered a lecture entitled "Comets," especially the recent one which has been attracting so much attention among astronomers. The Professor gave a brief review of the early history of comets, of the wild superstitions and fears which they have ever caused among ignorant people of all ages. Though science has dispelled these fears and superstitions, she is still at a loss in her endeavor to fully explain the origin or composition of comets. He reviewed the theories of the best astronomers on the nature and phenomena, the "whence and whither" of these "traveling observatories of heavenly astronomers," in connection with which he gave an account of his own discovery of "two faint streaks of light extending toward the sun." The lecture elicited much praise from those who heard it and was commented upon and reviewed at length by the Topeka papers.
NORMAL.
WORK WILL WIN.
Yes, work will win; and work is the only thing that will win. This "happy-go-easy,""trust-to-luck" sort of life never did achieve great objects.
Work is the great lever which moves the world, and not careless work,either,but steady,thoughtful,earnest,persistent work.
Steady work; because if not, like the ever-shifting sands, we uncover to-day what was covered yesterday.
Thoughtful work, lest, like the angry waves which forver dash against, and are broken by the rocks, we toil through life and accomplish nothing. Two-thirds of our people to-day are toiling and digging from sun
to sun without any appreciable results, because their work is not thoughtful. We pityingly say "poor man; he's a hard-working fellow, but hasn't any management," while the truth is he but half works. While his muscles are busy his brain is idle.
Earnest work, else we accomplish but half what we might accomplish, and never are masters of anything.
Persistent work, because only by "pegging away," by working in season and out of season, can we hope to achieve any great or noble thing. Fulton did not build his steamboat in a day. Morse labored for years before the first electric message flew from Baltimore to Washington. It is to the persistent efforts of George Stevenson that we now witness the iron horse bounding from ocean to ocean.
We look upon our great men as though they were endowed with special gifts from heaven. We attribute to them a talent which we term "genius;" but this genius is only the result of careful, persistent work. Without earnest application "genius" is a myth.
Enter our schools, our colleges, our universities, and find the young man or woman who stands head and shoulder above the rest, who leads the class, who is pointed to as the "genius," and see if that is not the one who burns the midnight oil in thorough preparation. Follow them into life and see if it is not the one who works, and works thoughtfully and steadily, who reaches the golden height of fame or honor.
If there be any such thing as "genius," it has ruined many. He who has but to read over a lesson to be able to recite, and is satisfied with such preparation, will achieve no great results.
But point to us the young man or woman who is not afraid to work, patiently and even ploddingly,and we will point to you a young man or woman who has great possibilities in store for them.
EXCHANGE.
After October's biting frost it seems
After October's biting frost it seems That summer days return. The partridge whirs A noisy wing to ambush in the firs; And for a while the sun retricks his beams. It is an autumn that of spring-time dreams. The warm breeze comes again, and softly stirs
The silent tree tops, and the empty burs Which, loosened, drop into the leaf-clogged streams Ah! dear, this tardy sunshine, and the last! So shall we find—our summer being past.
And hoar-frost with us-for a little breath So fair a country, such a genial air; And shall forget our woes,and unaware Step over to the border-land of death!
Step over to the border-land of death! Andrew B. Saxton in the December Century.
The Indiana Student has been resurrected. By the appearance of its first number we judge that it has some enthusiasm back of it. If the article "On Philistines" is the production of a " dyspeptic" we sigh for more dyspeptic writers.
The Occident still continues to rake the Chi Phi's over the coals. We will take our laugh now as we will probably have no occasion to, when the editor parades before an inquisitive world the mysteries of that fraternity about which we are mostly concerned.