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is well shown in "Callista's" reply to Polemo, pages 314,-15;—to my mind one of the finest portions of the book.
"Callista" is lacking in imagination.
It is also deficient in coherence. One fails to see the connection between the story, and how St. Fabian came to be selected as pope and was finally martyred—pages 70, and 71, or why a short account of the imprisonment of St. Paul, St. Silas and St. Fortuna page 363 et seq.—is necessary to the symmetry of the story.
And at page 73,—after speaking of the time that must elapse before the news of government proceedings at Rome could be communicated to her rural provinces,—the author suddenly reminds us that we are not reading a "Tale of the Third Century," by saying: "The case, indeed is different now. In these times, newspapers, railroads, and magnetic telegraphs make us independent of government messengers. The proceedings at Rome would have been generally and accurately known in a few seconds."
The descriptions of the devastations of the locust is rich and elaborate. So also is Cornelius' description of the Secular Games at Rome, page 42, et seq. And in this connection, the sarcastic interruptions of Aristo, the Greek, possesses a veiled keeness that is very relishing.
Arnobiu's satire of Polemo, the "bottomless man,"--Pg. 85 and 6-is very amusing.
The same delicate touch of a master's hand is shown wherever humor appears. It is not strong and sharp, but comes in a quiet way, as a delicate, pulsating under-current to the main thought.
The most prominent characteristic of his tyle is its extreme simplicity. The words used are few, direct, delicately chosen and exquisitely fitted to the thought. They seem to be a strong, clear lens to reveal the author's mind.
The tendency of the novel seems to be idealistic; especially in its portrayal of Christian characters.
Its influence is good.
It ranks well in the rare class to which it belongs. But the palpable moral lesson in a novel is apt to result much as did Darwin's attempt to teach botany by means of poetry. And "Callista" would have been a greater work could Newman have listened to his Art without his purpose for an interpreter.
Reason without Rhyme
'Tis hard to make ourselves content
With being what we are.
'Tis hard to make all others think
We're other than we are.
But harder still it is to learn
That counterfeited traits but show
Exactly what we are.
S. P.
EXCHANGES.
Said A to B, "ICUR Inclined to BAJ". Said B, "Your wit my worthy friend Shows signs of sad D K."
—Yale Courant.
The unknown quantity—1900. Life.
A new departure—a freshman fired. Princeton Tiger.
Brown has adopted the name, "Century"
Class, for the class of 1900. ---Ex.
"It is my firm conviction," said the stork as he gulped down a frog, "that the green-backs should be retired." —Life
There has been a radical change in the matter of degrees at Cornell. All the degrees but A. B. have been abolished. The A. B. will mean that the student has attended school four years. There has been considerable criticism about the matter and what the outcome will be, the future only can tell. Persons of all tongues can now enter, and the words of Ezra Cooper: "I would found an institution in which any person can find instruction in any study," are fulfilled. Northwestern.