Bryn Mawr College - Bryn Mawr Yearbook (Bryn Mawr, PA)

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The Prehistoric Era Pane 13 BACK in the days when this world was new — at least to its most important inhabitants — they didn ' t know they were prehistoric, but they thought they were most daringly modern. No one ever confesses to being pre- historic — which is why things are so hard for the prehistorian. So, in- stead of giving a vivid picture of the life of the aborigines as transmitted by oral tradition, he can reconstruct it only from fragmentary relics. Tor instance, all he has to guide him in estimating the probable size of Taylor Tower before its recent chipping, are the mouldy galoshes discovered in the Pembroke icebox. (The fact that they were discovered in the icebox is as yet unexplained, but it is sinister — and significant. J Our idea of prehistoric sports is based on exhumed geology hammers, and strips of papyrus stained with blood and tears. As regards food, this was trie pre-soup period of history, for records unearthed show traffic only in muggle, crackers and George Washington. The subject of muggle is an interesting one, since there were strange rites connected with muggle-eating around the hearth. The word seems to be connected etymologically with the Latin word mugio — to bellow. This is made more certain because a part of the rite of mug- gling seems to have been the destruction of a cow with an axe. But why did such poor, undeveloped creatures of a crude society imagine themselves modern? For the same reason that any people consider themselves modern and progressive — they had discarded the ancient deity of their tribe as a mere solar myth. They had a new god all their own. adopted from a neighboring tribe, the Rad Cliff-dwellers. In other matters they were not so original as they liked to think. Their weeks were marked by the conventional four exercise periods. They developed the typical primitive habit of cinema-going, and, choosing seats on the left in their fresh, unsophisticated manner they learned something of the darkey side of life. They took life seriously — a primitive habit, soon outgrown — and in this way laid themselves open to oppression. Their tyrant was a fear- some beast: the four gray hairs remaining lead us to believe it was of the genus Wheezel. In combatting this common foe their gregarious instincts were considerably developed. It was a genteel beast and of refined instincts. Its life was gradually snuffed out by the budding enthooo-sysm of the aborigines. From these frugal beginnings have we risen to what we are. LESSON FOR THE DAY: We hated to open doors, too. but WE did it. Remains of its shrine may be seen at Penny-Groes. Cook ' s tours may be arranged so as to include this interesting spot, through the wardens of the halls of residence. BRYN MAWR NOTES and MONOGRAPHS «S»