Monmouth College - Ravelings Yearbook (Monmouth, IL)

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T 1 28 RA VELINGS. students we look forward to the time that always has, and we trust always when our college untrammelled by fin- will, characterize Monmouth College, ancial retardation shall take front x rank with other leading colleges 1i FHAT has become of our esteemed throughout the land. We are brought » » friend, who for the greater part and kept here by the expectancy of of the past term, has been masquerad- sueh a realization. Our future destiny ing in the columns of the Daily Review is largely bound up in the future of as the college correspondent? For Monmouth College. To make this as sis long weeks the pen of the irrepres- great as possible, we must act as be- sible Phoebe has been silent. We can comes persons of good sense and never only account for this in the supposi- don the garb of the thoughtless and tion that death has claimed the dear imprudent one. old girl for his own. For some time we have been aching for an opportun- HE three-hour system has been ity to pay our respects to this unique given a practical test during the and unapproachable character, but the past term, and the results thus far are old proverb, Never speak ill of the eminently satisfactory to both profes- dead, forbids it now. Twice a week sor and student. When the change she reg ' aled the readers of the Review was first made, the lengthening of with the choicest tidbits of college lessons, consequent upon the decrease gossip, served in a style and with a in the number of studies to be pur- luxurience peculiarly her own. j sued, caused some murmurs of discon- Nothing was too trivial for her notice. c tent; but after four months ' work Like the g-ood woman of Proverbs, she I under the new system, but few would brought her food from afar, but we care to return to the old. While the have yet to hear of any one who has plan is new here it is not an experi- risen up to call her blessed. It has L . ment. Many of our larger colleges been suggested that the present cor- ' and universities, after trying it sue- respondent, Betsy, is only Phoebe K cessfully, have permanently adopted under an assumed name, that tiring it. The change has much to recom- after a time of the commonplace name mend it. It avoids that distraction of Phoebe she adopted the more pic- incident to the pursuance of many dif- turesque alias of Betsy. But we are ferent subjects simultaneously. Where unwilling to believe these rumors, the student formerly had his thoug-hts Rather would we think of Phoebe as divided among ' four or more subjects, having completed her career, — as a C he now has them concentrated upon maiden lady of uncertain age, who K — three. The power of concentration, so having by the use of complexion beau- necessary to success in every vocation tifiers, hair restorers and false bangs, in life, is thus cultivated in a much long and valiantly resisted the en- greater degree than befoi ' e. This will croachments of time, has at last yield- secure greater and better results in ed to the inevitable and given up the fit t our school work, and its influence will struggle. As a character in journalism be felt in the calling we elect when Phoebe stands alone. She is, or was, our college days have ended. The something new under the sun. Before adoption of the new system is but an- her there was nothing her like, neither other evidence of the progressive spirit after her shall there be another such. JM

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RAVELINGS. Vol. 1. JANUARY 23, 1895. No. 2 RAVELINGS. PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY Ravelings Joint Stock Co. Subscription rates Fifty Cents (oOe) per year in advance. If not paid within three months 7ne. Single copies fifteen cents. Copies can be obtained at the Monmouth book stores. { Subscriptions continued until otherwiee ordered. All commn cations should be addressed to RAVELINGS CO., Monmouth, Illinois. ( ' . T. SCHEXC ' K, ' Sin. J. M. CATHCART, ' 95, Editors-in-dhief. A. A. SAMSON. ' 95, Exchange and Christian Union Editor. J. T. MILLER, ' 96, Athletic and Alumni Editor. RALPH GRAHAM, ' 97, . - . Local and Alumni Editor. FRED McMILLAN, ' 98, Business Manager. IT has ever been a salient fact that Monmouth students and alumni, as a body, were loyal to their alma mater. It is not at all remarkable that such should be the ease. Those of us who are here at present, and those who have preceded us. know well what op- portunities Monmouth College has for one who seeks the best things. But we can not forbear mentioning; that occasionally we have heard fellow students who were anticipating a de- gree from Monmouth speak dispar- agingly of their college. We are sure that only thoughtlessness could have permitted such dangerous remarks. To suggest any other reason is to im- ply non compos mentis. Monmouth does not arrogate to itself a classifica- tion with the New England universi- ties, nor does she claim to offer equal advantages with wealthier denomina- tional colleges throughout the East. But we do maintain that no college of- fers better educational facilities com- mensurate to the expense entailed. Monmouth is certainly lacking in some things which provoke the super- ficial observer to brand us behind the times. But the indication which de- termines we are up to the times in the broadest meaning of the term, is the full appreciation by the colleg-e authorities of these very deficiencies and their earnest effort to supply the need. This embarrassment will be in a great measure retrenched in the in- crease of endoivment and building ' s already in sight. We. as students, must once for all learn that the surest and quickest way to elevate our col- lege to the rank which we would like to have it. is to never fail to praise its possessive merits and never seek to hold forth its weaknesses. A word from a student as an advertisement is worth more than a ton of catalogues and printed matter. As Monmouth

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RA VELINGS. 29 Much as we regret her decease, we Has there been no progress during the would not for an instant disturb the interim? Or is deterioration the shib- repose of her departed spirit. We boleth? This is a very remarkable in- would not call her back if we could, dictment. It is the more so coming Our stony grief will not permit tears, from the source that it does — a Chris- and nothing is left for us but to write tian minister. It means that Chris- a suitable epitaph in honor of her tianity, as well as civilization, has memory. In the fulfillment of this been a failure, for Christianity, while task we can think of nothing so appro- it is not to be given credit for the sum priate to the subject as that used by total, is still an important factor in the young man in memory of his de- this progress. The allegation falls ceased aunt. Wishing to fittingly ex- flat upon a moment ' s thought and press his love and veneration for her reflection, and doubtless emanated virtues, he prepared a lengthy epitaph from one insensible to the beneficent ending with the wdrds, let her rest influences surrounding him. The in peace. Not having sufficient divine has failed utterly to grasp the space for the whole, the sculptor was grand possibilities of the present, forced to use only the initial lettei-s of This generation is as strong as any the last three words. It then read, that has preceded it. There is as let her r. i. p. This abbreviated much courage, as much patriotism, as form so nearly expresses our senti- much virtue in the present as there ments in the present instance that we was in the generation that achieved gladly borrow it for the occasion, and the victories of the civil war. All say of Phoebe, The dear old g-irl has these years the world has been going gone, ' let her rip. ' ' forward not backward. It has been s moving upward, not downward. Not IT matters little where one goes only is human nature as strong now as thoughout this wide world, for the it was a third of a century ago, but truth is everywhere the same, that man has called to his assistance all men with peculiar ideas and contracted the forces of nature. Intellectually, brain live and proclaim strangle doc- the human race is stronger today than trines. While out of town during the it has ever been since the present civil- holiday vacation we heard a prom- ization began. Morally, there has inent Congregational minister lecture been equally great progress. But on Political Equality. Among the this is nothing new. Every passing- many good things he said was this generation has had the same bad opin- one egregious blunder: The genera- ion of the succeeding one. The pre- tion of young men who saved the diction has every time proven a failure. Nation and freed the slave was a mag- Men come and men go. When Lincoln nificent one: they were equal to the was assassinated Gen. Garfield quieted occasion. The present generation of a New York gathering with the pro- young men is not morally or intellec- phetic words: The government at tually competent to save our country Washington still lives. The king is from the evils which threaten it. dead: long live the king. There will The divine is evidently ignorant of the be a great void in France when I am advancement of the world and misap- dead and gone, said Victor Hugo. prehends the age in which he is living ' . The following lines from Charles