A book has been placed in the Reading Room in which all alumnæ visiting the college are asked to sign their names. The list of visitors for March

Contributions to this department are desired by the second of the month in order to appear in that month's issue, and should be sent to Gertrude Tubby, Tenney House.

'79. The National Cathedral School in Washington, D. C., of which Mary B. Whiton is one of the principals, gave a piano recital by Miss Cornelia Dyar for the entertainment of the friends of the school, April 12. Last month a reception was given at the school for Mr. and Mrs. SetonThompson, at which Mr. Thompson read from his writings.

'80. At the April meeting of the Twentieth Century Club in Washington, D. C.. Mrs. J. R. Hill presented a paper on the Penology of the Nineteenth Century.

'82. Mrs. Alice Peloubet Norton has been teaching since October in the Emmons Blaine School, Chicago. This school has lately become a part of Chicago University, and will form the School of Pedagogy of that institution.

'86.

"An Unfinished Portrait," by Mrs. Jennette Lee, appeared in the April number of the Atlantic Monthly.

'88. Mrs. Fanny Hardy Eckstorm has published "The Woodpeckers,” a book on birds.

'90. Mary F. Willard was made principal of the Tennyson Grammar School in Chicago last September. The American Book Company has recently published an edition of the "Idyls of the King," prepared by her. '91. Helen W. Hewitt of Williamstown, Massachusetts, has an appointment in the Congressional Library.

'94. Charlotte Wilkinson has announced her engagement to Mr. Charles F. Bragden of Rochester, New York.

'95.

Anna L. Harrington was married March 16, to Dr. Nathan W. Green of
New York City.

'97. Mae R. Fuller and Frances Ripley are spending a few months in Santa Barbara, California.

Edith Taylor of Cleveland, Ohio, has spent the winter at The Logan,
Washington, D. C.

'97. Florence Knapp was married April 11, to Mr. John H. Yocum.

Alice Tullis Lord is in Pass Christian, Mississippi, recovering from an attack of typhoid fever.

Lucia Russell is studying at the Art League in New York.

'98. Josephine Dodge Daskam had a short story, "A Study in Piracy," in the April number of McClure's.

Maud A. Jackson has announced her engagement to Mr. Charles W. Hulst of New York.

'99. Winifred Carpenter has been teaching this year in Porto Rico, and studying Spanish.

Alice McClintock will spend the spring in New England.

Madge Palmer is teaching Latin and English at the Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn.

Marion Richards is substituting in Miss Cutler's place for a few days. 1900. Winifred Leeming sailed last month for a six week's trip to the West Indies.

Evelyn W. Smith is not at Mount Holyoke College, as was reported last month, but is traveling in Florida with Mary C. Wilder and her family. Elizabeth H. Smith is teaching in the Botanical Department of Mount Holyoke College.

Bertha Sanford recently delivered an oration at the graduation of the Women's Law Class of New York University, and received the Chancellor's certificate.

Frances Chickering, formerly a special student at Smith, recently entertained the Washington branch of the Association of Collegiate Alumnæ. A paper upon Child Development was read by Dr. O'Brien of Boston University, and vigorously discussed by the members present.

BIRTHS

Mrs. William A. Allen (Emma Corey) a son, John Goodyear.

'96. Mrs. Charles A. Anderson (Florence Stewart) a son, Charles Stewart,

born March 2.

ABOUT COLLEGE

It is not often, perhaps, while we are still in college that we are met with the charge that "a college education fosters an over-critical spirit," but in the non-collegiate world the accusation confronts us

The Critical Spirit of itself. A few weeks of vacation are sometimes sufficient to make one realize with a feeling of surprise that one has somehow developed a critical spirit which seems rather disproportionate when it is taken out of its college setting and viewed in the light of the outside world; and if the realization does not come of itself, the conclusion is very apt to be forced upon one by some helpful friend.

There are certainly many tendencies in a college training which might easily lead to an over-critical spirit; it is part of the students' work to analyze and form judgments, and each girl is encouraged to develop whatever faculty of criticism she may possess, exercising constantly her powers of discrimination. In college she finds her judgments respected by her friends as she in turn respects theirs. At home her opinions are treated with more respect and consideration in the family circle than is often their just due. Given such conditions and an average amount of self-assurance, and it is not surprising that she sometimes comes to regard her judgment as infallible and to feel that she must subject everything to a wholesome dissection and criticism before she can bestow upon it her approval. If it be true, moreover, that the college atmosphere is a critical one, it is also true that the very element of criticism in reasonable proportion is healthy and stimulating. It is impossible for the student entirely to exclude herself from her critical category; she may become too exacting in regard to others, but at the same time she at least learns to realize her own deficiencies, and no one jeers at her faults so mercilessly as the college girl herself. She finds that in this critical community she can not cherish affectations of character any more safely than she can wear cheap jewelry; all her faults and virtues are subjected to the same keen if kindly judgment, and she can not fail to profit by the consciousness of such a scrutiny.

We may further claim in defense of the critical spirit, that during a college career it generally escapes its customary penalty,-dissatisfaction. One finds a college community, in spite of its critical elements, singularly happy and contented. The counteracting influence lies in a certain enthusiastic readiness to enjoy the world in general, which seems to prevail among every body of college students. College friendships are none the less keenly enjoyed because of censured faults and acknowledged defects, nor does college life lose any of its vital interest because the student realizes its limitations. How can discontent become chronic in college where the normal attitude is one

of satisfaction and happiness? But when these ameliorating influences are wanting and the college student is called upon to adjust her standards to non-collegiate measure, she often finds herself rather inclined to carping criticism with a tendency toward didactic and intolerant judgment, even while she is making an heroic effort to be lenient and fair-minded. So strong is the habit of criticism that she subjects everything to her searching scrutiny; from the oldest friend to the latest sermon, little escapes the inquisition, half involuntary and unconscious though it may be. It is here that one finds an excellent opportunity to become a confirmed critic, with a dissatisfied frown and an ingenious capacity for injuring one's own pleasure and disturbing the less critical enjoyment of others by too keen criticism. If the critical spirit has been allowed unbridled sway for four years, it is by no means easy to control and check it suddenly by the opinion of others. On the other hand, four years of simple, independent judgment need not be dangerous; and the college student who finds difficulty in adjusting her critical faculties is generally quite ready to make the effort, knowing that "of all the cants which are canted in this canting world, the cant of criticism is the most tormenting!"

The Senior Dramatics Committee announces the following cast for “The Taming of the Shrew":

Baptista, a rich gentleman of Padua................... ..Ruth Alida Lusk
Vincentio, an old gentleman of Pisa.....Louise Charlotte Droste

The members of the committee are: Miriam Titcomb, Géneviève King, Constance Charnley, Ethel Prescott Stetson, Rosamond Hull, Jessamine Kimball.

Glee Club Concert Day was celebrated this year on March 13, and we may surely indulge ourselves in a few moments' reminiscence of a concert so enjoyable in itself and so gratifying to those whose The Glee Club Concert admirable effort and talent made it the success that it was.

The first honorable mention must deservedly be made of the weather on March thirteenth, and we are glad of the opportunity to put in a good word

for it this year, since the criticism given it in this connection is generally of so harsh and unfavorable a character. It was 1901 weather in every sense of the word. The sun beamed merrily forth arrayed like a warm partisan on basket-ball days when the fate of the yellow is involved. His good nature was of good omen. The house dances were more than usually vivacious and the houses themselves vied with the girls in looking their prettiest.

At the Academy of Music there was the usual pleasurable excitement of anticipation and curiosity in watching one's friends in gala attire with the interesting variety of a masculine escort. Before the interest here had been in any way exhausted, the curtain rose slowly, revealing a charming picture, the Glee Club in their light gowns with flowers so profusely about them that one found it difficult at first to distinguish between the girls and the flowers. Then came the expectant hush before the opening chords of Fair Smith," and the program of the evening was set in such smooth and rapid motion that the busy and somewhat less musical chattering of intermission brought one back to college in an incredibly short time.

The Mandolin Club gave all its selections an expressive and efficient handling, and their rendering of "Samson and Delilah" was remarkably good. The banjos with their jolly thwacks gave the true rollicking spirit, and one admired the exercise of self-control on the part of the audience in keeping their heads in a position of dignified immobility. There are those who, with chronic dislike of pouring forth their praises undiluted, were overheard to say that the banjos and mandolins were played in certain parts with a lack of self-confidence due to insufficient preparation; but the rhythmical, jovial stamping of a heavier grade shoe and the warm applause of a heavier grade hand showed an appreciation on the part of the guests of the evening that put to flight all doubts as to whether or not the clubs were attaining their ends. To the Glee Club itself is due, perhaps, the warmest praise. The selections were happily chosen, and sung with taste and spirit. The Glee Club, this year, is proud in the possession of as gifted a composer as Lucy Ellsworth. They owed to her two of the songs on the program, charming in themselves and appreciatively sung.

Is it due to plebeian musical taste on the part of a Smith College audience that the medley was missed and mourned this year? The medley, perhaps, had come to be more the characteristic and spontaneous outburst of gleeful spirit than anything else in the repertoire of the club. To many of us, the fact that the absence of the medley marred the gaiety of tone in the concert so little proves conclusively that the Glee Club itself is of unusually fine material and trim.

If the reward of the clubs lies in the keen enjoyment of the audience as a whole and the gratitude of the college element for such a charming and effective means of entertaining its guests, the Glee, Banjo, and Mandolin Clubs may well feel amply repaid.

RACHEL BERENSON 1902.