Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1878-11-27
College Hazlng,

| iHN '"'heH''' w 'ebb"S W '"' v
grcOt aud irresponsible power In littl'
things, What Is hazingi How !
hazing more manly or decent thai
iagging' II II Is to be viewed a
practical joking, aud tho freak Of thu
irrcpressible spirits Of youth
why should not tagging bc regarded
rs the wholesome training ofrough di'
cipline 7 liza crowd Of "Sophs" may
toss n "Fresh" IN q blanket why SHOULD
not n fellow in an upper torn proper
" tag one in q lower and what have
the blanket tossers TO object TO III The
ducking Of one man in u horsepond
by II dozen Of his neighbors
Is undoubtedly AS neat and pretty and
pointed joke as those described in
Evclina it is perhaps full Of wit aud
humor But we must not deny the
equal exquisiteness oflhe jest OF fore
ing tag TO kindle fire before dress
iug on frosty morning. These are
perhaps excellent sports. They may
argue keen sense OF humor and a
kind heart, But the jokers must not
quarrel with the form of each others
jes;s
IN the American schools for instance
as n Vermont paper says Of graded
schools in that State, n new pupil is
subject to the "school bite which is
a slap on the back from the fist or the
open hand adHJit'tm {; and upon pasa.
ing into II higher grade, he is seized
by four boys by the legs and arms
and thrown up into the air to fall on
his back. If he admits that he is
"rotten" he is spared Z; but if he in
sis,s that he is sound, he IS thrown
up again. This capitol fooling has
developed spinal disease. But moth
ing certainly could be moIe excellent
jesting; and as commentator truly
remarked, it is only the fruit Of ex-
umberant spirits, and take the non
sense out of mollycoddles and milksops
Who wants a boys school to be q
prayer.meeting9 adds the commen-
tator or that boys should behave in
their sports like deacons Boys will
be boys, and hazing is but boys fun.
II throwing fellow in the air to fall
upon his back on the ground a
few times is fun, of course everybody
enjoys tun, and there is not parent
The land who will not wish to con-
tribute to the general amusement.
Besides its moral advantages are as
evident as its fun. 1t is well known that
nothing shelter for children than to &C
custom them to sick pins through flies
and to watch the taking off of chicken
md pigs. 1t fosters kindly feeling
\ habit of humanity, sensibility to
pain, sympathy with every form OF
suffering which refine the char
,cter and elevates the mind. Flies
md chickens and pigs can not help
themselves. 1t is so with the new
pupil. He Is helpless and when a
crowd of older, bigger aud stronger
ellows fall upon him and treat him to
| ducking, or a throw up and fall,
hey are not only making a joke
which is suitable for their time of
ife, and which all healthy minded
'ersons must enjoy,bnt they are har-
nonizing and refnin' themselves. They
re sure to be better and mora manly
nen for having broken the back of a
10Y who can rot help himself. The
chools and colleges which cherish
hese manly sports have also natural
for the British pupil who
ags, and for the fag who submits. If
British boys would see the fair play
f boys who scon tagging, let them
ontemplate the hazing of an Ameri-
an college or academy.-Edltor's
,asy Chair, in Harper's Magazine for
December.