New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-02-23
HAZlNG IN THE COLLEGES.

To the EdtfOT OF me 4F'V""e'
SIR. Whoever remembers the novelette, wllt-
ton some twenty-five more years ego, b West Polp
cadeuaaer the dc plume ct "Icftenau' Rauknble''
vim recall the inventions IN the way Of pitiless torture,
and nrder the head Of haznc" which, az that day,
were Illustrated az the expense OF the young men who
came mp study for the profession OF arms He Will
a. hyrccas al the brilliant OF the cadets OF that
time in the OF the rebellion, very naturally ask II
that regime OF ncrciless chatting and barbarOus, phys
zeal suffering were part OF the preparation
for the successful lives Of the then future officers OF our
army. Upon this point there have Always been TWO
opinions They old as institutions or hDera ecu
cation They pant Of the history OF The culture o.
the race Tie story OF TOm Brown at Rugby Is perhaps
in nothing thoroughly portrait of EneilSh iie al
the schools OF Harrow, EOn, Westminster, and Rugby,
than III the account Of tie processes by which the aver
ace public school boy gains his ioctngand establishes his
claims the respect Of his ciOwStudcnts There Is
another admirable sketch of English scloolboy life at
the old Charter House in "The Newcomes." " bOth
are expected the advantages that flow from ability
acquired at school to sustain oneself in personal ell
counters.
Tie necessity Of severity-perhaps one may say cru
etyto crush cut the susceptibility 10 irritation OF the
nerves al the sight Of suffering; in other words the
necessity Of burning certain too sensitive some
thing give elicOnro and fit him for the struggle
for life. held ONLY by Hughes and IhacReiay
and even by Dr. Arnold, but has been believed
ia by many of the strongest aud pest men
England has produced. 10 many lLtlt tttAiS'
1T this day, 10 be measure OF truth III tLc
saving tnat short course OF brutality is essential
element in the education Of English gentleman But
let Us not much credit to ourselves in the fancy
that the American is better than his English cousin Is
not substantially the pursued in the col
Ieccs OF this countryG When did year pass in which
some candidate has taken his seat in q" the Pud-
ding" al Harvard, only at the conclusion of in
di1uites-not all of them petty-wlSch would
be elsewhere resented an assault on his manhood OF
when has college term gone round in Cambridge or
New-Haven Princeton that has not witnessed treat
ment OF unofcnding freshman which makes the
blood boil when thinks OF The possibility that his son
or BROTHER be sui ected to And yet are we MOI
accustomed to think and feel and say that such dis
cpine, i, Is called worth all, and more than all 1t
costs ? Let Us discriminate OF the manly sport'-the
boatDg the baseba! the football, the athletic sports
generaly-we say nothing deTreeaory. In theIn as
Tom Hughes says, young learn 10 rely upon each
Other TO work together, 10 stand up for fair play to
know what a grand thing have abiding faith in
another II Is the atr cities that mark, not the manly
sports which their settled rules, hut tie uDaloyed
cruelty, the pure cussedues OF hazDg which is to be
condemned utterly unnecessary and only demoTaz-
ing.
Dr. Arnold as we remember, rescrtcd to the philoso
ply OF counter irrants Of Tom Brown. The
circu stances favored the course decided upon. He
gave Tom for chum boy whose iral physique ehal
lenged young Browns socitude and gave exercise 10
his sense responsibility. lie mist be cared for. This
agency Of gentleness made new boy Of Tom Brown
Bet course il mas he said, practicable only
where such i'm mediate supervision as DR.. Arnold cNeT
csed provided II could not he carried out IN col
le.e OF several hundreds ana with persons more aG
vanced years The principal point however the
introduction of element i'll restraint. There is an
nsrun3 ntalty OF kindred character at Harvard, So
nOiseess that il may he doubted II in hundred OF
the citCUs OF Cambridge thought OF agency
III college government ana yet 1t possible that il
af fa ltgh MA in he gOfF u
1uences this ancient seat OF learning. IL must
have been the work OF loving son Of the
university Who had seen and felt, and been i'll
spred by the agencies he desired TO bring into service
This iustrumontaly IS the fringe OF ornamental shrub
berry Which encrce5 the immediate college grounds. 1t
embraces great variety Of hardy, howerbearng per
onuial plants tls,euly grouped, and forever kept III
perfect order The clusters Of s-ubbery do not conceal
the college buildings. They only arrest the attention
with an everyday changing picture Of beauty and
Ii might vain 10 attempt analyse the Influence
OF this delicate selyace OF the college lawn; which sug
eests without asserting the privacy of the grounds and
which. willie does not prevent your entering the en-
closures with perfect freedom, whispers that II Is priv
cgc and that whoever enters tacuy promises upon his
honor TO conduct himself a gentleman should while
he remains in the shadow Of the halls 1t be taken
for granted that this lesson IS within the reach Of any
one who will bestow thought on the subject.
this idea OF calling IN the aid Of flowers has been
improved upon by Wellesley College vheIe systematic
ing the student, which may be regarded as device
tor suppanting whole idea of hazng far such
an unfeminine usage could be conceived to gau foot
hold ia institution for the higher education OF women
The scheme, heard ii expOunded 10y eyc-w
ness Is this The list OF the freshmen class is given to
the sophomore class which resolves ITSELF before the day
OF opening the year. into committees who
ecive the incoming young ladies at the door OF the col
lege with personal welcome These newcomers, instead
OF being chilled by the formal service Of janitOr
chambermad aud left in apartments cheeress til they
have been equipped by the occupants,
are conducted by their new self appointed
assigned rooms, completely furnished and
In ORDER awaiting their arrival The committees assist
unpack their trunks aud conduct them TO their
seats in the dninghal. The next day the neophyte is
shown the cOllege-ts library gymnasium, lecture
and recitation rooms laboratories the spacious grounds
not forgetting the otila Of boats which provdedfOr
the student clubs of which they i'll time become
bers. They return find that their have been
decorated with flowers arranged by unknown hands in
Their absence Saturday closes with social reunion in
b. parlOTs OF the college by the sophomore 10 the
freshman class Sunday follows to be kept and known
forever Flower Sunday, and the pupils are
inSOduced to the chapel, which the bounty Of
the founder of the college and that of two
three OF his neghbors who have greenhouses have
wrought into paradise of beauty by the marvellous
display Of flowers aud ornamental age plants. In
chapel thus rgeOasy decorated, til first religious
services of the college year conducted Here
singing by the assembled classes the suited to
the occasion by clergyman from "a neighborng paIlsh,
the entire corps OF pupils and instructors being seated
the body OF the chapel audience OF friends the
gallery The Opening services Of the academic year
brought 10 q close in the midst of this fairy
Now, Will you ask, sir, madame, interested in the
training aDd education of young women, whether
there were in tlis crowd OF $50 more, two
who had heard Of jolly in college, and who intended
to make their felt in way to show that they