The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1883-07-07
CLASSIC FRoLrcs.

iu tnese so-caiied progressive days W.
hear great deal about aesthetic crl,s.s
In our colleges, and quite as much !.
college boat races and football matehs'
The average collegian seems to have l.,
choice between developing an enormor |.
muscle and dropping perpetually is.S
converse with the muses. and into in,..
views with art II is choice betwe..
velvet knee-breeches and a wooden bo.
ing shirt.
This may be all very well for IL
learned professors of to-day and the "a
OF college presidents, but it is doub.s
whether the students OF this generate:
are oetters ON than their fathers, or the
circumstances are better adapted to q.
veioP superior article Of physical 4
mental production. The college BOYS i
thirty or forty years ago knew little abog
modern aesthetic culture, and wou
have cared less about it had i, bee
pressed upon their notice BY any Oscsl
Wilde OF the day. but they were none Il 4
worse on because they gave their spir,
vent IN practical Jokes whose memor|
now makes college legends. and vie.
the oar In tubs that were constructed Il
+ as to stand collision with a steam II
Of sciennhc rowing or canoeing ,hSl
knew nothing. but they could bump
any craft that came in their way. ar
)oyiuiiy take the risk OF drowning. O|
es'hetie talk they were ignorant. but the.
could talk the head off" an inportuna;.|
creditor, and make irresistible love
any damsel whose brigh, eyes had e..
amored them. The manner in viii
they have acquitted themselves in n.
world IS proof that the course they mr.
sued was on the whole healthy and w,ss
Perhaps II is because we are /. al
boys that the ways and doings ar n 4
colleges OF to-day seem inespressibisl
tame. We arose al SIN O'Clock then. a
winter morning. and slipping on ou.eI
clothes and sucking our heads through
Sill IN The blanket. we wrapped il aronr
Us and rushed down 10 PRAYERS tn
culture OF to-day places PRAYERS AZ e;S-bf
demand faA toilet. and does away ti.hI
al s11e iail anu excitement of the mrs
sleepy recitation by candle light. In Ii i
same manner the spisit OF improvemer
mas oio'tea out all the old landmar.
ana the boys who : rushed" throua
college are all young gentlemen WI
leisurely stroll through the arcadi,s
groves OF an educational course. Bar
II Is delish, e.en now to remembe
how we worked all one night to fill n
chapel with hay: and another Mo-
piled cord wood all over the chancel o.
sfiii another occasion took all the rina
out OF the organ and hid them an.
crowned all these uncultured deeds h,
substituting wooden bible for the boo.
from which the president daily read to y,
IL Is pleasure to recall when the crew q
the ancient and solid tub .Wind
bumped the rival craft which wen, hv ~.
name OF Wave until we had srb
merged the boat and nearly drowned
tutor who had taken an oar :. for ,h.,o
oasion only Pleasure, WHY ~.
writer received special vacation of
wnoie month tor ms share in that nav,
battle, and the folks at home enioyed The
Joke as heartily as did. Was there "a
development of manhood in the pa,is.,
toll which impelled long suffering Gov
up tour long flights OF stairs and left he.
tied to the door-kneb OF a youth who va,
studying for honors: in the industr
which removed signs from stores in TOW
and naiied one 10 every tree in the car
pus IN the arastlc impulse which painte
ali the Corlnthian pillars of the chan.
IN red. white and blue. until the build,r
resemoled a huge and most natrio,.
barber shop: |: IS not TO be exnr1,
tina, the modern scholastic discinl,ne
Nd Oscar Wide would think much
those mental efforts. but they kep, II
Dram Clear Certainly, and deyeloned j.
mite laughter al the time as well as
small amount OF muscle subseouen,l,
Our Growing exploi; of each wear was
cause an alarm of fire in the ground,
which would summon the sremen 10 ~
scene. and then TO barricade the stree
and roads SO that the engines could nd
get near the flames of the bonfire. The
ensued a Homeric Conflict The stu6en
pel,ed the hremen with whatever harr,
less missiles were mos, convenient. uu,
the tiremen retorted by turning on
stream OF water. AS by this time n
members OF the faculty and peacef
citizens generally had interposed Their
selves between the two armies. they carr
IN for the benefit Of the bath. and n
success OF the evening was therel
achieved.
The spirit of modern aesthetic inne
walton has abolished all this species
harmless amusement at our colleges, ar
the siadenl is Instructed 10 keeo AZ
maintain an aesthetic attitude at all sime.
and refrain from practical fun. TT
sounds very we'll TO the unini,is,ed.
IN point OF fact ii threatens to largely
crease the race of =" dudes and to- codg
a SCI Of silk stockings. The cole
student VINO had not attempted 10 reno
the elapper of the chapel bell, steal a ri
on the presidents horse by night. or 10
a goat into the early recitation roc
would have been voted a slow coach
eur day. besides missing half the fun
his scholastic course. But now he goa
on his way, soberly if not solemnly.
prate OF ART or enter boat race. who.
given over to serious business in ei,he
line, and missing all that his scholas,
predecessors priced in their youth.
II may be, as have said, that j, is b
cause we are growing old that the eraa
yates Of twenty-five or thirty years a.
think there has been deg~neracy in