'95 — Jane Littlefield returned home, before the end of the semester, on account of illness.

'95 Lillian Quigley expects to be able to resume her studies next year.

'95 Ninah Holden spent a few days at Coldwater, Mich., during May.

'96 — Mary Wood does not expect to return to college next year.

Marriages.

ATCHISON MICHAELS. — At Albion, Mich., June 7, 1893, Wilbur F. Atchison to Rena A. Michaels, Alpha, '74.

GIBSON LAKE. At Syracuse, N. Y., June 27, 1893, Mr. Gibson to Nellie Lake, Alpha, '84.

WURSTER-COOPER. At Syracuse, N. Y., May 21, '93, Charles Wurster to Amy Cooper, Alpha, Ex-'91.

SHEPHERD ABBOTT. - At Syracuse, N. Y., June 29, 1893, Earl Shepherd to Kate L. Abbott, Alpha, '92.

SINGLETON FINLY. - At Evanston, Ill., June 5, 1893, Shelby Singleton to Ollie Finly, Beta, '91.

HILL LAYCOCK. At Somerville, Mass., June 7, 1893, Willard C. Hill to Clara A. Laycock, Eta, ex-'93.

Exchanges.

All exchanges should be sent to EDITH R. LYNCH, Norfolk St., Mattapan, Mass. ASIDE from the fact that seasons of convention, of vacation, of Commencement, seem to bring forth similar timely articles from the different exchanges, it has seemed that, with almost every batch of journals, some new subject appeared to demand attention everywhere. Whether or not there is any reason for this deeper than the suggestion about " "great minds," it is interesting to be able to look at a subject from the different standpoints of the different fraternities. We should say that, at this time, the general topic for discussion was "Ritualism." A few quotations will show the tendency of opinions.

Successful efforts have been made in certain chapters of Delta Kappa Epsilon to accomplish this result. The chapter of which the writer was a member has been for years enlarging its ritual, until at the present it has a beautiful and elaborate ceremony, which requires the attention of more than the active chapter to produce, and which takes at least five hours to rehearse. Properties of considerable value have been accumulated, and the entire three stories of the chapter house are employed in the ceremony. During the initiation the utmost dignity is preserved, ill treatment of the candidate is absolutely prohibited, and the spectators are requested to converse in whispers. The initiation is spectacular in the extreme, but every part of it is designed to impress upon the neophyte the cardinal virtues of manhood in Delta Kappa Epsilon. No man could ever forget such a ceremony. — Delta Bappa Epsilon Quarterly.

At the periodical “District Conferences" of Phi Kappa Psi, meetings independent of the general gatherings called the Grand Arch Councils, there is in vogue a law requiring a "model initiation" to be enacted for the obvious purpose of exhibiting to the various delegates a correct interpretation of these very important ceremonies. Such a custom, it would seem, is extremely commendable and, in fact, necessary, as it is certainly remarkable what a vast difference exists in the manner of carrying out our own beautiful initiation ceremony among the various chapters. – Kappa Alpha Fournal.

We are a great deal more than an association of debating societies, and this being true, all will grant that there are certain occasions in our history which would be rendered much more solemn and impressive by the use of an established form of service. To the cultured and æsthetic mind ritualistic work has a fascination and attaches to itself a certain meaning that is productive of much good. - Delta Upsilon Quarterly.

The writer goes on to mention some of the occasions on which the ritual is particularly impressive, and that is the great need, to make the institution show as important, and really worth while, in a deeper sense than appears at first sight.

The occasions where a ritual is most needed naturally suggest themselves, they are these first, at the funeral of a member; second, initiation services; third, ceremonies connected with the laying of the corner stone of a chapter house, the dedication of a chapter house or memorial window; fourth, establishing new chapters; fifth, form for the opening and closing of chapter meetings.

These are not the only occasions on which the form may hold much meaning and beauty for those in the sacred bonds. We remember an attempt to collect material for a vesper service to be learned and used wherever possible for Sunday afternoons. Of course care must be taken not to lumber up the ritual with anything but the best, and only a few well-arranged services allowed, as they lose their value if they are not familiar to all.

I take experience as a proof in saying that the popularity of a secret organization rests largely upon its initiatory and ritualistic ceremonies. . . . Perhaps the chief reason is to be found in the fact that our initiations are so infrequent, and so confined to that period of the year when nothing is settled, that they are often relegated to a subordinate position in the fraternity exercises, and but little importance is attached to the ceremony. Initiations are looked upon often as necessary means to attain the desired end. . . . I call this the main reason, because it is here that we must look for improvement in our initiatory ceremonies if advance is to be attained at all. From here must come the change which will give the initiation its proper place in fraternity life. It should be to the candidate a great moral lesson. It should so impress him with the dignity and worthiness of Phi Gamma Delta, that his future life will bear the indelible stamp of that evening, and his future fraternity life will be but the mirror of our ritual's precepts. If our ceremony, as it now exists, fails in this, it is at fault. Better no ceremony, than one which leaves no lesson behind it.

Then this writer cannot emphasize too strongly the necessity of the officers' committing the ritual.

Phi Kappa Psi Shield opens with a good article on the college fraternity as a social institution.

Very frequently do we hear members of the different college fraternities, who are also Masons, or Odd Fellows, or Knights of Pythias, express the opinion that the fellow feeling in the college fraternity is incomparably more cordial and enduring than in such other non-college fraternities. Although the Masonic and similar societies have, for a main purpose, mutual encouragement and assistance between its members, there is proportionally much less personal business advantage in being a member of such societies than in being a member of a college fraternity.

Among other reasons assigned for this:

Members of a college fraternity have more cordial feeling for their fellows because they are homogeneous; they are much more nearly equal in culture and aims

of life. They are all presumably college-bred men, and they are all presumably select college-bred men. . . The future of the college fraternity is very promising. It is the only aristocratic, social institution which our American democratic life will permit. The excellence of the modern college fraternity over other social fraternities, is the more perfect homogeneity of its membership, which is drawn altogether from one class - college men.

Apropos of the first quotation from this article, we overheard, recently, a discussion among two or three Masons as to the meaning of Masonry for them. One saw nothing but the ritual, and to this he was devoted, heart and soul. For another, Masonry meant brotherly ministration, and to a third, Society was all. Is it simply because the fraternity is smaller, with smaller meanings, that there seems to be more singleness of purpose?

Would it be a good idea to follow the example of some of our enterprising dailies and offer a prize for the best statement of the meaning of Fraternity? Or, we might look through the year's file of exchanges and find at least as many definitions as fraternities. Phi Gamma Delta puts it all into the word "helpfulness"

To narrow down the field of observation to our own, I should say that the guiding principle of our union is helpfulness. This may sound very utilitarian and selfish, but those who have seen the theory in practice, know that it is the reverse of this. We seek the advancement of our fellows, rejoicing with those that rejoice, and encouraging each other to press forward to high achievements.

In an editorial, the Quarterly eloquently discusses the advantages of the exhibit at the World's Fair but you will appreciate the original.

Here we can gather round one common altar and worship at a common shrine. But like Æneas and Anchises of ancient Troy, we must gather up our lares and penates and bear them to the world's meeting place, where the shades of our kindred-animating principles may meet in holy communion with one another. Our hearths have for years been guarded zealously and the ancestral fires have been carefully kept lighted. Annually our sacrifices have been offered at widely separated altars, but now it is offered us to take up our tents and to journey to our ancestral seats, there to meet about a tribal altar and to celebrate our common parentage. For it must ever be borne in mind that whatever our present claims to priority or superiority and none so reduced but apologize for their neighbors, and draw their skirts about themselves, Pharisee-like, and thank the gods that they are not as other men - our aims are the same and our principles one. May we not hope that this is to be a jubilee year when, like the Hebrews of old, we may gather together, erase differences and give hostages and guarantees for the future.

If the Quarterly was so eccentric as to appear on time, it must have been issued on the very day on which the following letter was written:

At a special meeting of the College Fraternities Exhibit Committee, held at Administration Building, Jackson Park, April 1, 1893, at which six fraternities were epresented, the following resolution was unanimously adopted:

"Resolved, That the College Fraternities Exhibit Committee hereby decides that, for various reasons, an exhibit by the college fraternities at the World's Columbian Exposition is not at this time feasible, the chief reasons being that the space was not allotted until the time remaining was too short to make a characteristic exhibit, and the consequent inexpediency of collecting exhibits while this important matter was undetermined, as well as the difficulties placed in the way by the Exposition management of carrying out the decorative design, after it had been selected by the committee and approved by said management, and that the committee therefore surrenders the space allotted to it.

RICHARD LEE FEARN, Chairman.
Mabelle T. LITTLE, Secretary.”

We are sorry for Phi Gamma Delta.

the college girl's vacation, The writer almost succeeds

Anchora has a few good words about which would appeal strongly to every girl. in persuading us that those vacations in which we "did n't accomplish anything," were full of "improvement" for ourselves and others. The convincing statements would make the paper a pleasant one to read at the other end of the vacation.

Two or three of the journals again talk about the corresponding values of the literary and the business magazine, and still the question goes on deciding itself on the basis of the size of the fraternity. And, too, they go on wondering if the journal is for the fraternity or for outsiders.

One opens easily at four places where menus are quoted. On which side of this question should we place that fraternity? To whom is the menu of interest?

To the student, the business of fraternity is real. To the man, it is trivial. We believe that a solution to the perplexing "alumni question" can be found in a simple reversion of the conditions. Instead of expecting men of the world, men whose thoughts and hours are bound up in considerations of business and professional duties, instead of expecting the older men to come down to the level of the boys, let the boys rise to the level of the men. In other words, let the chief end of fraternity membership be found in the associations of the graduate, and let the undergraduate years be, in a sense, preparatory years. . . . The undergraduate should look forward with pleasant anticipation to the days of his graduate membership. It should not be that the chief fraternity experience of the graduate is his recollection of college days. — College Fraternity.

"A Few Words on Fraternities," is the title of a neat and attractive little book of eighteen pages, issued by four of the ladies' fraternities at the University of Minne