St Hugh's College, Oxford - The Imp, Mar 1920 by St Hugh's College, Oxford

THE IMP.

March,

1920.

EDITOR. A. H. PARK.

YEAR REPRESENTATIVES ON COMMITTEE. Third Year Representative. B. E. NEGUS. Second Year Representative. N. HORA. First' Year Representative. H. BURNETT. TREASURER. M. DALSTON.

THE IMP. 1920.

MARCH.

No. 3.

CONTENTS. EDITORIAL COMPETITION ENTRY DALLINGTON HILL. L. A. G. Strong THE SYMBOLISM OF FIRE. A. G. YounghughesSPRING. X. Y.Z. --THE PESSIMISM OF TIMON OF ATHENS. H. K. Hudson THE LOVERS. L. A. G. Strong PRINCIPLES OF HEREDITY. V. E. Houghton POEM. N. Hora -FROM A BATH-ROOM DOOR. M. E. Prichard SONNET. E. Stopford THE DOMESTIC DRAGON. A. G. Younghughes IMP-RESSIONS COLLEGE REPORTS VEGETARIANISM. E. S. -

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7 9 11 11 13 13 14 16 24

EDITORIAL. An experiment has been made this Term to transform the IMP from a purely literary effort into a College Magazine. The IMP thus seeks to identify itself more closely with college life, and to provide a channel. of expression for public opinion. In order to create something of a standard, an attempt will be made in the future to approach someone, not a member of the College, for a contribution. Mr. L. A. G. Strong, who has appeared in the Oxford Book of Verse for 1919 and elsewhere, has kindly allowed us to print two of his poems. Our very hearty thanks are due to him for this privilege. _ is dat qui cito Some contributors are gently reminded that " B dat," would serve them as a excellent motto. Doubtless they may retaliate by producing the rival proverb, " Festinate lente." Be that as it may, entries as a. whole this time were not only more numerous, but of a more varied nature and of a better quality than before. May this happy state of things continue and develop. "Per ardua ad astra," or, to translate, "Let us hitch our waggon to a star." There is all the Hilary vacation in which to produce something for next Term. Why not aspire to the heights of the Oxford Magazine? We can do it. Let us.

THE IMP ENTRY FOR THE IMP COMPETITION. AN ARTICLE IN THE STYLE OF STEPHEN LEACOCK ON " College Manners."

EVERYONE seems to like me. I suppose it is my natural easiness and charm. But others are less fortunate. For them and especially for those who are new to college life, I have prepared a few hints as an assistance to popularity. 1. Natural instinct prompts you to leave your bed at sunrise and to overhaul your wardrobe before taking food. Don't. You will soon grow accustomed to the more elite method. The air vibrations caused by the agitation of the seven o'clock and halfpast seven bells may penetrate to your ear drum, but they should have no effect on the more sponge like substance reputed to be your intellect. Show no sign of intelligence till the chapel bell begins. You should then slip noiselessly to the ground, draw on a loose skirt over your pyjamas or night gown, secure your hair with a hairpin, or, failing that, with a relief nib, and glide into chapel just as the fire captain closes the door. 2. Soon after your arrival at College you will begin to receive notes, written on corners of worn out blotting paper or scraps of old handkerchiefs, inviting you to cocoa with members of the senior years. Your reply should be original. Accept whenever possible, as cocoa is always good, but do not scruple to write your reply on the back of your hostess's hair brush, or on the wall over her mantelpiece. Be careful to express your pleasure at being asked, but at the same time maintain a certain harrier of reserve and dignity. On your arrival at the cocoa party show no embarrassment if your hostess appears to have forgotten she had invited you. Sit down and engage her in cheerful conversation. Food will appear in the end. If, on entering your hostess's room, you find cocoa still unprepared, it is sometimes wise to remember that you want a letter posted. Do not be surprised if you are offered a rusty nail with which to help yourself to margarine, and stop eating when the others do. 3. At the end of your first Term someone may ask permission to nominate you as bicycle secretary. Good. Ask for half an hour in which to think the matter over quietly in your room. Ascertain the name of the present bicycle secretary. By putting the right foot before the left and the left before the right, each to each alternately in turn, walk into her room and find the bicycle keys. Now proceed to the bicycle shed, choose the fastest bicycle and pedal down to Magdalen Bridge. Drop the keys quietly into the river,

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and return. You may now accept the nomination without scruple. Your position as bicycle secretary will be purely honorary. M.C. COMPETITIONS

FOR NEXT NUMBER.

PROSE-A PHANTASY.

VERSE-A LIMERICK.

Note. As there have been so few competition entries lately, this being the only one this time, unless contributions come in more freely for the next IMP the competition section will be abolished. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

DALLINGTON HILL.

Michaelmas night, Michaelmas night, And a dreaming hour and still : The fir trees stand in a ragged row On the slope of Dallington Hill. Michaelmas night, and a misty night, And a cloud is across the moon, And the hillside waiting stiller than sleep For the thing which will happen soon. Silver and clear the midnight chime Drips from the soft church bell : The fir trees suddenly shiver and sigh And break their year old spell. They climb the hill to the churchyard. high And enter it one by one : They bow three times to the Father there, And bow three times to the Son. And three times more to the Holy Ghost, Then mutter and sigh in prayer. The farmer's wife wakes up with a start And sees the hillside bare. The fir trees stand in a ragged row. Still as the church they seem : And the farmer's wife has looked again And thinks she has dreamed a dream. L. A. G. STRONG. (By permission of the Editor of " Coterie ".)

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THE SYMBOLISM OF FIRE. The symbol. of fire is so intimately connected with the idea of life itself, that substitution of the one for the other is almost unrecognisable as symbolism. The metaphor of a light extinguished is scarcely less widespread in its application to death,than the universal simile of sleep ; while the presentation of lights burning continually recalls subconscious memories, vague, primitive and undefinable of the most occult and sacred rights of our remote ancestors. Man is very proud now, very independent. He has made the servants of old Prometheus the fire giver, his domestic slaves. Yet still there come times when in the dark despondency of the soul he wonders if here is not something greater and more durable than the abilities of his own mind. It is a problem without a solution. Only the unwise seek one. The dreamings it quickens, the memories it revives, the communication of thoughts, no thinking can arrive at ; these are more than solution. This ancient and fruitful avenue for contemplation was opened before my eyes by the sight of a small band of workmen I chanced to observe in St. Giles one chilly day last November. Among that busy, motley crowd, each person hurrying upon his own errand, passing, crossing and recrossing one another 's paths in total ignorance and disregard of one another, these moved together in harmony, as though their every movement were impelled by one mind. Every limb responded to a single impulse, freely, unlike the mechanical regularity of an army. Round them was anarchy, individualism run riot. Here one might be desolate. The others knew not. Here the heart might be brimming with joy. The others exulted not. One might be moving heavily for the burden of grief. The others did not weep. Yet among all this confusion, this babel renewed and magnified, they were something apart. They alone formed an artistic whole. They had a subdued quality of light and shade, a roundness and firmness of outline, the precision and dignity of rest in their movement itself. For a while there seemed no clue to this, mystery. Neither the men nor their apparatus were a ready solution. Among them they pushed a small hand cart set on two large wheels, and across it was balanced the folded projection of a very long ladder. But that was not all. And here was the key to the whole matter to one of its rungs, tied so that it hung well out from the cart, was a small pot of fire, made of iron, with holes in the side. It had the brown and battered look of much use, but it was filled with little live coals. It was a little red spot in the grey landscape, a little tutelary god binding them together, separating them from the individualised efforts of the men around, a memory, a link and a survival of an older world and of the great religion of Prometheus. :

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Then in the train of my thoughts I remembered how in my earliest 'childhood I had conceived a high reverence for plumbers, not so much of account of their little pots of solder, or that destructive joy in which they unrip panelling or take up floors, but because I had seen them kneeling, with a great stone slab of paving they had just removed, poring through the hole into the deep nether darkness of gnomes and goblins, and by them on the pavement the instrument in which all my fancy centred. It was a small, greasy thing ; but from its little mouth proceed a thin, violent, hissing flame not less than four inches long. Now I know wherein the fascination lay. I never conceived of it as an instrument at all. I realised it was nothing less than an enslaved spirit, malevolent, champing, but subdued, one of the free angels of Prometheus, subjected to an ignoble slavery. Thus the owner of coveted thing ceased in my eyes to appear a mechanic and became instead a magician with a sullen and powerful spirit at his least nod and call. Since that time I have seen in many other places more powerful fire spirits in bondage, the muscular triumph of great furnaces, imprisoned in long, narrow cells, roaring in an agony of futility against those little iron doors their keepers open only to thrust in more food, which they devour rather in wrath than for hunger. The plumbers' little slave demon fretted pevishly for its freedom to play with sparks, and meteors and child lightnings which were its mates. These are disappointed Titans, able, if but free one moment to lift the world behind one shoulder and throw it far beyond the bounds of time and space. They gleam out upon the night with a compelling power, to us not untinged with fear, radiant with the clinging of that glory which shone from them before light was ; when they bounded unshackled through the vast expanse of primeval chaos. Such strength, such vigour, such vitality, was fitted to he employed in the service of the high gods alone. Thus musing I conceived the whole affair to be one monstrous il,npiety, the evil workings of sacrilegious hearts. I saw how the human race has warred upon its ancient benefactor. Where are now his altars ? Where are his priests ? Where his temples ? Where is his praise, his hymns, his supplicatic ns ? His servants are become our servants, his miracles our experiments, his gifts our creations. He wanders upon the face of earth desolate, dejected, forgotten. Was it for this he dared the wrath of the immortals ? Was it for this he knew upon Caucasus days of unmeasured suffering and nights longer than aeons ? Now is man in his glory ruined by his treachery while Prometheus walks in the shades of the world ; but who knows what the ages have in store ? Who knows with what thread the Fates will weave ? Who knows what designs ?

THE IMP 0 great spirits of fire, whence is your life ? We have learnt to kindle it and extinguish. but we cannot tell whence it comes or whither it is gone. Whence and what is your knowledge ? What were your whisperings in the ears of our ancestors who fell down before you ? What do you remember of the first beginnings of things ? What can you tell of life and death and the end which is new beginning ? I have watched you in your passion, in your power, and in your stillness, by lightenings, by furnaces and in the light of candles ; but your tongue I know not. You have spoken what I do not understand. You touch chords of subconscious memory. You hold out ever retreating hands across the wide expanse of pathless waste. I, of the house of your enemies, seek your dwellings, but they are dizzier than I can climb. One stroke of a wing lifts you from my sight. You walk for ever in mysteries even upon the ground of the earth. A. G. YOUNGHUGHES.

SPRING. Down the long row of beds in line I looked And saw all straight and tidy. All the sheets Were folded neatly, all the white quilts stretched And tucked in firmly. Not a speck of dust On the smooth, polished floor. For hours I'd worked To make all fresh and clean, swept, dusted, scrubbed. Now as I glanced along I saw each man A splash of brilliant scarlet as he lay Propt up against his pillows, warmly wrapt In his red jacket. . . . Suddenly my heart Rebelled against this tidy, formal place, These long, straight rows, this endless white and red, This faultless working of one vast machine. Then, looking up, I saw a big green bowl, Brimful of primroses. A gleam of sun Smote them with quivering radiance till they glowed One mass of light and fragranceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all the joy Of the world was in them, all the uncontrolled Sweetness of youth, the riot of the spring, Its freshness and its wildnessâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; So I smiled again. X.Y.Z.

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THE LOVERS. When the earth was born of morning, And the stars stood trembling by, You and I were clouds together, Swimming in the frightened sky. When the Son of God was dying Bitterly upon the tree. You and I were speckled plovers, Wailing over Calvary. When the earth was chill and withered And had run her period, You and I like motes in sunbeams Danced on golden ways to God. L. A. G. STRONG.

THE PESSIMISM OF " TIMOR OF ATHENS." There is a clue to Timon in a single brief, but pregnant, statement in the Fourth Act : " All is oblique." It is the keynote of the sad, wild music now in grand harmonies, now in fiercely blatant discords of this strange and perplexing play. Strange, because it reveals to us the most powerful and joyous writer of our nation seemingly in the throes of weariness and disillusion. Perplexing, because though all but questionably written in his magnificent maturity it lacks the continuity of constructive technique, the fused emotion and imagination which supremely distinguishes such plays as Hamlet, Othello and Lear. " Allis oblique " sounds the basic note that has been heard already echoing through Macbeth, Othello, and Lear It is the lamentation of the old king ; it is the nocturnal storm in the darkness of the heart of the Moor ; it is the theme of the shaken mind of the Thane of Cawdor listening to the Lilith beside him and to the ancient serpent within. Above all, it is the continual tidal monotone below the long, tempestuous surge and seething calms of Hamlet. The sane mind, perplexed by the veiled tragi-comedy of the human soul and its destiny, sighs in the monologue " To be, or not to be," or in the superb lyrical meditation of Measure for Measure, beginning, " Ay, but to die and go we know not where," or in that speech of the Third Servant of Timon :-" We are fellows still, Serving alike in sorrow : leak'd is our bark, And we, poor mates, stand on the dying deck, Hearing the surges threat ; we must all part Into this sea of air."

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Coleridge recognised the kinship of Timon with Hamlet when he spoke of the later play as " an after-vibration " of its great predecessor. It has been contended that the characters of Hamlet, of Timon, and of King Lear are simply studies of insanity. If they are insane, it is with that terrible madness of the soul when it is in revolt against the " insanity of things," against the tyranny of the body, of time and circumstances, of tradition and convention. It is that cosmic madness which has uttered itself through many mouths from Ecclesiastes to modern times. We are in the midst of " Strange times that weep with laughing, not with weeping. ' Only, in such plays as Timon it is not easy to discern what is the weeping of a heart heav3; with disillusion, and what is the deep laughter born of the iconoclastic wrath of a divine pity, and of the titanic humour of a mind which perceives every link in the vast and complicated chain of cause and effect. The wild revolt against the evil of mortal things which makes of this pessimism a blind misanthropy, which reduces even nature to universal thievery, is engendered after all from a potential nobility of soul, from an unrealised idealism, robbed of all its beauty by the sight of a complacent acquiescence in an unrighteous life. Neither the excessive philanthropy, nor the excessive misanthropy of Timon was wise or sane, but neither was altogether ignoble. If we hold that lyrical poetry is born of individualism, then we may say that there was in Shakespeare a potential Timon, for the most pessimistic speeches of the play are those which are of the highest lyric excellence. Read how this younger and as sadly o'erwrought brother of King Lear images himself to his own eyes as a great oak : " Hung with countless leaves that Have with one winter's brush Fell from their boughs, and left me open, bare For every storm that blows." or how, in the universal " thievery " of life-" The sun's a thief, and with his great attraction Robs the vast sea ; the moon's an arrant thief, And her pale fire she snatches from the sun ; The sea's a thief, whose liquid surge resolves The moon into salt tears." or, again, the wonderful requiem : " Come not to me again ; but say to Athens, Timon hath made his everlasting mansion Upon the beached verge of the salt flood ; Which once a day, with his embossed froth The turbulent surge shall cover."

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Here, surely, we have the genuine sign manual of our greatest, of one who had come to profound weariness and darkness of spirit down the giant stairs of Hamlet and Macheath and Lear, and by ways of sorrow and disillusion unknown to us, and had not yet " stepped westward " in C5'mheline, or seen the white vision of Imogen, or heard the aerial music of the Tempest. H. K. HUDSON.

THE PRINCIPLES OF HEREDITY.

Among the d8bris of the many idols which have fallen before the exacting moderns, we find portions of that great god Heredity. He still demands worship, but it is with the secret fealty of our hearts, not the open acknowledgment of bowed knees, that we serve. Speaking broadly, the heredity idea falls into two parts, that which affects our name or pedigree, and that which affects our personal characters. The former will be dealt with first. This division omits such considerations as hereditary possessions, which go with the pedigree, or traditional laws, and their appurtenances, which form a minor result of the hereditary developments of man's character. In no European country perhaps, is the pedigree so much esteemed as in our islands, though in the East we find few personal attributes of so paramount an importance. Anathema is not limited to the existing generation ; to be called " son of a camel " is an unqualified insult. With the exception of those who believe in the transmigration of soulsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;whom we shall consider laterâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;our animal ancestry does not much concern us. The age of the anthropoid ape is too far off to trouble our family trees, although Mr. Wells is making terrible exposures of that dark and unholy period. The stronghold of the pedigree still holds its own in many remote corners of the British Isles, and even flaunts its heraldic standards in the most ultra-modern circles of society. Here we find the self-made man who, having made himself, devotes the rest of his life to making his ancestors and in tracing their descent to the kings of Ireland. It is worth noticing that the first king of Erin must have had an unprecedented number of children. This fetish of civilisation, this superstition, the pedigree, is by no means dead. There is the story of the American who, on visiting Buckingham Palace, wrote home on a piece of the royal notepaper, " I am actually there ! " an enthusiastic tribute to our hereditary king. Indeed, we cannot but censure Juliet's entirely incorrect statement " What's in a name ? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet."

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Mr. Wells has put the whole matter very clearly in the tale of Mr. Snooks (Twelve Stories and a Dream). Theoretically, we condemn, and even practically we turn with disgust, from the effete, narrow and bigotted scion of an ancient stock to the fresh strength of the descendant of a nameless ancestry. If it is not a perversion of the meaning of the text, this verse of Ben Jonson's will point the comparison : " It is not growing like a tree In bulk, doth make man better be, Or standing long an oak, three hundred year To fall a log at last, dry, bald and sere ; A lily of a day Is fairer far in May, Although it fall and die that night, It was the plant and flower of light." If their pedigree contains no person otherwise remarkable, most people take an overt delight in exposing the shortcomings and wickedness of their forbears. There is, however, every prospect that, through the exertions of the Psychical Research Society, these maligned individuals will shortly be able to correct the errors of the present generation. Those who hold with the theory of the transmigration of souls must at first disperse all ideas on hereditary attributes ; if not, they must account for the fact that zoologists are not gravely hampered by such things as confusion of species. Besides this, there are certain modern educational schemes which are based on the premise that man in the child stage begins at the very bottom of the ladder of civilisation, namely, in the barbaric age, and, as he grows up, advances through the successive periods to the twentieth century. A little consideration of this idea will show both its impossibility and its hopelessness. In this light, generation after generation must rise in the ashes of the last, like the phoenix, neither losing nor gaining. We see the futility of all revelations, dreaming of dreams, and seeing of visions of the future. We cannot claim a part in " the prophetic soul of the wide world dreaming on things to come." Life reduces itself to the little island of man's individuality, and his career is summed up in Tennyson's words :â&#x20AC;&#x201D; " Self-knowledge, self-reverence, self-control, These three alone lead man to sovereign power." a pathetic testimony of smug Victorian doctrines. We cannot deny that the past is our heritage, but .that the past should control us entirely we do deny. " History repeats itself " is an axiom of which most are weary. It never has and never will. Fundamentally human nature is the same, fundamentally every

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age has a common bond but, as similar elements combine to form different alloys, so do human characteristics. We are still looking for that combination which will give us the Golden Age. V.E.H. Lente et majestueuse, et calme, et pure, La nuit comme une aile se traine sur Ia. terre . II me semble que, revant, solitaire, J'entends battre le coeur de la Nature. Je vois l'Immensite, la vague Immensite, Mere de Temps, d'Espace, d'Energie . . Avec mon pauvre coeur que fait trembler la vie, Comment contempler cette infinite ? De l'univers la beaute m'etouffe, m'ecrase. 0 monde immesure 0 beau genie humain ! De mon coeur chaque corde vibre sous vos mains Prtte a se briser devant cette extase. . . . N. HORA. FROM A BATH ROOM. It is hoped that the title of this essay will be an explanation and an excuse for the whole. For it cannot belong to the introductionbody-conclusion ty2e so worthy of respect, being merely a collection of a few random ideas. Take the question' of titles, for instance. It would be interesting to know whether an author begins by choosing his title or whether it is added as an after-thought. A particularly objectionable kind of title is the double-barrelled, such as " Eric : or Little by Little" , while " Pride and Prejudice" belongs to a most satisfactory type. It is in itself a summary of the book. Some titles are very suggestive, particularly " Wuthering Heights," " The Phantom Ship," or " The People of the Mist" ; others, such as the name of the hero or heroine convey nothing until the book is read. But to return to the present case. Instead of " From a College window " let it be " From a Bath-Room." It need not necessarily be a College bath-room. It is that part of the process aptly described as " soaking " that is most favourable to reflection. The bath-room, with all its accompaniments of warmth, cleanliness, and seclusion, has a soothing effect on mind and body. It is a time for making great decisions, framing new resolves, for retrospect, for

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speculation. Of course different temperaments are differently affected. We all know the individual who sings in the bath. To some, no doubt, it is a unique opportunity, for are they not protected by bolted door from the sarcasm and suppression which would greet them otherwise ? The habit is nevertheless a sign of a generous disposition ; it is a good omen and should make friends rather than enemies. The seclusion of a bath-room is another point. Those of us who live in a community can best appreciate it. For the time being, the pisition is impregnable, that is, of course, provided that the bather is not of the absent-minded variety that forgets to bolt the door. Usually imprecation and bombardment elicit no response save a derisive laugh and the splash of a sponge. True, the assailant must be faced later, but then how great is the moral superiority of the washed over the unwashed. One cannot deny, however, that drying is an unmitigated nuisance. Civilisation has yet to invent a method of instantaneous drying. A waterproof suit would be one way out of the difficulty, but, alas:! would be rather detrimental to the success of soap and loofah. There is also room for improvement in the arrangement of taps. Who has not experienced the difficulty of adequately mixing the hot and cold water ? The would-be bather arrives to find the bath halt full of scalding water. She promptly turns on the cold. Possibly she tries stirring, holding the sponge in the tips of her fingers-a method both painful and ineffective. She then takes her place in the cooler end. It is probably distinctly cool, and she rashly extends her limbs so that they come into unpleasant contact with the boiling water at the distant end. Surely,. this discomfort and delay could be remedied by having the hot and cold taps at opposite ends, and then sitting in the middle. But as regards the intellectual side of bathing. The thoughts of the bath are long, long thoughts. What unspoken speeches for debatesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;what musical lyrics--what squashing retorts to disparaging remarks borne in silence at the time of their deliveryâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;are wasted on the bath-room air. How many a mute inglorious Milton has blossomed in the kindly seclusion, afar from the madding crowd, so to speak. In fact, everything emphasises the importance of a bath-room as an instrument for untold good, intellectual, physical and moral. The Romans realised this and provided lavishly for its exercise. It remains for us to perfect, and then to enjoy, the fruits of our labour. M. E. PRICHARD,

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SONNET. The leafless trees are black against the blaze, The living blaze of day's triumphant dawn. Like shadowed water lies the silent lawn, Its tender green veiled with a filmy haze. What can we do, poor transient things, but praise ? We and our troubles are the things that pass. The flaming sunrise, dew-enshrouded grass, These are the glories that outlive our days. We fight through hours of darkness, blind, afraid, When swiftly comes the morning, growing red. We mourn the vision lost, the trust betrayed-The steadfast hills deny that faith is dead. And as we, quivering, shrink from change, dismayed, The eternal stars are watching overhead. E.S. Extract from the report of committee appointed to look into the question of firing and heating in 1920 :

" In view of the present shortage of coal, we strongly advocate the keeping of domestic dragons." Last week I, all but demented, Cold and damp, committee-mad, By my fireside lamented All the brains that once I had. Then I fell asleep and, dreaming, Came to me a dream most fair, Methought I saw a dragon sitting Combing out his scaly hair. Red fire breathed his burning nostrils, Brimstone scented all the air, While the dragon sat there beaming, Tying ribbons in his hair. Then humbly 'gan I to approach him, " Your mighty dragonship," said I, " Madam, your most abject servant," Courteous did he made reply. Then firmly fixed I to his collar A chain, as one should always do,

THE IMP And tenderly did guide his footsteps To the door of good S. Hugh. There all did love the gentle creature, Swift dispense with central heat, Find that he can light their fires Dry their laundry, cook their meat. Patiently about the passage He would wander as of yore, Till they came to spread asbestos For their carpets on the floor. Then of evenings after dinner, Sitting round his fiery breath, He would tell us ancient stories Of the knights he did to death. Yet just the way his eye would kindle His voice grow louder as he spoke Something in his way of speaking Made me rather glad I woke. A. G. YOUNGHUGHES.

IMP-RESSIONS. Generally speaking, dancing, politics, degrees and games, in particular, torpids, union debates, O.U.D.S., and the S.C.R. party have engaged the earnest attention of people's spare moments this Term. Politics, i n especial, are flourishing. A new Tory, a Liberal, a Socialist Meeting have each and all made St. Hugh's a rallying ground. Many people in search of the political will-o'-the-wisp have joined all societies. The Liberals accuse the O.U.N.T.'s of ulterior motives in that they have joined up through the lure of a probable dance. The new Tories in the same genial spirit of recrimination, vaunt their own higher fees as indicative of their superiority. So the game proceeds. The prospect of women being admitted as members to the University has caused the most natural elation. The possible change in the chaperone rules, amongst others, is anticipated with especial pleasure. But the more serious-minded are concerned rather with the service which they hope to render the University that has thus far considered the question in a generous and progressive spirit.

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Those who went to the O.U.D.S. to see the " Dynasts " were of two kinds ; those who went to criticise, and those who were ready to witness the performance on its own merits and not by any preconceived notions about the drama. The latter extracted the more aesthetic pleasure ; the former the more cynical merriment. As for the chief character, Nelson ((Mr. M. D. Colbourne, Oriel), by living the part for the time being, was easily the finest actor. Wellington's parody of the role came as a relief. He was much appreciated. Mr. G. W. Sich (Magdalen) played the part. Napoleon (H. R. Barton, Exeter). had a most exacting role. In the Fontainebleau scene he rose to great heights. The strophe and antistrophe (Miss Laura Cowie and Mrs. J. Buckmaster) were exceedingly fine, most especially so in their magnificent rendering of the " Albuera" passage. Much enthusiasm was shown by undergraduates unattached to seats over Miss Dorothy Warren's song. In fact, all the songs were most successful. The most realistic scene was that of the deserters in the cellar, the most impressive Napoleon at Bossu, the most amusing the early morning scene in Brussels. The play, as a whole, in face of much contradictory opinion, acted well, and reproduced much of the remoteness, and Hardy's idea of man's impotence in the face of universal laws, when he fights for his own agrandisement and for that alone. The Union has been largely attended by S. Hugh's students, especially by members of the history school, who thus furnish themselves with matter for their next essays ! The Anglo-American Club held a meeting in the Union debating hall this Term, when the American Ambassador outlined the process of Treaty-making in the States. The wonder is that anything is arrived at, the form of legislation being so rigid, and its different parts so antipathetical. The S.C.R. gave a delightful reception on February 17th, when the guest of the evening was Professor Rudler, Marshal Foch Professor of French Literature. Many well-known people in Oxford were there. Undergraduates reading French were invited, and Miss Jourdain kindly included the rest of the College. The drawingroom, the S.C.R., the dining-hall were all festively decorated, and a long buffet ran the length of the room. Settled in a becoming semi-circle on the dais, with Miss Hind conducting, the College orchestra played long and energetically. Dancing was allowed after a certain time. The whole evening passed off well--without any fusingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and everyone had an enjoyable time. The torpids favoured by fine weather, on the whole, have been very popular, the House being the 1st in the 1st Division. Oxford is resuming its old gaieties. Canon W. Temple, of Life and Liberty fame, is drawing masses of people to hear him on Sunday evenings. Women students are

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much appreciating the concession that enables them to go to his sermons. A rough indicator of the interests of Hilary Term this year would not be complete without mentioning the questionable excitement produced by inoculation. Only two patients felt anything like an influenza feeling afterwards. The rest consoled themselves with the fact they were producing statistics for science.

COLLEGE REPORTS. DRAMATIC PERFORMANCES.

Three plays were acted in College during the Michaelmas Term, and we may claim for all of them that the standard of our dramatic work attains a very high level, considering the limited amount of time we have at our disposal for producing plays. On S. Hughs' Day, the 2nd year gave a performance of Prunella, or Love in a Dutch Garden, by Laurence Housman and Granville Barker, a play that was new to most of us. The caste was as follows:••• P. DENTON Pierrot. Prunella ••• H. KIRK Scaramel ••• M. CHILTON Prude ••• MISS EVANS Prim ••• N. HORA Privacy .., ••• M. SAVORY ••. M. TOYNBEE Queer ••• E. HORNIBROOK ... Quaint ••• N. GLENDAY, R. LAYNG, Gardeners M. HEMSTOCK

D. WILBY M. FARROW, R. LAYNG, K. PATERSON, W. GARE, B. BEAVER, E. ROSSER, N. HARRISON, D. EDWARDS REES E. MORGAN Statue of Love M. PICKFORD Tenor It is difficult, on reviewing the characters, to pick out any for special mention, since they were all good, but Pierrot and Prunella were particularly noticeable in the two most difficult parts ; Privacy and Scaramel, that primmest of old maids and that most helpful of servants, both gave excellent character studies ; while the Statue of Love made us marvel at her power of keeping statuesque for so long. The haunting tune of the Mummers does not easily slip out of the mind, nor does the Tenor's song, of which the audience

Gardener's Boy Mummers ...

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showed their appreciation at the time. The scenic arrangements were very ambitious and well carried out, and we must congratulate Prunella on a safe conclusion to her perilous descent. On December 2nd the 1st year showed us that we need have no fears for the future of the College's dramatic efforts in their presentation of The Headmaster.

THE HEADMASTER. BY WILFRED T. COLEBY AND EDWARD KNOBLAUCH.

Dramatis Personae. ... M. SINCLAIR The Rev. Cuthbert Sanctuary ... (Headmaster at Carchester School.) A. WINDHAM The Very Rev. the Hon. Manford Wilton, DD., F.R.G.S., etc. (Dean of Carchester.) ... M. GODLEY Jack Strachan (Assistant-Master at Carchester School.) M. CUNNINGHAM Palisser Grantley ... (Assistant-Master at Carchester School.) ... T. MARSHALL Munton (the School Butler) ... A. BROUGH Richards, Major (Senior Prefect of Carchester School.) 0. BONSEY Jim Stuart (boys in the School) D. PETERS Bill Etheridge E. REYNOLDS Portia Sanctuary (daughters of the Headmaster) M. BROWN Antigone Sanctuary E. RAMSAY The Hon Cornelia Grantley ••• (Sister to the Dean.) They chose a very good play and acted it well. The Rev. Cuthbert was a most lovable old man ; his absentmindedness was delightful and at times almost embarrassing ! Palisser Grantly was very foolish, and Munton an ideal butler. Portia would be an ornament to any school, and one could well understand the little boys' adoration of her, but she seemed just a little too serious about small things, and rather unwilling to smile at them. But we are not grumbling at anything for there was really nothing to grumble at during the whole evening. The third play, performed after College meeting on December 4th by the S.C.R. and a few members of the 4th and 3rd years, was Artemesia. By M. Pymbershaw.

THE IMP Caste. ... B. A. BurLEN Pleisthenes, alias Bodies Artemesia F. PRIEST SHAW ... C. M. ADY Agenor E. M. SPEARING Clytemnestra C. M. TAYLOR Ismenia ... M. R. B. SHAW Chloris Leader of Chorus I. HIND ... A ROBERTSON Chorus ... L. EDWARDS, E. BAKER, J. BROOKSBANK, A. PARK, C. SOWBY. From the time that the curtain rose, or, rather, the screens rolled back, we realised that here we were dealing with one of the highest forms of dramatic art. It had for its theme neither the fancifulness of Prunella nor the comedy of The Headmaster, but tragedy, real, live, blood-curdling, heart-stirring tragedy, with a capital T. Pleisthenes, recovered from a watery grave in the Cher, changed his vocation from that of an Oxford don to the uplifting occupation of boot boy at a women's college, where, joy of joys, he could polish his lady loves' hockey boots, all unknown to her. Of the tragic situations in which Artemesia found herself, the hopeless passion that blighted Agenor's life, the ireful indignation of Clytemnestra when she discovered Bootes kissing his beloved's boots,and ofChloris' mad fury, we cannot adequately speak, nor can we describe the fierce emotions that battled in our breasts when we beheld the whole company lying dead on the J.C.R. floor, the whole company sa've the white-robed chorus poised on their elegant humpties. At least, we felt, we could still enjoy a real tragedy.

JOINT DEBATE WITH BALLIOL. On Wednesday, December 3rd, thirty members of the College Debating Society went to Balliol to a joint debate with the Arnold Society there. The invitation had been considered such a signal honour that the majority of S. Hugh's arrived before the members of the Arnold Society had come out of hall. After some time spent disrobing they proceeded to the old Senior Common Room, and attempted to begin the debate. The President of the Arnold Society welcomed his visitors with much tact, but directly he passed on to more serious business he was interrupted by the arrival of coffee, which further delayed the debate. Finally, the motion was given out :â&#x20AC;&#x201D; " That in the opinion of this house the modern novel is seldom true to life, and, when true, uninteresting."

THt IMP The proposer, Mr. Bickerstet'n, made a vigorous and interesting speech which, in spite of many epigrammatic anti-climaxes and interesting parallels between the Victorians and their present-day disciples, failed to convince the opposition. He maintained that the best novels of modern writers were those where they were most romantic and least true to life, which, he considered, has no definite plan working to culminating points, but which proceeds along a path of dreary monotony, apparently to no definite end. He protested against autobiographical nastiness, and the morbid imaginings of nasty young men. The opposer, Miss Denton, had unfortunately been unable to attend the debate, so her speech was read by Miss Stopford. The speech suffered in two ways : Firstly, because the motion had been misunderstood by the members of S. Hugh's College Debating Society, who had thought that the novel in general and not the modern novel was the subject of the debate ; and secondly, because it lacked the intensity and aptness which a speech receives when delivered by its creator. Miss Denton also held a brief for romance, but held that modern micro-photographical tendencies only described another phase in the complexity which is life. She must be held responsible for the introduction of Jane Eyre into the debate. This unfortunate book occupied an inordinate amount of time and thought in subsequent speeches. Miss Spurway then again proved her undoubted ability as a debater, and in spite of what seemed to he latent and embryonic sympathies with the opposition,she Very ably supported the proposer. Unfortunately she too suffered as Miss Denton had done, by having included the Victorians in her carefully and capably prepared speech. She based a good deal of her theory on Jane Eyre, which haunted the speech as it had done the previous one. Mr. Fyfe supported the president in welcoming S. Hugh's, and delivered a thoughtful and cautious speech. He dwelt a good deal on life instead of the novel, and so paved the way for Mr. Beechman, who made what was probably the most popular speech of the evening. He paid the novel the compliment of comparison to other works of art. The previous speakers had all been rather prone to regarding it in the light of a missionary instrument for propaganda of philosophies and other rules of life and conduct. He pleaded very eloquently for understanding and tolerance of ideals. He was succeeded by Miss Younghughes, whose dry humour and shrewd knowledge was much applauded. She pressed home her points by apt comparisons and similes, and very successfully navigated the narrows between the rather ponderous simplicity of some of the more serious-minded debaters and the bewildering application of simile indulged in by one of the members of the

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Arnold Society, who spent (apparently) his time during the first five or six speeches in elaborating an ingenious, but not particularly apt metaphor of salad and its component parts. There also spoke Miss Stopford, Miss Burnett, Miss Pickford, Miss Moller, Mr. Watt, Mr. Grundy, Mr. Ban, Mr. Carus-Wilson, Mr. Jenkins. Miss Moller's speech gained much from an atmosphere of expectancy created by the action of a member of the Arnold Society who did not notice that she was still in the middle of her speech. Her peroration, therefore, was more carefully listened to and proved worthy of the increased attention. Upon a division there voted for the motion 23, against the motion 33. The debate was good. Almost an equal number from each Society spoke, and the unfortunate propensity of most debates of our Society, that is, of considering that 'a more or less apt remark is that is necessary in debate instead of a speech conforming to certain rhetorical and oratorical canons, was not indulged in. In most cases the material was excellent and competently arranged. The debate should be an augury of more to come, which will prove equally successful.

WORCESTER DEBATE. On February 4th a joint debate was held with Worcester. The motion was "that in the opinion of this House Fashion is a beneficial institution of society, and should be respected." Miss Younghughes made a literary and telling speech in favour of the motion, delighting her supporters by confessing her disappointment at seeing her opponents in orthodox attire instead of a garb which would in itself argue against the motion. Miss Toynbee brought aesthetic, historic and theological weapons to bear in opposition, and those at the back of the room, who were unable to hear, were conscious of having missed much. Mr. Ivery ably supported his principal, to whom he paid due homage, while Mr. McCallum exposed the defects of Fashion in a weighty and alliterative peroration. In spite of the immense distance which it seemed to perspective speakers had to be traversed before they could open fire, several of the S. Hugh's debaters represented their College, though the balance was well on the men's side. Miss Spearing proved as mirth-provoking as is her wont. Miss Spurway reminded the House of the erstwhile unfashionableness of women's Colleges, and Miss Crump made a clear and wellexpressed speech against the motion. The debate was well attended, in spite of various attractions, the President remaining faithful to his post till called away to rehearse

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his part in O.U.D S., and returning to offer valedictions to the visitors. The one feature of the evening which perhaps did not cause universal content was the fact that the compliment paid by the hosts in evening dress was not in all cases returned by the guests.

BOATING. Boating has been in full swing this Term owing to the absence of floods. The sculling is improving, but the general standard is still far from good. There is a lamentable want of neatness and finish, which becomes most obvious in the sculling captains and half captains who row in the Four. Mr. Lusk very kindly consented to coach the Four this Term, and some progress has been made, but there must be far more practice. A second Four has been started, but unless people are prepared to go out regularly, it is no nse beginning to row. The following have qualified during the Term :Canoeing ... M. HEMSTOCK ... ... L. HILLIARD Sculling

M. SHARPE HOCKEY CRITICISM. The Team, on the whole, is much better this year than it was last, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. The fault lies not so much in what is definitely wrong, as in what is lacking, for the impression generally conveyed is that the Team might be very much better than they are if only they had more dash and energy. Also they are decidedly eratic. The forward line has no swing or finish about it, especially in the circle, where the shooting is never good, and sometimes very bad. When once inside the circle everyone must make it their business to shoot, and to shoot hard ; at present the shots, even when straight, are too soft to be very effective. It does not do to muddle round with stick work and the main object must be to score. But there is no point in wasting shots, and if a forward is in an impossible position for scoring it is much better to pass back to the centre of the circle. It would also be a good thing if the centre-half could learn to shoot straight. The forwards should practice taking " flying-shots," as they are far harder to stop, and no time is wasted. In mid-field, when one forward gets the ball, the others must remember to drop behind at once, so as to avoid being off side. It is then possible to pass the ball forward so that the person to whom it is passed can take it on

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the run and lose no time. Generally speaking, the defence is better than the attack, but the halves are inclined to be too far behind their forwards when they are backing up. They ought to be very close up so as to get the ball as soon as their forward is tackled. The combination throughout is good, and the Team are very quick on their feet, but not quick enough in actual play. They must decide at once what they are going to do, for often a second's delay in " getting on " to the ball makes all the difference. It ought to be possible, by practice, almost to anticipate your opponents next move. There is also a tendency to pass the ball before being actually tackled, and when tackled to pass blindly without looking to see who is unmarked. Also it is a waste of time to hit in exactly the same place twice running. The Team err, if possible, on the side of unselfishness. It is sometimes a good thing, if the field is fairly clear, for a forward to take the ball up and shoot herself, but at present everyone seems rather afraid of doing this. The Team play a very clean game, and are not much given to fouling, though they should be careful of sticks. But they always seem to fall just below what is expected and this is a pity, because a little extra care and determination would make them so much more successful. In the Cup Matches S. Hugh's drew against the Home Students, and beat them 18-0. The Final, against Somerville, will be played on Thursday, March 4th, when we hope to win back the Cup. The Misses Bull, of Somerville, have presented a Cup, for which the 2nd XI's are competing. The College 2nd XI has already beaten S. Hilda's 1-0, and will play Somerville in the Final in the seventh week. The prospect of winning the Cup has already stimulated the 2nd XI, and its standard of play has improved considerably. As usual, the defence is better than the attack, and the whole Team suffers from lack of speed. The forwards are very slow in shooting, and are apt to lose their heads, and the ball, when they have a clear field before them, but their keenness and tenacity compensates any lack of prowess, and by the time we see this in print we may hope for two Cups in the dining-hall.

Captain : L. GUNNERY. Vice-Captain : A. CLARK. Secretary : N. GLENDAY. 1ST XI.

Farrow.* BLACOW.* DENTON.*

2ND XIâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Captain BONSEY. BOWN.* KICK.*

BROOKSBANK.

THE IMP GUNNERY.* PRICHARD. F. BAKER.* GLENDAY. * ROGERS.* PATERSON. * LAYNG.* CLARK.*

MISKIN, HARRISON. EMTAGE.* N. BAKER.* COMPSTON. BROOKSBANK.* WRIGHT. * BROUGH.

ST. HUGH'S COLLEGE, LACROSSE. The Lacrosse Team this year is certainly better than it was last year, and if only it had more force and staying power, it ought to do well. The attacks are, on the whole, better than the defences. They combine well, and are neat with their crosses, but they are inclined to be slow in passing, and the catching is not sure. If there is an attack free, it is nearly always better to pass when you are tackeld than to try to dodge and take it on yourself. The passing is not always accurate, while the shooting, though hard, is too uncertain. The defences work hard and check very well, but they have not nearly enough force and determination, and while they are wondering however they managed to get the ball into their crosse, their opponent knocks it out again. The worst faults of the defences are that they do not clear out quickly, and that their throwing is very weak. This does not apply so much to the 3rd man and Cover Point as to Point and the Wing Defences. They are very slow in picking up the ball, and when one defence is struggling to clear the ball out from in front of the goal, the others muddle her by crowding on top of her instead of getting free for a pass. When one of the opposing attacks is bringing the ball down the field and is coming near the goal, the defences, especially the Point and Wing Defences, stand in front of the goal, hoping that if the attack shoots the ball will be stopped by hitting some part of them, and so not reach the goal. This may be an heroic, but it is a very unwise method, as they not only prevent the goal from seeing where the ball is coming, but they leave their own attacks quite free to receive a pass and to shoot. Cover Point and 3rd man should be very careful not to run out together to tackle the same man, and so leave both their opponents free. If a wing attack has got through her defence, and is half way down the field, the Cover Point should tackle her, and the other Wing Defence should come in and mark the 2nd Home. On the whole, however, the game is faster, and the catching and passing better than it was last Term. What we need and what we

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must have before we can hope to be really effective, is more determination and dash. The team is as follows !â&#x20AC;&#x201D; E. Chilton,* P. Clark,* C. P. Emtage,* 3rd, M. Sinclair,* R. D. Savory,* L. D. Norton, C. Paterson, 3rd, H. Godley,* 2nd, H. Wilson,* 1st, H. Peters, R. A. Dalston, L. A. Brough.* Miss Marshall, who played cover poiht for the team, has not been able to play during the last half of the Term, and she will be a great loss to us in the Cup Match.

VEGETARIANISM. My soul is a banana, hanging in a fruiterer's window. It is golden and beautifully elliptical, Darkly mottled here and there because you do not come The other young men are tomatoes heaped in a basket. Rubicund rondures. But they lack individuality. One day you meander into the shop. You lower your eyelids and gaze horizontally into space. You see cabbages, walnuts and spring greens. Languidly you buy a cabbage. You see Sarson's Table Vinegar, and beetroots in piles. You lethargically reject these. You see the tomatoes. " Ah," you sigh, " they arc the colour of passion i " You buy a pound. Then you wheel round to go away. You see me. But I am soft .and black in parts because of my consuming affection for you. You do not know this. You say : " What a pity that banana has gone off." Then you go. I am deserted. No, I am not deserted. A wasp hovers over me. She is marked most satisfactorily with black and yellow circular stripes. She likes me to be squashy. She knows I am sweeter like that. She settles on me. Since you have shown such regrettable lack of taste, the wasp pleases me.

CONSTITUTION OF THE COLLEGE MAGAZINE. I.—That the name of the magazine shall be called THE IMP. IL—That the officers of the Magazine shall be an Editor and a Treasurer, elected by the J.C.R. and a representative from each year, elected by their own years. IIL—Contributions shall be accepted or refused by the decision of the majority of the committee, the Editor reserving the right of the casting vote. IV. The Committee shall not be held responsible for any opinions expressed in the Magazine. V.—Nothing of intrinsic merit shall be excluded on account of views expressed therein. VI.—The anonymous character of contributions shall be respected when required. VII.—Contributions from the Senior and Junior Common Rooms, past and present, shall be accepted. VIII.—The Committee shall be empowered to invite contributions from anyone not a member of the College at their discretion.