Page 19 - YB1904

College Life. f 0 the student of any college, enjoying with aH his heart the pleasures of a well earned vacation, the gradual shortening of the days, the merging of the torrid summer sky into the softer, golden sun- light of an Indian Summer, the turning of the leaves from verdent green to sombre yellow, and all Then indeed the other well known indications of approaching autumn, are all unwelcome tokens. "'-IJIt-ar-" the "melancholy days have come, the saddest of the year" for he must now leave all the gaiety and ease of idleness and take up once more his books, and follow for the next nine months a steady and monotonous reutine of daily study. And to most the prospect is not a pleasant one. But when once the pain of part- ing is over, the grand sacrifice made, there is a peculiar pleasure for the old student to find himself once more in the halls of his loved institution. There is the joy of meeting classmates and friends after the long separation, the loving interest in the old familiar surroundings, and the curiosity in the new arrivals, seeking after knowledge. And especially is this true of the Senior, for he realizes that for him this is the last time, and in that thought there is a melancholy pleasure which cannot be clearly expressed, but which is understood when experienced. So as the Class of 1904 assem- bled in the golden days of mild September within the halls of Western Maryland it was with the feeling, "this is the last, make the most of it." For that reason the greetings were all the more affectionate, the welcomes all the more cordial, the spirit of class fellowshlp all the more marked and the year of 1904, so momentous and so long looked for was begun with the determination to make it the best of the cycle. The first observation to be made at the opening of the new year was as to the number of new students entered upon the roll. It was found that, although the Freshman class was not so large as last year, the ratio of students was about the same, being more distributed in the Sophomore and Preparatory classes. The point of special interest for old students was the Yingling HaH of Science. It was difficult to recognize in 17