cusses the subject in so liberal and enlightened a spirit as the author of the above letter.

We are not aware that St. John's college, Annapolis, Maryland, represents any denomination further than that we believe its principal professors, if not its whole faculty, are Episcopalians. At all events, it makes no difference to us what its religious creed may be, as long as we are satisfied that it does good educational work. St John's is one of the oldest institutions in this country, having been founded towards the close of the seventeenth century. Like nearly all Southern colleges, it received but little support during the war. The trustees have adopted a very good means of "building it up," in electing, as its president, James C. Welling, LL., D., of Washington, a gentleman who combines literary talent of a high order with ripe scholarship. Since the election of Dr. Welling, the board has issued "An Appeal to the People of Maryland," a copy of which is now before us, together with the catalogue. Did our space permit us, we would gladly point out some of the inducements offered by the institution; as it is, we must confine ourselves to the following extract from the "Appeal:"

"The Faculty of the College consists at present of seven professors, including the principal, and one tutor. The number of pupils who have matriculated in the institution during the scholastic year that has just closed, is one hundred and fifteen. The success which has already attended their efforts since the reorganization of the College in the year 1866, affords to the Board the augury of a still greater success in the year before them, if the friends of education in Maryland shall lend to the efforts of the Board and of the Faculty that countenance and support which it is believed may now be justly claimed on behalf of the institution committed to their care. With a faculty at once learned and efficient in the discharge of their duties, with ample buildings, representing a money value of $200,000, tasteful in their architecture and fitted for the comfortable reception and entertainment of two hundred pupils; with adjacent grounds whose natural beauty of situation has been heightened by art; with a system of free scholarships not only unsurpassed, but, it is believed, unequalled by that of any American college, the authorities of St. John's confidently commend it to the patronage and support of the friends of education in Maryland, under a profound sense of the necessity which exists for such an institution as they have sought to create, and an equally full assurance that they have done much to meet that necessity. VOL. XVII.-No. xxxiv. 21

Limited as have been the resources of the College since the resumption of its duties in 1810, the Board point with undissembled pride to the large proportion of its graduates, who, since that date, as well as in the earlier period of its history, have risen to eminence in every walk of public and private life-adorning the bench, the bar, the pulpit, the halls of legislation, both State and Federal; and within the last few weeks, at the unanimous call of his countrymen, contributing one among the most illustrious of her sons to represent the nation at the proudest court of Europe. The record of the past is an earnest of brighter auguries for the future, and constitutes a cogent plea in favor of conferring upon St. John's College the opportunity of wider power for good."

Returning again to New York, we open the Annual Report of the president of Columbia College, and we are pleased to see, even from a hasty glance, that the institution is improving under the auspices of the Rev. Dr. Barnard. The Report contains several passages which we should like to present to our readers, with such comments as they suggest to us; but we can only make room for two brief extracts, and fortunately these need no comment:

"The total number of students embraced in the roll of the college and its associated schools during the past year has been 767; of whom 319 were members of the school of medicine, 182 were members of the school of law, 126 were members of the school of mines, and 140 belonged to the undergraduate department, or school of the liberal arts. This latter number is stated in the annual catalogue at 144; but of these there were four who failed to matriculate, and who were dropped from the roll. The number for the year ending in June, 1867, was exactly the same. The distribution among the several classes was as follows:seniors, 27; juniors, 87; sophomores, 32; freshmen, 44."

Further on some remarks are made by Dr. Barnard which are worthy the attention of all who take an interest in education. It will be seen that the president of Columbia frankly admits that the non-resident system is not favorable to the formation of gentlemanly habits:

"The characteristic of the students of this college noticed in the report of the undersigned two years ago, viz., that they apparently bring with them more of the habits of the school, and maintain them longer, here than elsewhere, continues to be true of them still. It is perhaps beyond the reach of college influences effectually to correct this evil. Where a student body is non-resident, there fails to grow up spontane

ously that tone of superior dignity which marks the bearing of at least the more advanced clases in educational institutions in which the student body constitute a permanent community, and which leads them to look with a kind of mild disdain upon acts of childish and unmeaning disorder. And little can be done by the authorities to promote the growth of this feeling, since, during the few hours of the daily attendance of the students at the college, they are constantly engaged in the exercises of the class-room."

The University of the City of New York is not so wealthy as Columbia. It has, indeed, no wealth except that of intellect and knowledge. When its present venerable and energetic chancellor was elected, some twelve years since, it was deeply in debt, but we are glad to know that there are no longer any claims against it, and that it was never in a more prosperous condition, in all its departments, than it is at the present moment. No institution in America can boast abler professors; no institution anywhere perfoms its duties more faithfully, or in a more cosmopolitan spirit.

Speaking of wealthy colleges reminds us that Yale seems destined to surpass all other literary institutions in this country, not excepting old Columbia, in the extent of its pecuniary resources. The amount of its donations since 1860, is enormous. In a pamphlet now before us, entitled "Yale in 1868," there is a long list of "benefactors," although no one has the honor of appearing in it who has not contributed $5,000, or more. Joseph Battell has contributed $36,000; Wm. A. Buckingham, $25,000; Simeon B. Chittenden, $30,000; Henry Farnham, $36,264 72; George Peabody, $150,000; Joseph E. Sheffield, $161,000, &c.

Yale is undoubtedly a very respectable institution, and we wish it success, but it is certainly nothing better, either in its scholarship, its system of teaching, or its morals, than many other colleges in the United States that have not received as much as one of these donations during the whole period. In our opinion, it may thank its luck much more than its merit. Man is an imitative animal; men who have a superabundance of money are quite as much so as others. One gives a donation to a college, for perhaps no better reason than that his son or grandson once

got into a fight in it, and broke somebody's nose or his head. As a matter of course, he is lauded to the skies as a friend of education, a benefactor of mankind, &c. Others think how pleasant it would be to be talked of in the same way, and accordingly they vie with each other in writing large checks, and long letters to accompany them.

It may be all different in the present case; but, be this as it may, there are several colleges in New England and elsewhere in this country whose diploma we would rather have for our son, or our ward, than that of Yale, although we hold that there is not a State in the Union more enterprising, spirited, and intelligent, in proportion to its extent and population, than that to which the latter institution belongs. Thus, for example, we would certainly have more confidence in the diploma of Harvard, or of the University of New York; we would expect higher culture from it, and much more gentlemanly manners. That money has a tendency to soften, if not refine, the manners, or brighten the intellect, far be it from us to deny; and, if it produce this effect on Yale, as we hope it may,-none will be more ready than we to congratulate the institution on the plethoric state of its coffers.

We had intended to allude to about a dozen other catalogues; but we find on examination that they contain nothing claiming any particular notice. If we spoke of them at all, such is their character, notwithstanding the very small amount of matter which they contain, that we should criticise them; and were we even in a critical mood, while the mercury is above eighty, Fahrenheit, beside our desk, want of space would preclude us from indulging it.

We must not close, however, without an observation or two on our ladies' seminaries and colleges. We must confine ourselves to two or three, but these are of the representative class. The first female catalogue we happen to open is that of Vassar College. This is a highly respectable institution; certainly its liberal and munificent founder deserves to have his memory honorably preserved. Thus far, however, we cannot say much for the manner in which his very laudable wishes have been carried out. The catalogue be

fore us is got up in fine style-evidently "regardless of expense." The paper is faultless in its grain, nicely perfumed, yet rather yellow in its tinge to be emblematic of the fair maidens whose names adorn it. But we are bound to remember that the illustrations might not have appeared to so much advantage on white paper; besides it is possible that the brochure may have encountered some smoke on its way to us, and this would sufficiently account for the yellow hue.

The "pictures," however, are very handsome. That of the "College Edifice," which serves as a frontispiece, is sufficient by itself to induce many a fond mother to send her daughter to Poughkeepsie. But as a map of the world is generally given on the first page of an atlas, the maps of particular countries being given in the following pages, so in the catalogue of Vassar we have separate cuts of the different parts of the college, down even to the gateway and porter's lodge. Thus, under the head of "Extra Collegiate, or Art Studies," printed in capitals, we have a cut which purports to be that of an "Art Gallery"; under the head of "Health and Physical Training" we have a cut of the "Calisthenium," &c. All is described in the letter press in a style at once minute and elevated; in short, of nothing does the whole affair remind us so forcibly as of a certain "Paradise" described by the poet-that,—

-"happy place

Where a light of its own gilds every face;

Or if some wear a shadowy brow,

'Tis the wish to look wise,-not knowing how."

The success of Vassar College would afford us sincere pleasure, but ostentation and pompousness are not the best means of accomplishing success in any enterprise. We had much respect for Dr. John H. Raymond as the head of a boys' school or institute, at Brooklyn. We thought him fully qualified for his position, but we confess we had some misgivings when we learned that he turned his attention from boys to girls. We should not, however, have made the least objection to him as one of the professors in a female school or even college; but it occurred to us that one who had experience in teaching girls or young ladies, would be better