X - ACADEMIC “SPORTS”

Summary

[Under this title were contributed from time to time short sketches of various eccentric members of the College. Such people hardly fall under the designation of “Academic Life” but, as the reader will very likely not have made their acquaintance before, I have let them stand.]

The “sports” to be described here are not of the familiar sort which attract gate-money and lead to international rivalry. Any discussion of such as these would offer but small scope in the college history of centuries back. It is proposed to use the term rather in the botanical than in the conventional sense. We may take it for granted that the careers which a University training is mainly intended to encourage are of the sober, commonplace and useful kind. However much we may admire eccentricity, we do not expect that foundations shall be endowed for the purpose of propagating it. Genius will always take care of itself, but the main crop of the academic tree must be regarded as consisting of the successful and worthy clergyman, lawyer, doctor and so forth. And whatever else may be the merits or demerits of those whom we propose to record here, they certainly do not belong to any of these classes. It was not in the expectation of such fruit that the tree was planted.