the original sources. In natural science the tendency is still to the sources, and a completely equipped laboratory provides the fullest opportunity for investigation and observation.

SOME UNUSUAL STUDIES.

Law is an unknown land to most women, yet the widening sphere of woman's activity brings her into many situations whose responsibilities she cannot discharge intelligently unless she has grasped those legal principles which most frequently crop up in every-day life. At Lasell

lectures by an able lawyer cover as much ground in legal lore as seems necessary for the average person. For similar reasons bookkeeping takes its place in the list of accomplishments, and the future housekeeper, as well as the business woman, will find the ability to keep books of accounts an assistance well worth the time spent on it. Phonography, typewriting, telegraphy, and photography may also be studied, so that the young woman has many different chances to qualify herself as а wage-earner, if that be necessary, or to add to her resources some entirely fascinating pursuits.

1

TRAINING FOR HOME CONSUMPTION.

Were it only for this one thing Lasell would deserve the gratitude and enthusiastic coöperation of all intelligent men and women-the attention paid to developing and instructing what might be called the arts and sciences of the home." As a witty writer on the " Unquiet Sex" has pointed out, supposing that the next generation should have a Carlyle in store for us, there could hardly be a nobler aim for the most ambitious woman than to present the philosopher to the world free of dyspepsia. There's no denying the fact that college women as a class are open to criticism in their housekeeping, and the practical and theoretical instruction in everything

appertaining to the daily home life is by no means the least valuable of the gifts that Lasell showers upon its students. Such experts as Miss Parloa,

Mrs. Daniell, Mrs Lincoln, Mrs. Oakes, and Miss Barrows here teach what good cooking is in a thoroughly fitted-up lecture-room with all the appliances of a first-class kitchen. A knowledge of the principles of hygiene and sanitation, the science of foods and the domestic economics, often means the difference between health and invalidism, between comfort and death, on a small income. The whole range of domesticities is covered here: dress cutting and fitting, mending, house-furnishing and management, marketing and bread-making-all the homely accomplishments which were imparted unscientifically to every girl in the days before women's colleges were, are elevated to the rank of sciences and investigated in detail. This is a well-rounded curriculum indeed.

A glance at the catalogue shows that Dr. Charles Parkhurst and several other of the most notable men of the country are directors of Lasell or have assisted in the achievement of these results. Mr. Bragdon's immediate and acting associate in the work is Dr. Charles W. Gallagher, a man of broad scholarship and excellent training, who was formerly president of Lawrence University and more recently president of Maine Wesleyan Seminary.

Nothing can be quite as satisfactory in the attempt to form an estimate of the quality of the work done at Lasell as a visit to that institution. This article will, however, serve to indicate the lines on which Lasell has chiefly developed its strength. For more specific information concerning the courses, the cost of tuition, etc., those who are interested may consult the comprehensive illustrated catalogue which will be . gladly mailed on application by letter to Mr. C. C. Bragdon, Auburndale, Mass.

VOL. XVII.

No. 6.

Our War

Very few people in the United States, in Two in Spain, or anywhere else, in the Hemispheres. discussion that preceded the actual outbreak of the war, had for a moment supposed that armed intervention for the pacification of Cuba would begin with a campaign for the conquest of the Philippine Islands, which lie in the Pacific Ocean between Hong Kong and New Guinea. We Americans adapt ourselves to new conditions rather readily; but even yet the average man is somewhat mystified by the Philippine campaign. It had been the declared purpose of our Government to extend a helping hand on strictly humanitarian grounds to the starving reconcentrados in Cuba. This of course involved incidentally the carrying on of a war with Spain. We began the war by establishing a so-called "pacific blockade" of Havana and a part of the northern Cuban coast. All this was managed in a calm, leisurely fashion, with the result of shutting off outside food supplies not only from the reconcentrados, but from all other elements of the Cuban population. Thus we were, with the best of intentions, making it certain that we should have little future expense or trouble in caring for the reconcentrados inasmuch as the vast majority of them would probably be dead before July. Ever since last December the Spanish policy has been to play one game after another upon Uncle Sam to prevent the invasion of Cuba before the beginning of the rainy season. We were better prepared, relatively, last winter for dealing swiftly with the Cuban situation than we are now. We have seemed at various times within the past five weeks to be on the point of really beginning our armed intervention in the island of Cuba, but as often as we have planned prompt invasion we have shuddered on the brink and drawn back. It is not likely that we shall attempt to carry out our plans on any conclusive scale until next fall. In any case, the Spaniards have succeeded per fectly in their policy of keeping the Cuban gates closed against us until their chief ally, the deadly rainy season, had duly arrived.

Spain's Even though a second-rate power and

Elusive

Naval frightfully distracted by conditions at Tactics. home, the Spaniards thus far have been more than a match for us, not only in diplomacy, but also in their naval strategy, which consists of dodging, under cover of misleading reports. At the time when our Government last December was fully apprised of those conditions in Cuba which made intervention our duty, the Spanish navy was not ready for action, and we could probably have dealt a prompt and effective blow. We waited, however, until nearly the opening of May, and allowed the Spaniards to get their ships in readiness. The maneuvering of their fleet and its marvelous success in veiling its movements in mystery wholly baffled our Government for many days in May. A powerful armored squadron under Admiral Cervera proceeded early in April from the Canary Islands and other Spanish waters to the Cape Verde Islands, which belong to Portugal, and there rendezvoused for a good many days. At length Portugal dared no longer flagrantly to disregard the obligations of neutrality, and the Spanish fleet was requested to sail away from St. Vincent, the great harbor and coaling station of the Cape Verde Islands. April 29 the fleet actually sailed. It took a westward course. Although our Government seems to have had no plans for scouting upon its movements, the newspapers were enterprising enough to have it followed for a number of hours. As last seen, it was still moving toward the West Indies. Whereupon the newspapers were filled with great accounts of the tremendous battle that was about to occur. The vicinity of Porto Rico was selected by the strategists of the press, and the date arranged for this fight was about May 9. Rear-Admiral Sampson was ordered by the authorities at Washington to intercept the Spanish fleet and to capture or destroy it. Nobody seemed to have the slightest doubt as to the outcome. The momentous date arrived, however, and the great fight failed to come off as per schedule. Nothing had been

On

days, therefore, the newspapers followed the lead of the Washington strategists, and all attention was concentrated upon the whereabouts of the Oregon. There was some slight anxiety expressed; but, upon the whole, there was a cheerful consensus of American opinion to the effect that the Oregon, single-handed, could vanquish any number of Spanish warships, no matter how powerful, by virtue of innate American superiority. News from Brazil was breathlessly awaited.

That Remarkable

All this was changed, however, by News the surprising announcement on from Cadiz. May 10 that Admiral Cervera's entire squadron had turned up in the great seaport of Cadiz, on the coast of Spain. As the newspapers agreed in putting it, in enormous head-lines, the Spanish fleet had turned tail." Cervera had been afraid, after all, to cross the Atlantic, and had been skulking about, avoiding the frequented lanes of ocean commerce, so that nobody might tell tales of his cowardice; and at length, being hungry, thirsty, and in need of fuel, he had been compelled to swallow his pride, face his shame, and to go home to Cadiz. This report was accepted without a particle of skepticism by the newspapers and confirmed by the Government's advices. Our alert ambassador at the court of St. James, Mr. Hay, cabled his assurances to the State Department at Washington

ADMIRAL PASCUAL CERVERA Y TOPETE.

seen or heard of the Spanish fleet. Several days more elapsed, and nobody was able to answer the question that everybody was asking as to the whereabouts of Admiral Cervera. The New England coast became panic-stricken, because it was reported that Cervera's ships had been sighted off Nova Scotia and were heading for Portland, Maine. Key West became acutely anxious because it was reported that Cervera had sailed southward and was going to attack Florida. The authorities at Washington, however, had a totally different theory. They were said to be convinced that Cervera had taken his fleet across to the coast of Brazil in order to intercept our battleship the Oregon, which, as our readers will remember, had in March left San Francisco to join our fleet in West Indian waters. For some