THE ENGLISH SYSTEM OF HARVARD.

THE necessity of a change in the English system of Harvard, so far as it pertains to instruction in Rhetoric and the correct use of our own language, cannot be too strongly emphasized.

In the Freshman year we devote our time to the study of Latin, Greek, and Mathematics, while Rhetoric is entirely neglected; but if that were made a prescribed study of the Freshman year, we could then enter upon our Sophomore year thoroughly prepared to write our themes with a greater degree of satisfaction to ourselves and to the instructors, while under the present method most of us have almost entirely forgotten the knowledge of English which we once possessed.

The system of correcting themes seems too to be defective. The application of certain stereotyped words and phrases to all sorts of errors is extremely unsatisfactory. When we have been careful in framing our sentences, we cannot understand how those sentences are to be corrected, when they are simply marked with such expressions as "vague," "obscure," and the like, and no further explanation is given.

Under the system, as it now exists, we understand how impossible it is for each theme to be fully criticised in the recitation-room, but if the number of instructors were increased, each student could receive the benefit of separate instruction.

The gentlemen who advised the present method of correction must have given careful consideration to the matter before they came to any conclusion, and must have thought the present method the best which could be devised. It seems to us, however, that with such a change as we have attempted to explain, while the expense to the College would be increased, yet the benefit derived by the student from the writing of themes would be correspondingly greater, and would be well worth the extra outlay involved.

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