HOPEFUL MISFORTUNE.

Never was the truth of the adage that a chain is as strong as its weakest link more conclusively demonstrated than on Saturday afternoon on Yale field. Except for a few minutes in the third period, the University team outplayed its opponents, but in spite of this, misplays blighted Harvard's hopes when they were highest. These mistakes showed the weak links in the chain which gave way under the strain.

The discouraging, and yet encouraging, feature in both these critical instances of misplay is that in both cases the mistake was of a very elementary nature; discouraging, because fumbling and disobedience to the rules should be unknown in the work of a finished team; encouraging, because such faults are from their simplicity easy for the coaches to attack. The keen football heads that will direct the work of next year's team cannot fail to profit by this experience.

To the Yale players and coaches is due the greatest credit for the unheard of rapidity with which the team developed in the last two weeks of its season. They attacked and solved a problem which popular opinion deemed impossible.

Without doubt the University team had an "off day," but nevertheless rushed the ball twice as far as its opponents. Such work is far more to be considered than individual misplays in looking to the future. The men showed well-grounded knowledge of the game and undeniable physical power both in breaking up the much heralded tackle-shift attack, and also in offensive play. From the point of view of next year's team, these are the really significant elements of Saturday's game, for although deplorable and unfortunate to the last degree, fumbling and holding can be corrected, while nobody can teach brain and brawn.