The Fritillary, March 1922

THE FRITILLARY.

MARCH, 1922.

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ltjritilIarar.

No 85.

MARCH.

1922.

CONTENTS. PAGE EDITORIAL ...

CONTRIBUTIONS Consummation Verses ...

Light on Primitive English ... ...

Rhymes without Reason Ode to the Hippopotamus ...

On Nothing French Verses ...

The Forgotten House RECENT COLLEGE PLAYS ..

Mice and Men ...

The Laughter of the Gods ... ...

The Admiramle Crichton

PAGE

z85

REPORTS :—

286.

League of Nations at Oxford X Club O.U.W.L.C. United Netball ...

C.C.O.W.U. Oxford Cosmopolitan Club HALL NOTICES :Lady Margaret Hall ...

Somerville College ... ...

St. Hugh's St. Hilda's Hall

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287 288 289 289 289 290 290 290 291 291 292

iC itotial.

FRITILLLARY' is still holding its devious course between those who are kind enough to praise, and those who condemn it wholesale. The first we would thank, to the second we would suggest that it's up to them.'

We have several reasons for congratulation this Term ; the first is the welcome appearance of contributions, from O. H.S., and the great advance made by S.H.H. in this respect ; the second is the diversity of the subjects which contributors have chosen for treatment, and the third is the appearance of so much prose, an article we have always desired.

If we may be permitted, as before, to make a few general remarks to contributors, we would recommend to their notice the importance of reticence in art. Violence of language is very far from being strength, and a greater, effect is obtained by indicating the force of restraint necessary than by direct expression. The use of many adjectives usually weakens the impression, and so does all padding. The best ghost story was told —some time ago—in one sentence : A spirit passed before my face, and the hairs of my flesh stood up,' or, take the force of this simple statement : I passed by the walls of Balceutha, and they were desolate.' Insert adjectives, or emotional exposition, and the effect is gone. We would also suggest that the emotional suggestion of sound is as important as the logical meaning of words:, and that therefore then greatest attention should be paid to rhythm both in verse and in prose. But, on the other hand, unnecessary words should never be inserted just for the sake of

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296 297 298 2 99

rhyme or metre. Choose a word, that conveys the right sound impression and the right meaning, for otherwise the idea has but one leg to stand on.

In a Picture Gallery.

S. H.C. We don't criticise this for we want to hold it till next time.

The Canoe Polar.

S.H.H. These are quite graceful verses:, but they do not say very much.

Recollecting' 'that a lyric is verse which can be sung, consider afresh the second verse. The author of this, however, should go on.

In a Theatre Queue. S. H. H. These appeals to sensibility require careful handling. A good general rule is eliminate the adjectives:: When the author sends us something else will she write only on! one side of the paper?

The White Road. We're afraid it was miles too long. The description is good. But this unrhymed metre is' very difficult to sustain. Might we suggest a simpler medium next time?

St. Joseph. Also too long. Poems of this type are most effective when shortest. The In Memoriam ' stanza is difficult to use now, except in.

Tennyson's way. We shall be pleased to see anything else the author may send us.

A Friend. Pathos will not gallop to this metre.

Expletives usually weaken verse. We would advise restraint in diction, and regret the author did not choose a more dignified metre.

Ten Minutes in Memory Land. S.H.H. The style is a little disconnected,. Rhythm is always important, but especially in descriptive prose, for it will suggest the emotional atmosphere.

Despair. S. H.C. Licence in rhyming is not the same as poetic liberty. A difficult subject, and a slightly morbid mood—which, however, is certainly conveyed to the reader. '

THE FRITILLARY.

286

Wycliffe. L.M.H. The chief objection to this was its length. It is dramatically conceived and worked out, and we should be glad of something more in the same style if it were shorter.

At Sunrise. Is breast-forward ' really necessary. All adjectives should be examined before entrance. The verses are spirited, and the description vivid.

Sunset. Try to do it in six lines, and be careful of rhythm. If it is broken it destroys the suggestive power, and this is one of the chief appeals of verse.

The Queen rose up.' L.M.H. It is well done as far as it goes, but we want to know why all these things happened.

Fragment. L.M.H. This is well done. Try to get the rhyme without padding. And send us something else.

A Moment Remembered. L.M.H. The metre is inclined to halt. The whole poem just falls short of the effect. We ought to feel where we only understand.

A Laugh. L.M.H. Don't use the wrong word to get the rhyme. Alter the rhyme first, and be careful of adjectives. The first verse is rather difficult to scan. The idea and method is good ; it is technique that is wanted. .X. The dialogue in this is really good and life-like. But it takes too long to get to it.

Ad Almam Matrem. The style is involved, and that is serious in a sonnet. Try to avoid so many relatives, and knit the sentence more closely.

In Oxford soon . . .' S.C. A clever imitation. of Swift's verses, but not enough ' drive' in it.

Some Prose Reflections. L.M.H. Very unequal. Slang is not necessarily funny. But a good idea.

Far Away Isles. S.H.H. A rhyme scheme should never be so complicated asâ&#x20AC;˘ to defeat the purpose of rhyme. The verses are unequal, but there are some really good lines.

Travelling De Luxe. 0.H.S. Very pleasantly written, but too long for the subject. But we should like some more of the same kind.

Coming of Spring. The last line is the best.

Don't misuse the accent of a word to make it rhyme. And abjure unnecessary capital letters.

The Spectre. S.C. Restraint is of value above rubies in poetry. Moreover, slang is not dramatic simplicity. It is a good idea, but too crudely treated.

L.M.H. The catas` Do not all charms . . trophe is an ante-climax which might give occasion to the brutal to scoff, and that is unfair to the beginning.

Spirit of Beauty. S.C. Careful attention to metre and restraint are the chief needs. '

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Competitions for next Term are :I. The best design for a cover for FRITILLARY.'

2. The best. criticism of a book or a play dating between January, 1921 and 1922.

No prizes could be awarded for the last competition, the entry was small, and not of a sufficiently high standard of merit.

IN MEMORIAM. We deeply regret to announce the death of Professor Geldart on February 12, 1922. All the Societies of Women Students owe to him a debt of gratitude for his long friendship and constant assistance, especially in regard to the admission of women to the University, which can only adequately be measured by those who were his colleagues in that work. â&#x20AC;˘

We are asked to draw attention to the following appeal. Those who heard Miss Sorabji's recent speeches will realise especially the importance of the object for which it is made. The hostel will receive white women of all denominations. Subscriptions may be sent to the Editor.

AN APPEAL. To MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS AND SISTERS. Bombay is a pagan city of a million, and a half inhabitants. It is the business centre of the East.

It finds employment for hundreds, thousands of Christian young women in the shops, in offices, post office, telephone, telegraph, &c.

These flock in from every side, the demand grows and the number increases.

Mothers and daughters, how would you like to have a. daughter or a ;sister drawn into this whirlpool of paganism with no one to protect her, often with no place in which to stay? The consequences you may guess.

This great and growing evil I want to check ; if we do not, the fair name of Christian will be stained beyond hope of cleansing ; the work of centuries will in part be undone.

I am building a home for these young women; for Our Lady's sake:, help me.

A. GOODIER, S. J., Archbishop of Bombay.

Contribution9.

CONSUMMATION. (Being the first and last chapters of a realistic novel.)

With acknowledgments to Mr. Beverley Nichols.

FIRST CHAPTER. Anne powdered her nose with a pale blue satin powder puff, surveyed her reflection, appreciatively, and went down to dinner. When she reached the dining hall the meal had begun, and, as she stood for a moment in the doorway, poised superbly, she felt that the eyes of all were fixed upon her.

THE FRITILLARY. She had decided that simplicity with distinction should be the effect of her first entrance into Oxford life, and to this end she had chosen a black evening gown, loose, and sleeveless,' perfectly simple, its only ornament being a long sash of gold tissue which writhed along the floor, behind her, as she moved, like a golden snake. In her right hand she held a fan made of a single black ostrich feather. She was beautiful, and she knew it.

She swept across the room, and took a vacant seat. For a while she sat in silence, goodhumouredly amused at the aimless and noisy chatter around her. A warm smell of Irish stew greeted her nostrils. She liked it—it was so vital. . . . There was a lull in the conversation.

Anne turned to her neighbour, a square girl with a shining face.

I dislike food,' she said, it is vulgar.'

Immediately the whole table stopped talking and fixed their attention on the interesting-looking girl in black.

Anne knew that now was her moment, she had her audience in her hand. She threw a crumb of bread negligently into her soup, and spoke' What I mean to say is, I think food is so common—vulgar.'

By this time the whole room had stopped talking, and were hanging on her words. Anne was a brilliant conversationalist, and she knew it.

She ventured on an epigram,.

What I mean is—you, must either take it, or leave it.'

A roar of laughter greeted this sally. Anne's position at Oxford was: established. After dinner she invited several members of the Senior and Junior Common Rooms to coffee in her room.

She had done her best to furnish the room as tastefully as possible, for she was extremely sensitive to atmosphere. The walls, ceiling, and carpet were black ; the plain college furniture she had had painted yellow. There were no chairs.

Anne thought chairs were vulgar—prosaic—only heaps of cushions on the floor—scarlet, jade green, orange, and purple cushions. In one corner incense rose from a golden censer, filling the air with its pungent, heavy smoke. In another stood a Vo,calion gramophone. Anne put a record on it. The needle 'scratched and grated deliciously till it crept into' the haunting melody of I'm, for ever blowing bubbles.' Anne flung out ecstatic arms, and turned with blazing eyes to her audience.

Youth—joy—irresponsibility ! That's what my life at Oxford is going to b'e !

LAST CHAPTER. Anne lay by her fire. Her two friends stroked her shapely and pure-silk-stockinged leg. From outside the harsh clatter of hockey sticks rose up to the open window. Anne went to the window.

2 87

For a moment she contemplated the struggling mass of femininity, with their over-flushed faces and their rough, serge tunics. For them, three terms—perhaps three years--of books, hockey, mud—mud, hockey, books. Horrible ! Anne shuddered and drew the orange curtain across, the window. For her . . . ?

She turned to the two girls on the floor.

• Yes, I probably shall be sent down. Ah, don't start like that—it jars. yes, I know I have ploughed again, because Oxford is still without understanding. Pshaw ! what is History Previous? (` What; indeed? ' murmured Delphine.)

I remember they asked me some absurd question on the policy of Mazarin. They did not even understand my answer. They wanted dates— facts ! Faugh ! ' What did you write? ' asked Marjorie.

I -wroteCoal-black Mazarin, Blood-red Richelieu.

Ah—je ne sais.

Purple and azure the spring-buds.

Purple and scarlet the blue-bloods.

Comment ?—Ca. ira! ' And they didn't appreciate it? ' breathed Delphine.

Anne smiled languidly.

They asked me, at the viva, what I meant by it.'

What did you mean by it? ' wondered Marjorie.

• I don't answer questions like that, Marjorie.'

An unsteady step was heard in the passage.

A timid hand fumbled at the door, and Miss Seymour, Anne's• tutor, entered the room.

Anne— ' she began, but Anne forestalled her. Stepping forward, she gently took the older woman's hand. I see,' she said, I am sent down.'

The tutor lowered her grey head.

I knew it,' cried Delphine.

Oxford is' not big enough to hold. you.'

Anne handed Miss Seymour a yellow silk handkerchief.

That is so,' she murmured.

What will you do when you go down? ' asked Marjoiie.

Do? ' s•he laughed, harshly, crudely, I will— forgive Oxford.'

J.F.M.

When the low-hung moon leans down Over the edge of the trees, Holding between her horns The reins of the shifting seas— When the things that hunt in the dark Watch from the tangled briar (Silentand swift are their feet, And their eyes are like coals of fire)—

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288

And the stars are caught in the trees, Like shining fish in a net, Or the busy spiders' webs When the dew on the grass lies wet.

0 then come out of the woods Fauns incredibly fleet, With round yellow eyes in the.dusk And the clatter of cloven feet— Down to the water's edge Where the grass is smoothly shorn— Poised for a sudden flight, And gone with the shimmer of dawn.

M.M.L. (L.M.H.).

SENSATIONAL AND SUBVERSIVE DISCOVERY OF EMINENT ARCHAEOLOGIST SHEDS LIGHT ON PRIMITIVE ENGLISH.

Extracted, from The Civilised World ' of the year 2160 of the Post-Barbaric Age. Much interest has been excited by a discovery of a unique nature made by that ardent archaeologist Mr. Silas B. Huepper. Penetrating into the wilds of the interior of Britain, which, as our readers will remember, enjoyed a brief period of civilisation and prosperity in the remote Steam Age, Mr. Huepper instituted a thorough search on the site of Oxofurd—a Town which, as he has adequately demonstrated, was the centre of such learning as that age possessed.

For long nothing but trivialities rewarded his search.* The great discovery, when it was unearthed, in thp shape of a small cylinder in an airtight box, seemed of even less importance, and Mr. Huepper was at a loss to account for its careful preservation from damp and corrosion. Since his return to America, however, another expert has come forward with the suggestion that this may be a primitive variety of phonograph record. So old, we find, is our most modern appliance !

Under his careful manipulation, the object in question, has been induced to emit certain inexplicable sounds, and yesterday a sitting of expert linguists, and comparative philologists was summoned to deliver its collective opinion on the nature, and, if possible, the meaning of the language thus miraculously fossilised.

The result has been a revolution of all previous opinions with regard to this parent tongue, hitherto reconstructed hypothetically., The language, must have been of a more primitive nature than experts have hitherto, assumed.

In the opening phases of the record, the moderately harmonious interchange of vowel and consonant, and the modulation of the voice, indicating something approaching sentence-structure,

seemed to corroborate their 'original conclusions with regard to' the British language of this era.

Indeed, some thought that they could distinguish words, such as serious 'student,' hitherto only known in asterisked form in the pages of historical grammars.

But with alarming abruptness the record proceeded to emit a series of barbaric vowel sounds, entirely disconnected, delivered with tremendous force and emphasis, and with occasional variants not of quality, but of pitch, as, for example, an acute vowel in an electrifying whisper.

This was followed by a series of equally disconnected consonants, of a range and delicacy of variation beyond any known in our language, and indicating a magnificently-developed vocal organ tragically wasted on the barbaric abruptnesses, of this tongue.

Before the close the voice reverted to the flowing manner in which it had begun, and when it ceased there could be heard a disorderly stampede of retreating feet.

The mature opinion of the learned body on this relic of a vanished past is this. The connected utterances of the opening and the close, indicating a type of language hitherto held to prevail in Briton at this epoch must be an ignorantly babbled survival. We have proof that these ancients were accustomed to repeat formulae even in common conversation. Two of these have come down to us.

How do you do? " Unaccustomed as I am, to public speaking,' unintelligible indeed in meaning, but no doubt some perfunctory acknowledgment of superstition paid through generations to God or demon.

What more likely, then, that longer formulae should survive, .to, be gabbled through generations by uncomprehending lips to uncomprehending ears, long after the language of which they are part had lapsed to barbaric and primitive utterance?'

This conclusion, it will be observed, does not defeat the labours of the eminent philologists of the past. It affirms their accuracy in reconstructing a vanished language, merely it indicates that they have post-dated , it. The language of civilised Britain must be placed several centuries anterior to the former' suppositious date; in short, the revolution in received philological opinion is primarily chronological.

With regard to the barbaric language into which the ancient tongue is now proved to have lapsed, experts are of opinion that it warrants little consideration, except for those interested in the speech habits of primitive man. Each isolated vowel or consonant sound ' they opine, is an arbitrary symbol for some vital fact of indispensible requirement of life. Without some such communication, as recent research has proved, even animals cannot exist. The utterance of these arbitrary symbols in uninterrupted sequence pre,

THE FRITILLARY. cents a baffling problem, but here again survival may explain much. The too-ready departure of the listeners at the close suggests a compelled audience; possibly the haranguer was chieftain of some local tribe, from whose discourses it was not politic to absent oneself. * An interesting sidelight has been thrown upon the whole question by the more careful examination of a soiled scrap of paper, wrapped round the record in the box. Its crumpled condition and the erratic and childish nature of the hieroglyphs with which it is scattered, led Mr. Huepper to neglect it as unworthy of consideration. But our eminent cryptologist, Mr. John B. Rask, having studied the signs, which are all variants of the simple J, gives it as his opinion that these indicate that the Britons of the second barbaric period had either not entirely lost or were striving to reconstruct the art of writing. The paucity of the graphic symbols precludes a definite conclusion, as these survivals may be only •a fraction of those they actually possessed. The problem which is exercising Mr. Rask's mind at present is the fact that these symbols are indubitably written on paper, whereas their nature indicates them to be designed for scratching on some more resisting surface, such as bark. The whole question affords vast scope for intelligent individual research, and we recommend it to the activities of those serious and earnest students who are willing to devote their lives to the advancement of the boundaries of human knowledge.

•

RHYMES WITHOUT REASON. ' Humph,' said The Gargoyle, and tried not to sneeze.

S'nice,' said the Mouse, as he gnawed at his cheese.

The Householder went to bed, heedless of these.

289

They say they've souls artistic, And souls that crave for fame, And mournful souls, and mystic, And souls that have an aim.

We don't know what they drive at But keep our comments private, Despairing to arrive at A soul as ours the same.

From capillary tearing 'Mid all this solemn fuss To thee we turn for cheering, O hippopotamus.

We covet more thy wallows Than eagle's flight or swallow's ; From all thy works it follows Thou art the chap for us. .

O blissful, glorious action, O best philosophy !

Life's perfect satisfaction Let those with souls deny : We sing renunciation Of every aspiration Befitting not the station Of hippopotami.

ON NOTHING. N.B.—The author intends that this type of essay shall become a regular feature of FRITILLARY. [Does she?—ED.] She hears that what is needed is a regular feature. So here is the first of the series. '

Mice they are many, and gargoyles are few, Householders, too.

I'd be a gargoyle, I think—wouldn't you?

Karkara dan, karkara dan, The mice they are playing at ' Catch as catch can,' Karkara dee, k_arkara dee, The Gargoyle is hungry as hungry can be.

Karkara day, karkara day, The Mouse went to ask the old Gargoyle to play.

Ha ' said the Gargoyle, and swallowed the kouse.

(The wind it is whistling, the night owls carouse.)

And the Householder slept, down below in the house.

K. C. (L. M. H.).

ODE TO THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 'Mid stupid folk and clever, 'Mid cruel folk and kind, We've striven with vain endeavour A normal wight to find.

But everybody says she 's A nature strange and mazy, And doesn't think it crazy To cultivate her mind.

I am writing this out of spite. A scornfill companion of mine stood breathing heavily behind me the other day as I was about to begin literary activities. " Go away,' I said, I am just going to start a series of articles for the FRIT.' You couldn't write an article if you tried,' said she. ' And if you did no one would want to read it.'

I could,' said- I fiercely, and this is going to be one of those delightfully chatty essays, all about nothing," I should make it about something,' said she, ' it will be so much more interesting to read. You had better discuss " Literary. Folk " or " Some Excavations into Dusty Corners of English Literature." But perhaps you have never excavated.' This incensed me to wrath. I retorted with considerable fire : ' Do I not spend days and nights of toil excavating? You forget that every week I am, pledged to produce a valuable piece of original criticism, which I admit no one appreciates except myself. But then these masterpieces are not published • mere MSS. for private circulation only.'

Oh, no one wants you to publish your horrible essays,' she commented rudely.

I meant that you ought to be chatty about your private reading.'

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THE FRITILLARY.

290

lacy here. The undergraduate who behaves in this I don't think I answered. that, if I remember, way has only one. end in view, a quiet morning's for, the truth is, I haven't any private reading. sleep. The books are to put credulous tutors off It is a terrible secret which I have not revealed the scent ; she might as well have with her a till now. But when I hear my contemporaries cookery book or an Allen's Time Table for all the talking about the English literature they read use she will make of them. But let us. have her between the ages of three and nine, I grow hot under the trees and [We think so', too.— with shame. Of course, I never question the ED.1 truth of their statements, but one prodigy of my J. G. (S. C. ). acquaintance had devoured the entire library of Scott's novels before she was twelve. (I hasten to add that she still survives.) Another kept a Votre arne jeune est comme un vase p,recieux pocket edition of Omar Khayam (tucked into Fait d'une argile rare, un beau vase de chine. her sash, I gather) perpetually by her until she Aux flancs polis et clairs de porcelaine fine went to school at eleven. A third (one of the Couvert de dessins dalicats et merveilleux. stronger sex this time) refused to be parted from Boswell's Life of Johnson from earliest nursery Comme un bouton de lys son gabbe est gracieux days.

I am ashamed to say I can make no such II est colore de nuances opalines, vibre au moindre choc en notes cristalline,s claims, although I distinctly remember finding Et le moindre rayon le rend tout lumineux. the picture of Julius Caesar's murder in The Leopold Shakespeare good and interesting and L'amour de la Beaute, de l'Art, de la Nature' deserving of a little touching up with red and Y d une flamm.e intense, droite et pure:; blue crayon. From this you will see that I was sadly lacking in childish intelligence and only Et mon Arne qui l'aime a fait pour lui ces voeux. made the acquaintance of the English classics disastrously late in life.

Que jamais rien n'altere des couleurs subtiles Fortunately, there is another class of literature Que mel choc, trap violent ne fete son argile. which I really am competent to discuss : that vast Et qu'il s'eclaire au jour d'un amour radieux. library of School Stories for Boys and Girls, ALGER, 1918 (O.H.S. .

Adventures of Broncho Bill, or Seiton Blake, Detective, and all the rest of them. If this were a literary essay, one of the private circulation THE FORGOTTEN HOUSE. sort, I should take each one of these separately, dissect, compare, analyse, and appreciate in turn.

And it was dusk, and mournful winds: were. wailing But it isn't, so I shall refer my patient reader to Around the leafless: elms and moss-grown walls— one section alone, the most diverting, and to' Brown autumn leaves, through open windows them, most relevant. sailing, In the Story of School and College Life there is Blew down into those dank forgotten no mistaking the villainess. She cheats in class And all the house, when the last light was failing in the first chapter ; she is: always the cause of a Seemed ringing with a thousand spirit calls. serious motor, railway or tramcar accident which involves the heroine. I recollect one virago of The garden paths were rank with weeds and this type' who actually hit her enemy on the shins grasses— with a hockey ,stick, quite intentionally. Then The water dripped, ice-cold, from off the trees, there is the earnest student who reads Plato for And little creatures, nibbling at the mosses amusement far into the night (translating it Rustled among the withered autumn leaves— mechanically into' Blank Verse), her bent golden And unkept, flowers in the yew-hedged garden head making an aureole against the crimsonSwayed, lank and wet, in the cold winter breeze. shaded lamp.' You know exactly how it is done.

M. M. L. (L.M.H.).

But, best of all, is the slim young heroine. To be seen tripping about the sunny quadrangle (in, white muslin), gliding down dark old staircases (this must be Cambridge), or softly kissing 'Nape. her tutor good-night in the dim, library (this certainly cannot be Oxford).

Stage-management seems to be in really comThen there is that beautiful and affecting picpetent hands at present. Perhaps the staging of ture of her as she moves across the shady college ' Antony and Cleopatra' (O.U.D.S.), nearly a garden, carrying a rug and a few gaily-coloured year ago, showed us what really might be done. cushions, perhaps a couple of notebooks, a tin of It is unfortunate that all our College stage biscuits, and a volume or two of the. Oxford. Dicmanagers. are limited in their productions. by tionary, to wile: away a pleasant hour in study small and inconvenient stages. ' The Laughter under the ancient trees. There: is, of course, a falof the Gods ' and Prunella ' would have gained —

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1Recent College

THE FRITILLARY. infinitely in atmosphere and effect if the stage on which they were played had been twice as large.

But the tendency in recent. College plays. has been to rely too much on staging and• properties to cover deficiencies in acting. We are looking to O.W.I.D.S., in their next production, to raise our acting standard to the level of our producing standard.

' MICE AND MEN.' Surely this play given by St. Hilda's, Dramatic Society on November 5th, would go far to prove that we are not the heavy blue-stockings or intellectual eccentricities people all too often think us. A light comedy such as this, is a relief after some of our more ambitious amateur efforts. All the caste were excellent, particularly Mark Emh bury (A. Haddow), who discharged a difficult part with extraordinary skill, and Peggy (D. Leeder), who was, one is tempted to think, so provoking because she was simply herself. Captain Lovell (W. Reynolds), after a rather awkward stiffness' in Act I, grasped his rOle, and was a match for her. Kit Barniger (F. Asher) might have walked straight out of Dickens, as illustrated by Harry Furniss. Other members of the caste were efficient, but not striking.

E.M.M.

have become quite absurd. The Prophet, who had such. wonderful opportunities, let them slip while he fumbled unhappily with his headgear, and once he stopped dead in the midst of a. brisk walk about the palace to deliver a soliloquy on remorse. Surely he was wrongly cast, for, in a less declamatory part, the real beauty of Miss Briggs' voice might be used to advantage. Miss Batten was the most successful of the three courtiers, and between their very charming wives, there is only this distinction to make, that Miss Batty's lines gave her the greatest opportunity, which she did not fail to turn to account. The Queen's entrance was magnificent, but after that Miss Barker was content to rest on her laurels, and did not trouble to distinguish sufficiently between the haunted woman of the first two acts, and the veritable queen of the third.

It is a pity ;that such an exquisite and artistic production should not have acting worthy of it. Perhaps the staging was too good rather than the acting poor, but Miss Mackenzie deserves all praise for her work. It is most encouraging.to find. a college dramatic society that is not afraid to make an ambitious attempt, and that has the artistic sense to produce a good play beautifully.

HELEN BURNETT (S. H.C.),

Sec., 0.W.I.D.S.

PRUNELLA.'

' THE LAUGHTER OF THE GODS.' LADY MARGARET HALL DRAMATIC SOCIETY.

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Lord Dunsany is unique among modern playwrights, and the sooner the public realise this the better for them. The Laughter of the Gods ' is not the-least of his satires, nor the least of his poems. This latter fact. Miss Mackenzie, in her production last Term., never forgot, and in spite of crude lighting and a badly shaped stage, she presented picture after picture of a beauty which will not easily be forgotten. And yet as a dramatic performance the thing was not a complete success. Dunsany has learnt much from Bernard Shaw, and to a certain extent he should be played in the same way, with speed and vigour above everything. Lady Margaret failed in this,: they did not get the story across the footlights quickly enough to ensure suspense in the audience, and the climax needed that most realistic earthquake to mark it. Partly this was the fault of indistinct enunciation in certain cases, partly because each player came on and spoke his words and then was forgotten till his next pose. The thing was not alive.

The most finished individual performance was Miss Read's King Karnos. Her enunciation was perfectly clear, and she played with quite remarkable skill a part which in less artistic hands might

PRODUCED BY THE OXFORD HOME STUDENTS. A great deal depends on the stage management of a play like Prunella,' and here the Home Students were handicapped from, the first by a .disconcertingly small stage. The scenes, therefore, where the mummers form a background to the main action, inevitably lost part of their effect, because the actors were cramped for space.

If the mummers had been trained to move in rhythm, and always in some kind of dancing step, as this kind of fantasy ' would surely allow, there would have been less confusion when they were all on the stage together. All praise to Doll (M. Egg-in-ton) for realising this fact. Moreover, there was not enough contrast between their behaviour in Acts I and II, and in Act III. The first two acts called for them to produce far more romantic glamour ; later in Act III came the need for rather cheap reality. The Gardeners were more fortunate in their parts than their delivery, owing to the stumbling-block of dialect, with the exception of the Second Gardener (S. D. Turner), whose acting was worthy of a larger part. The Gardener's Boy (M. A. Walton) was unconvincing, and did not always give the impression of being heart and soul in his part—and he, too, struggled between the Scylla of some uncouth dialect and the Charybdis of a perfectly •

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good Oxford accent. The Aunts were very charming to look at ; Queer, or was it Quaint? but certainly both were indefinite. Scaramel (I. Parga) made an effective foil to Pierrot. Pierrot himself (F. E. Cuming) was excellent throughout, and there is no criticism to pass on him except that he might have been, slightly more persuasive in Acts I and II, and this would have heightened the contrast of his cynical lapses. Prunella {F. M. Symes) was delightful, especially in Act I, but she and Pierrot would have both• shown to greater advantage against a steadier, more rhythmic background. Love (F. R. Collins) was very effective and, if one knows anything about statues which move and speak, all that she should be.

The play, as a whole, was delightful; -the grouping, under enormous difficulties, artistic and well-planned ; and the colour schemes well chosen. The stage manager (E. J. Cochram) deserves great praise for this. Also the musical director (H. Draper) and R. L. Graves and B. G. Mure, piano and violin respectively, are to be congratulated on the musical side of the performance. ' THE ADMIRABLE CRICHTON ' AT ST. HUGH'S. The St. Hugh's Dramatic Society is nothing if not enterprising. Few societies, consisting entirely of women, would have ventured to produce so well-known a play as Sir J. M. Barrie's ' Admirable Crichton,' and few would have produced it with such unqualified success. St. Hugh's overcame,-quite triumphantly, the numerous difficulties which beset an amateur representation of this play, and gave what was, on its own merits, an amazingly excellent performance. The fact that the audience could forget, or almost forget, that the cast was composed entirely of women, testifies to a very high standard of acting and staging.

The acting of the cast, as a whole, was uniformly good, and great pains must have been taken over technique and finish. Perhaps some members of the cast did not quite succeed in getting into the whimsical spirit of the play, which is so characteristic of its author, and which, as it is even more indefinable in this play than in most 'of Barrie's, is very easily missed ; their touch, in places, was a little too, heavy.

Miss Burnett and Miss Brough, never failed in this respect. Miss Burnett played Lady Mary Lasenby with a peculiarly subtle charm. Her acting in the difficult third act was perhaps the best feature in the play, which is saying a great deal. Her technical skill is as excellent as her dramatie power.

Miss 13 rough gave a delightful representation of the spoilt and fatuous, but wholly Likeable

young Ernest Woolley. This is not so difficult a part to play as that, for instance, of Crichton, or even of the Earl of Loam, but it may easily be over-acted. Miss. Brough played it with discrimination and reserve. She and Miss Wait, as the Earl of Loam, were perhaps the most convincing of the male characters. Miss Wait was a lovable ' Daddy,' but might have been rather more irascible at times. Her make-up was excellent.

Miss Lagden's Crichton• was an extremely clever rendering of a very difficult, one might have said an almost impossible part for a woman.

Her voice, which was essentially feminine, and her wig, which was not very successful joined, prevented her from being as convincing a figure as she otherwise would have been ; but these were her misfortunes, not her fault. She was more successful as the sphinx-like butler of the first and last acts, than as the leader of men in the island scenes. In her love scene with Lady Mary she was, perhaps, hampered by nervousness, which tended to make her long speech about the ' king in Babylon ' rather mechanical and studied. On the whole, however, Miss Lagden made an admirable Crichton, and it is hardly fair to criticise her acting in so peculiarly difficult a scene..

Tweeny ' was inclined to be too intense. She was not enough of the child, but rather too much of the woman and the virago.

The scenery and staging were most effective throughout.

The play, taken as a whole, deserves nothing but praise, and Miss Brough is very much to be congratulated on the excellence of the production.

We hope to report the performance of ' Make Believe' at Somerville in our next issue.

J. F. M. (L. M. H.).

1ReportEi. 0.u.w.s.c.

OFFICERS. President—Miss SHARPE (St. Hugh's).

Secretary—Miss PHU INGER (St. Hilda's).

Treasurer—Miss GODDARD (O. H. S.).

A meeting was held last Term to elect a new Inter- Collggiate Swimming Club Committee, thanks to whose efforts the Club has been in a state of mild activity all winter, in anticipation of College and University matches next Term.

On January 28th a book fancy dress dance was held in Somerville in aid of the Club funds.

There were several amusing and original dresses', including Regiment of Women ' in a well-drilled platoon, and a rosy rendering of ' Great Expectations.' Prizes were finally awarded to Lays of Ancient Rome,' representing an aspect of an.

THE FRITILLARY. tiquity intimately appreciated by members of Somerville, and to ' The Call of the Wyld.' Not the least successful feature of the evening was the stirring music provided by a band of enthusiastic undergraduates, known as the ' Scintillation Six.' From the proceeds of the dance a silver challenge cup has been bought and engraved, which will be competed for annually by the different Women's Colleges in Oxford..

LEAGUE OF NATIONS AT OXFORD. The League at Oxford has been more than usually active this last year. A novel scheme was started of having Assemblies on the lines of the Assembly at Geneva. By dint of much hard work and enthusiasm delegates were collected from about thirty nationalities. Professor Gilbert Murray presided at the first meeting. Naturally, the delegates were rather bashful and inclined to agree with every proposal, but the debates were interesting, and many knotty international problems were settled to the satisfaction of all concerned. We feel that Europe at large might take a lesson from Oxford in unanimity and goodwill !

Three study circles (dearly beloved at Oxford !) were started and were pursued with great keenness. In short, Oxford is taking a thorough interest in international problems and realising that no single nation can stand aloof, and that we must all stand or fall together.

X CLUB. President—Miss WORDSWORTH (L. M. H.).

Secretary—Miss LEGGE (S. C. ).

Treasurer--Miss FREESTON (S. H.H.).

Committee Members—Miss KINGSTON (S.H.C..) _and Miss TITCOMBE (O.H.S.).

On November 26th, at St. Hugh's, Miss Wakefield gave an interesting account of her travels hi the West Indies. Amongst the lantern slides which she showed was one of the Botanic Gardens at St. Vincent to which Captain Bligh was bringing a cargo of bread-fruit when the crew of his ship, The Bounty,' mutinied. Miss Wakefield made an amusing. reference: to the Barbadoes National Railway.' The trains run, three times; a week, covering a distance of fifteen miles in two and a half hours !

The meetings arranged for this Term are as follows :—February 22nd : Debate at S. H. H. ; motion, That this Society supports the vitalistic theory of life.' March 1st, at L,.M.H. : Miss Talbot on ' The Science Schools; at Oxford as a preparation for the teaching profession.' The elections for the new committee will be held at the second meeting.

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293 0. U. W. L.C.

Captain —M. GODLEY (S. H.C.).

4Serretary—W

. REYNOLDS (S. H. H.).

Treasurer—M'.. HOYLE (L. M. H.).

1st XII.—Goal, McAfee; point, Hoyle; cover-point, R.& ; third man, Leys•; left defence, Kinchin-Smith ; right defence, Irvine; centre, Huxley ; left attack, Brough ; right attack, Slaney ; third home Reynold'si; second hom•, Godley ; first home, Welbourn.

During the Michaelmas Term the general united play, and particularly that of the ist XII defence-players, showed great signs of improvement. A considerable measure of this progress, was; due to the help given on November 21st by Miss Sinclair, who kindly came down from London, for the afternoon to coach the United game.

Various tactics and knotty points were discussed both: on the field and later, with the aid of a, blackboard. Miss Sinclair was particularly strong in condemning the general tendency towards long and ' dip' passing, and advocated the short, low, accurate pass essential to good combination in a fast game.

Matches were played during the last half of Term; against London, Wycombe, and the Oxford Ladies, all three resulting in victories to Oxford., Colours were won by Ree and Welbourn.

On the first day * of this Term, in spite of incessant rain, Oxford played Middlesex, and suffered a defeat of 13 goals to 9. Since then the only match has been that played between Reading and the znd XII, resulting in a draw of six all. The following XII played :—Lagden, Hardy, Sinclair, Pratt, Batchelor, Elkington, Henson, Freemantle, Chambers, Emtage, Cook, Peters, and were captained' by Batchelor in the absence of Monk.

Henson, in spite of an unfortunate accident to her knee, distinguished herself at centre by her keen., effective. play, and Batchelor, Elkington and Pratt put in some neat and useful work on the defence. The attacks on the whole gave: an impression of confusion and lack of perspective and observation. There was very little combined play among them, and it was a- pity that first home, who might often have been, used to advantage, was ignored..

Owing to the continuous bad weather this Term, very little play has been possible, and it is difficult to criticise individual play. Of the ist XII Bee, as cover-point, is a veritable rock of defence, around whom circle K. Smith, Leys and Irvine, a trustworthy trio on the whole, and obedient to the call of point in an hour of trial.

Goal plays up nobly when she is on her game, but is apt to lose heart at times. Huxley and Reynolds are irivaluable as regards; the combination of the attacks. Slaney is too much inclined -

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to play a rough game and to keep the ball too long, but is a useful member of the team.

Brough, a fast, neat player, should practise accurate dodging and shooting. Welbourn is an excellent first-home.

It is to be hoped that the. speedy improvement shown at the end of last Term will continue, in anticipation of many future matches, including, before all, that to be played in Oxford against Cambridge on March izith.

UNITED NETBALL. Captain—H. J. CRump (S.H.C.).

Treasurer—M. WIMSHURST (S. C. ).

It was decided at the beginning of last Term to form an Inter-Collegiate Netball Club. So far the new Club has not played any matches, since time was necessary to get together a team, but this Term there . are several fixtures, including a match with Cambridge on. March t4th. The chief difficulty has been to secure a full game at practices, and unless a greater effort is made the outlook for matches is not hopeful. There is plenty of good individual play, but as yet no real combination. This Term there have never been fourteen players at one practice, with the result that it is impossible for any attempt to be made at combining. The passing is also weak as a result of this, being very wild, and far too long: It is only the standard of shooting that it satisfactory. since that it not affected by had attendance at practices. As long as this remains so uncertain, success: ca_n be hoped for, but not expected in matches.

C.C. O.W. U. President—A. WINDHAM (S. H. C. ).

Secretary—D. KINDERS LEY (S. H. H. ).

Treasurer—M. LAGDEN (S H.C.).

College Representatives : 0. B. Buckley, Mrs. Kilroy Kenyon, Miss Smith.

S.H.C.: E. Prichard, A. Windham, M. Lagden.

L.M.H. : V. E. Stack, G. L. Loring, Miss St. Hill.

S.H.H. : D. M. Leeder, D. Kindersley, R. J. M. Hardy.

O. H. S. : B. Smyth, M. Kne:neer, M. C. Howell.

S.C. :

At the first meeting of the Central Committee this Term, it was decided to send Princess Mary a present on the occasion of her marriage. Her Royal Highness has been pleased to accept two One is the of Oxford, by F. Piele.

well-known Christ Church Stairway,' the other of Bath Place.

Certain recommendations brought before the Committee were considered and have been placed before the Principals of the Colleges for consideration at their next meeting.

A representative (A. Windham) was sent to the Inaugural Council Meeting of the National Union of Students in London on February ioth—i rth, at which the constitution of the Union was read up: and adopted, and the decision was made to send two - representatives to Bucharest to the Conference of the Confederation Internationale des Studiants to be: held; in: the autumn. The possibility of setting up a bureau. in London was discussed, and it is hoped that a bureau. may soon definitely be established. Further particulars of the proposition under consideration will be given in the report of the meeting which is to be: issued shortly.

The object of the National Union of Students is to represent past and present students from a national and an international point of view and to render possible the co-operation of the body of the students of England:, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.' Particular stress is laid on. the: international point of view, and the great aim is to facilitate the association of British students with those of other lands. It is hoped that all those who are interested will further the cause by joining the Union through the Central Committee.

A. WINDHAM. '

OXFORD COSMOPOLITAN CLUB. This Club, which was founded in order to provide a meeting place for women students of all nationalities, has gone forward again this Term with great enthusiasm and much good feeling.

At the first meeting, which was well attended, there was an 'excellent musical programme including violin and pianoforte solos by Mr. Brose and Mr. Myers of Christ Church, and glees by the Men's Quartet.

IbaU llotices.

LADY MARGARET HALL. We were' very glad to welcome' Miss Musson to the Hall this Term as our new Bursar; and delighted at the appointment of Miss Anson, an Old Student, as Secretary to the Principal.

Everybody will wish to congratulate Miss Johnson on her B.Litt. degree, which she received early this Term:.

There never seems very much to record in the way of general Hall news by the middle of the third week of Term the: many Hall Clubs and Societies which have already held meetings claim

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the dignity of a paragraph specially devoted to their activities, which does not leave much scope for the unfortunate writer of thiS general introductory notice. A necessarily belated allusion may perhaps be made: to the highly-successful party given at the endl of last Term by the: S.C.R. and Third and Fourth Years to the members of the Hall's domestic staff, in honour of Emily, our head housemaid, who was celebrating the twenty-first anniversary of her arrival at the Hall. Everybody appeared to enjoy the festivities immensely,•and the organisation of the affair certainly gave us a great deal of amusement.

This Term we are looking forward to a visit from Miss Lester, one of the speakers at the Toynbee Conference, who is coming to the Hall to give us an address on Prison Reform. At another meeting of a more informal kind Miss Deneke has kindly promised to speak on the work of the W.E.A. It has been suggested also' that a speaker from the headquarters of the Industrial Christian Fellowship should come down to address the Hall; but whether this can be fitted into our already crowded Terminal programme ,s uncertain.

We have very much missed the Boat Secretary, Miss Wreford, who was away during half the Michaelmas; and Hilary Terms through illness.

It is most encouraging to find so much keenness and promise among the. First Year. The system of half-captains, revived last summer, has been revised this Term in order that as many people as possible may use the' boats. It is still too' early to say whether the new arrangement will produce more than the usual number of full captains without lowering the standard of efficiency.

The following have qualified since the last report :— Sculling.—K. M. Warburton (Trinity Term), I. N. Ryan, D•. M. B. Synge, E. M. Madden, F. Kenrick, A. C. Roxburgh (Mic haelmas). Half captains : R. S. Wordsworth (Trinity), M. Jennings.

Punting.—G. L.. Loring (Trinity Term. Halfcaptains : F. Kenrick, M. Wigg.

Canoeing.—M:. J. Roxburgh, K. M. •arburton (Trinity Term). Half-captains : M. E. Luck, E. M. Madden, H. Northcott..

ESSAY CLUB. There has been one meeting this Term, on February 8th, at which Miss Gipps read a paper on ' The Twelfth Century Renaissance.'

LACROS SE.

DEBATING SOCIETY. A sharp practice debate was held on Thursday, February 2nd. The attendance: was small, nut those present made up for their small numbers by the frequency of their. speaking. The motions, before the house: were : That when alone in a house at night, it is better to meet a ghost than a burglar ' ; That it is better to' eat a cold dish off a hot plate, than a hot dish off a cold plate,' and That a bird in the hand is worth two' in the bush.' Hon. members exercised their wit on all three motions, but more especially on the first, which was keenly debated. Other debates are being arranged to take place during the Term.

B. WITHYCOMBE, Sec. Debating Society.

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BOAT CLUB. President—Miss SKIPWORTH. Secretary—A. G. WREFORD. Boat Committee-1921-22.

Sculling—B. G. BATTY, M. J. ROXBURGH. Punting—K. M. WARBURTON, G. L. LORING. Canoeing—C. F. FLETCHER , M. GALPIN.

The lacrosse has greatly improved since the beginning of the season. Several players of distinct promise came up at the beginning of the year. There is still need for much more combined team play, which can only be secured with practice. The Hall defeated its opponents in three matches last Term, the Convent School., the High School and the Berkshire Ladies:.

Team.—Goal, Munro; point, Hoyle (captain); cover-point, Rees; third man, Pratt; point, Fletcher; third home, Lee-Smith; second home, Batchelor ; first home, Freemantle; left .defence, Jones; right defence, Elkington; left attack, Borough; right attack, Stack.

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HOCKEY CLUB, 192 I=I 922.

The Club has largely increased its, numbers this season, many of the First Year being especially keen.

The indifferent success of the 2nd XI is largely owing to lack of practice, as the L.M.H. field is so much in demand; but the play of this XI would be' infinitely improved if its members. would take more trouble, play more regularly and endeavour to hit with greater judgment.

The ist XI has: decidedly improved; there are not many of last ye:ar's team left, but recruits from the First Year have ably replaced those who have: gone:. (One is playing regularly in the United .team.) The whole XI should hit harder, look where they are passing, play more as a team and less as individuals, and the forwards in par-

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ticular should "endeavour to be faster. Owing to a mistake, no report was sent in last Term, but the following matches were played by the. 1st XI : Etceteras—Lost, 7-0.

Reading University—Lost, 5-4.

Headington. High School—Lost, 2-1.

Oxford High School—Lost, 5-3.

Eyn•harn Ladies—Won, 16-0..

Wycombe Abbey Staff—Won, 3—I. Miss Wordsworth, Miss Lee-Smith and Miss Campbell received their colours.

As the Captain is unable to play this Term as often as she would like, Miss Jones (formerly hon. sec.) has been appointed Vice-Captain and Miss Simpson Hon. Secretary.

G. BATTEN, Captain.

DRAMATIC SOCIETY REPORT..

At the end of last Term the Society received a very welcome and wholly unexpected gift of ..zo from an Old Student to pay for the construction of a sectional stage, to be erected in the Hall whenever it is wanted. We hope to have the stage made during the Easter vacation, in readiness for the Second Year Play in the summer.

We have received a letter from Lord Dunsany, expressing his interest in our production of his play, and asking- for a photograph of it.

Three new members have joined the Society this Term. On February 18th we are contributing some items to a variety entertainment, in aid of the Settlement, and we intend to hold a reading in the fifth week of Term. .

J. F. MACKENZIE, President L.M.H.D.S.

SOMERVILLE COLLEGE..

LITERARY

SOCIETY.

The Literary Society has had two meetings this Term, open to all College. On Thursday, February znd, Miss Penrose spoke on ' The Pope's Judgment,' and gave readings from ' The Ring and the Book.' Professor Soddy addressed the Society on Friday, February loth, his subject being Science and Utopia.' A third meeting is to be held later in the Term, at which Miss G. M. Lloyd Thomas will read a paper, and on March 16th Professor Grierson has promised to address the Society.

On Saturday, February r rth, Miss Sorabji gave an address on Education of Women in India.'

An open meeting has been arranged for Friday, February 24th, at which the Russian Famine film will be shown. Somerville has decided to support a kitchen in Russia, and has had' over .I20 promised by members of the S.C.R, and the J.C.R. for this purpose.

DEBATING SOCIETY.

Members of the Somerville Debating Society have not shown very noticeable enthusiasm this Term. On. Wednesday, February 8th, a private debate was held, especially with a view to gaining practice in the art of debating ; but very few members put in an appearance, and the general level of speaking was not brilli ant. Mixed debates' have been arranged with the XX Club of New College for Wednesday, February 22nd, and with St. John's College Debating Society for the seventh week of Term. We hope that more interest will be shown by the members of the Club in future. In any case, the motion chosen for the debate with New College is such as may be expected to stimulate flagging spirits', i.e. ' That drama of the Grand Guignol type is a desirable safety-valve for human emotion.'

J. C. R. Owing to the ravages of 'flu, very little took place in the first week of Term. The games clubs suffered most from the thinning of their ranks. Luckily, however, the epidemic has subsided in time for the cup matches.

On the following Saturday was held the first of the two dances allowed each Term. by the authorities, to which partners_ may be invited.

The new arrangement of ringing a bell at the beginning of each dance (because the music is inaudible in the J.C.R.), was excellent in conception, but entirely inadequately executed. The Dance Committee have decided that only seventy double tickets will be sold for each dance in future, in order to avoid overcrowding. It would be as well, therefore, if everyone realised that no one but members of Somerville may have tickets. The next dance is to be on Saturday, February 25th.

DRAMATIC SOCIETY. The Dramatic Society is busily engaged in getting up Milne's Make-Believe,' to be given on Monday and Tuesday, February 27th and 28th.

The play entails a very large caste. We know how much work this means for the producer's, and we wish the committee all good luck for the ensuing week. A collection will be taken at the performance in aid of the Women's University Settlement.

HOCKEY. Captain—E. B. BULL. Secretary—R. L. GREGORY. Treasurer—A. M. SIMPSON. The Somerville Hockey has improved this Term in spite of the bad weather, which has hindered

THE FRITILLARY. An increasing interest has been practicing. shown in watching the University matches, and players have been more anxious to try new things instead of always doing the same thing ..whether successfully or unsuccessfully. The 1st XI have begun to play a little better as a team, although the absence of Miss Crichton was greatly felt in the defence. Two outside matches, have been played this. Term, both of which. Somerville lost, one against Bedford College and one against the Oxford Etceteras. In the latter match, which we lost 6 3, several of the eleven. were down with 'flu, and unable to play. We are looking forward to playing Bedford L. H.C. later on in the Term.

We have succeeded so far in winning our 1st and znd XI Cup matches against St. Hugh's.

The 1st XI match was very exciting and closely contested, and we were fortunate to win it.

Gregory deserves mention for a performance in this match, in which there was hardly a mistake.

Wimshurst thorough earned her place in the XI. Her play is very much improved, especially in her combination with the other defences. The snd XI after a tentative beginning played a good game in their Cup match. Glover was an energetic centre-half and captain, and kept the game well together. The forwards showed some good combination, and the halves and backs placed their passes to better advantage than they have been doing in most of the practices. There is room, however, for a great deal of improvement in this respect.

The keenness about Hockey in College is shown by the fact that we could, if necessary, produce quite a good 3rd XI, and this gave us a good choice for the 2nd XI. The XI's are as follows :1st XL—Goal,* Berwick; right back,* Gregory ; left back, Wimshurst ; right half, *Simpson ; centre half, *McAfee ; left half, Hepworth.; left wing, Edwards; left inner, *Bull i (capt.); centre, *Bull ii ; right inner, Badock ; right wing, Davies. znd XL—Goal, Walker, H. ; right back, Headlam-Morley ; left back, Huxley ; right half, Thornton; centre half, Glover (capt.) ; left half, Hutchins ; left wing, Walker ; left inner, Watkins.; centre, Smith ; right inner, Tackley ; right wing, Garrow.

NETBALL. Captain.M. WIMSHURST. Treasurer—M. K. OGILVY. Secretary—E.. M. HUTCHINS. A Netball Club has been started in Somerville this Term. In the Michaelmas Term about twenty members had promised to join, but owing to a delay in getting the ground marked out, and obtaining the posts, we were not able to start practices until this Term. Several of the

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more enthusiastic members had already joined the United Netball practices, on St. Hugh's ground; but we were in great need of practising combination among ourselves.

On the 26th January a meeting of the Club was held, in which the rules were drawn up. On the following Wednesday practices began. At present the combination and passing is not good, and players do not keep their places on the field.

There are, however, some very promising and enthusiastic members, and we are hoping by the end of the Term to be well in form. Intercollegiate matches are to be played, and Somerville is drawn to play St. Hugh's on Wednesday, March 1st.

ST. HUGH'S. There have been some changes; in the Senior Common Room this Term. While we are very glad to welcome Miss Everett and Miss Netherall as English tutor and Bursar respectively, we shall be sorry to lose Miss Wilkinson, who leaves us to be married.

The first half of the T'er'm has, if possible, been more crowded than ever. Luckily our activities; have; not so far been interfered with by the ravages of any epidemic. Large numbers of people have been involved in the production of the College Play, which was performed with great Success; on February loth and i rth, and drew large and generous audiences on both nights. It is hoped that the sum of L.4.0 will remain, for the Appeal Fund when expenses have been deducted.

This fund has received another handsome addition in the realised by the Paper Sale organised by Miss: Evans, to' whom are due most hearty congratulations on its success.

The Literary Society held a well-attended open, meeting on Sunda'y, February 12th, when a most enjoyable address and reading of his poems was given by Mr. Yeats.

The Debating Society has: also been active and has one or two fixtures arranged. ,

HOCKEY CLUB. Captain—M. E. PRITCHARD. Vice-Captain—M. D. ROGERS. Secretary—S. WICKHAM. Practices have been much hindered by bad weather and the bad condition of our ground.

We have had to scratch two: matches, so that when we met Somerville in the first round of the Cuppers the team was; playing together with all its members for the first time.. The match was lost 5-2 after drawing 2-all. It was an exceptionally hard game, and the result shows' that the team with the best staying power won a.' ,

THE FRITILLARY.

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deserved victory. We wish our znd XI a more prosperous career ; so far, it has begun well, and has survived the first round against the O.H.S. with flying colours.

We should like to take this opportunity of congratulating two members' of last year's team.

N. Glenday played for the ' Rest ' against the English team, and she and K. Paterson were both chosen to play for the East.'

BOAT CLUB. .

President—Miss EVANS.

Captain—M. SHARPE

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•S ecretarry—N. HOARE.

The Hilary Term is always the slackest where boating is concerned, and this one has proved no exception to the rule. Very few boats' have been out on the Cher, but our activities on the Upper River have not abated. Two Fours have been out practicing regularly, and beginners have had coaching in tub-pairs. We hope that the day is not far distant when we may be permitted to race with Somerville.

LACROSSE CLUB. Captain—M. GODLEY. V ic e-Captain—V LEY S. Secretary—D. MONK. .

Windle ; point, *Windham ; I St- XI: cover point, *Leys ; third man, *Sinclair ; left defence, Lovett ; right defence, Wait ; centre, *Monk ; left attack, *Slaney ; right attack, *Brough ; third home, *Emtage ; second home, *Godley •first home, *Peters. :—Goal, Dumas ; point, Bellamy ; znd cover-point, Douglas ; third man, Fielder; left defence, Nickalls.; right defence, Percival ; centre, Brown ; left attack, Clive-Smith ; right attack, Lagden ; third home, Cook ; second home, Denham ; 'first home, Randolph. * Colours.

.

The St. Hugh's team has had so little opportunity of practice this Term that the combination is not all that can be desired in view of the approaching cuppers. The defence play is unreliable, and lacks formation ; the attacks press well, but not always quick to seize their opportunities.

ST. HILDA'S HALL. LITERARY SOCIETY. The first meeting of the Hilary Term was held on January 3rst, when there was a large attendance to hear a reading of Clemence Dane's play

' Will Shakespeare.' We hope to have two further meetings this Term, but their nature has not yet been decided.

RIFLE CLUB. The competition for the Alice Andrews Silver Challenge Cup will be held at the end of this Term., and members are already practicing zealously. It is to be hoped that those who attended will benefit much by the SergeantMajor's words of counsel delivered in his lecture on January 31st on the rifle and its ways:. So we are expecting an improved standard in the competitors for the Cup this year.

The first General Meeting of the Club will be held on Wednesday, 15th February, when arrangements for the forthcoming competition will be discussed.

BOAT CLUB. Captain—Miss HEWITT. Vice-Captain—Miss EVERATT. Despite the, interesting article from the St. Hugh's Boat Club published in the last number, the majority of the St. Hilda's Boat Club continue to support the principle of ' no safety without style.' Eager souls are working hard for their captaincies in sculling, punting, and canoeing, while the rowers, practising for the new Cup, are going out as regularly as: the extreme early morning cold will permit.

DRAMATIC SOCIETY. President—Miss HEWITT. Secretary—Miss REGENSBURG. • Treasurer—MISS POTTS. St. Hilda's Hall Dramatic Society, having produced its annual play last Term, is now confining its activities to its' two General Meetings, and to the pleasure of forming part of the audience at the plays of other Colleges and Societies..

The first meeting was held on Thursday, February 9th, and took the form of a Reading of The Pretenders ' in preparation for a full enjoyment of the O.U.D.S. production in the following week.

There was an inevitable stumbling over the pronunciation of some of the names, but on the whole the reading is improving, some of the readers putting real life into their parts.

'-che Second Meeting will take place in the fifth week of Term, when the officers for 1922-1923 will be elected. .

THE FRITILLARY. HOCKEY. Captain—Miss 'CONKS. Vice-Captain—Miss EDWARDS. Secretary—MISS PtJLLINGER. So far this Term the weather has prevented any consistent practice. In the 1st XI the main fault continues to be lack of speed both amongst the forwards and the defence. The latter are too often out-run by the opposing forwards, and fail to get back in time. For this reason our backs are unable to play as far forward as is desirable.

The forwards waste far too much time in deciding what to do with the ball. In their efforts to combine well they overlook the advantage which can be gained by the taking on of the ball by one person. This: fault is especially evidenced in the shooting circle, where none of the forwards make any attempt to shoot as soon as the ball is within the circle. It is hoped that the alteration in the forward line—that of a new centre forward —will do much to improve the ' rushing ' powers of the line. We are fortunate in possessing a • good goal.

The standard of the 2nd XI is proportionately higher than that of the 1st Xl. The forwards show much greater initiative, and their shooting is much better. The weakness of the XI lies rather in the defence, which does not always support the forwards as much as might be desired.

It can, however, be said quite justly that our hockey is improving, and we may look forward to better success next year.

Members of the 1st XI :—Right wing, Harlow; right inner, *Wintersgill ; centre forward, Jefferson ; left inner, Edwards ; left wing, Westrop; right half, *Ritchie; centre half, *Tonks; left half, DOvie; right Back, Pullinger; left back, James; goal, Mandville. *Colours.

Members of the 2nd XI :—Right wing, Hall; right inner, Soundy ; centre forward, Sharman (capt.) ; left inner, Howe; left wing, Hammond; right 'half, Bowden-Smith ; centre half, Nicholas; left half, Dacombe • ' right back, Leeder ; left back, Rae; goal, Tutin. ,

O. H. S.

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This was revived at the beginning of the Michaelmas Term, and has been engaged up to the pre:sent in rehearsingi G. Barker and L. Housman's Prunella,' which was performed on February 7th and 8th at 115, The High, in aid of the O.H.S. Appeal Fund. The acting was exceedingly good, and the audience appreciative.

DEBATING SOCIETY. President—Miss C'OADE. Secretary—Miss CONWAY. Treasurer—Miss SANDERS. This Club has a full programme for the Term.

The first meeting was private. On February 3rd at a joint debate with St. Catharine's, Prohibition was discussed. On February 13th the Society is meeting The XXIh Club (Ch. Ch.); on. February 15th the O.U. Spanish Club; on March 1st L.M.H. ; and on March 6th The Sophists (St. John's).

S.C.M. The O.H.S. Branch of the 0.W.S.C.M. has no independent activities at present, but takes part in Intercollegiate meetings, discussions, &c.

HOCKEY CLUB. Captain—M. C. HOWELL. Vice-Captain—H. V. PARKER. Secretary—H. M. ABELL. Treasurer—E. Moss.

In spite of the considerable decrease in membership since last year, the teams are stronger this season, and have been more successful. They have either won or drawn more than half the matches played. We have been glad to' welcome several keen, players among the first years, with whose help the Herne Students are well represented at the united practices.

DRAMATIC AND MUSICAL SOCIETY. President—Miss SYNES. Secretary—Miss COADE. Treasurer—Miss CUMING.

Our thanks' are tendered for the Girton Review and the Leonards School Gazette.

1101.1'WELL PRESS, ALFRED STREET, OXFORD.

I.—The management of the Fritillary shall be in the hands of an Editor and five Committee members in the Michaelmas and Hilary Terms, and an Editor, Sub-Editor and five Committee members in Trinity Term.

II.—The Editor shall be elected by the votes of the Colleges and Halls at the end of the Hilary Term, and shall act as Sub-Editor during the Trinity Term.

III.—The five Committee members shall be elected, one from each of the Colleges and Halls, at the end of the Trinity Term, and shall come into office in the Michaelmas Term.

IV.—There shall be a Treasurer, who shall be referable to the Editor and Committee, and who shall be elected at the end of the Trinity Term and come into office in the following Michaelmas Term.

V.—No member shall, for the future, be eligible for prizes who has at the time of entry been non-resident for more than a Term.