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Cheques to be sent through the Secretaries, crossed County of Gloucester Bank.

A 'Special Committee,' whose duty it shall be to dispose of the funds of the Society in furtherance of the objects for which the Society is formed, was also chosen. We feel sure their names will give universal satisfaction, as in them every separate interest is well represented. Mr. Henry James, Mr. W. L. Newman, Mr. F. R. Price, Mr. A. J. Raper, Mr. R. T. Reid, and Mr. L. C. Abbott are the six chosen. only do these gentlemen repre

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sent every interest, but also every period of the existence of the School.

Another object of this Society is to keep a register of Old Cheltonians; therefore it is particularly requested that all gentlemen, when sending their donations. or subscriptions, will also enclose their permanent address.

We trust and fully believe that at length this laudable movement has been started on a firm and lasting basis. The names of the gentlemen acting on the Committee ought to be a sufficient guarantee to all Old Cheltonians that it is an object worth promoting and furthering to the best of their endeavours.

‘1. That a Society, composed exclusively of past Members of Cheltenham College be formed, which shall be called the “Cheltonian Society."

2. That the object and purpose of the Society shall be to promote the interests-both scholastic and athletic-of Cheltenham College.

3. That the officers of the Society shall consist of a President, a Committee, two Secretaries, and a Treasurer.

'4. The Committee shall consist of 40 Members, and shall be elected by the Members of the Society, at the first General Meeting of the Society. '5. All officers of the Society shall be elected annually; no Member of the Society shall be eligible for re-election as President until after an interval of two years.

'Every Old Cheltonian, shall, upon payment of a donation or entrance fee of the minimum sum of One Guinea-be considered a Member of the Society, without being liable to any further expense or contribution. In order to exclude any Old Cheltonian from the Society, a majority of the Committee present, specially called by the direction of the President, or at any meeting, must vote openly for his exclusion. If excluded, any person so excluded may appeal to the Members of the Society assembled at the next annual Meeting, when his election or exclusion shall be determined by a majority of those present.

'7. That a balance sheet showing the receipts, expenditure, and financial position of the Society, be annually placed before the Members of the Society; and that it be annually published in the College Magazine.

'8. That the General Committee shall annually elect a Special Committee, to consist of six Members, and the Secretaries, who shall dispose of the funds of the Society in furtherance of the objects for which the Society is formed.

'9. That after the payment of the preliminary expenses, all monies

received by the Treasurer shall be invested by him in such way as the Special Committee shall appoint; and no payments shall be made by him, except upon the written authority of two Members of the Special Committee and one of the Secretaries.

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10. That an Annual Meeting of the Society be held in London during the last fortnight in June. That after such meeting the Members, together with such persons as the Committee may agree upon inviting, dine together.

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' II. That every facility be afforded by the Committee to any Old Cheltonians residing at the Universities, or in any provincial towns, of forming branch Societies.

12. That the Secretaries keep a register of the names and addresses of every Old Cheltonian known to them-and that every facility be afforded to any Member of the Society who may be desirous of inspecting such register, of so doing.

13. That any Member desirous of proposing any alteration in, or addition to, the Rules of the Society, or of bringing forward any resolution, shall give one month's notice before the General Meeting of such proposal to one of the Secretaries, who shall forward it to the Editor of the Cheltonian for insertion.'

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E see once more the old poplars throwing their long shadows

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over the eleven pitch at five o'clock, which reminds us that cricket for 1868 will soon be a thing of the past. We ourselves, and all old fellows, have every reason to be satisfied with this year's campaign, both in home and foreign matches. In foreign matches Fortune seems to have chosen us for her own, as up to the end of the London matches we only had to endure one defeat, and that was in our last match, against Upper Tooting. Unfortunately that was only a single day's match, or we might have retrieved our laurels, which seemed within our grasp from the start we made in the 2nd innings. As in the three preceding years, 'Young Jim' was our 'coach' for last April, and during that time we have every reason to be pleased with the uniform, straightforward way in which he has always fulfilled his duties. Good judges of cricket will always advocate a change of bowling, if the first bowlers have been 'on' some time; so, although Lillywhite has given universal satisfaction, we have made terms for April next with Alfred Shaw, whose references are in the highest degree satisfactory.

Our much looked forward to match with Marlborough caused, if possible, more speculation and excitement than usual, as we were both considered quite up to our usual form. This year the match

was played on our own ground, and well did we make use of that advantage; and our 'match of matches' ended in our favour by ten wickets. In our next match of interest-'Old v. Present'although we were in a minority on the first innings, our second showed promise of a glorious result, had time sufficed. The London matches this year were by no means what could have been hoped for, owing to an unpardonable mistake in the non-delivery of a letter to our captain. However, we had to make friends with necessity, and get the best matches on we could:-A two days' match each with the 'Free Foresters' and 'Richmond,' and a single day at Upper Tooting.' We played the Free Foresters at the Eton and Middlesex ground, and although we had some good men against us, we were opposed by only half a team, and so the match was of little interest. The match at Richmond was a notable illustration of the eccentricities of cricket; they making 72 and 79, and we 74 and 295. At Tooting, where we sustained our first and last defeat, the best cricket was shown: a good team against us, and a splendid wicket to play on. These are our primary matches: but there is one we ought not to pass over, and that is the 'Classical and Modern.' Last half the Classical won in one innings; and the same side claimed the victory last week by six wickets, after a close game on the first innings. Since Midsummer we have seen our ranks thinned by the loss of eight of our best men; but of them there are some who have engraved their names last half so deep into the eleven ground, that it will want many a spike to dig them up—we mean those of Brice (our captain with the ball), and Filgate with the bat. It is true the latter gentleman's shattered constitution only enabled him to join us for eight weeks; but during that time he managed to put together nearly eleven hundred runs. The 'home' matches have never been better contested than they have throughout the past season. We saw, in the final Challenge Cup match last half, between the Rev. W. Boyce's and Mr. Brook-Smith's, perhaps the most exciting game ever witnessed on this ground; it was simply batting against bowling-Filgate v. Brice-batting won; but a single run would have turned the game the other way; and the Boycites are now the holders of the first cricket and football challenge cups. This half we have been watching the rising talent in the second eleven house matches, and everyone at all interested must have noticed with pleasure that excitement and esprit de corps which were shown by every house in them. The 'form,' too, of the youngsters (though many of them have such whiskers), could not have been better, and the fielding was much on the advance. The final game was played on Wednesday last between the two

rival houses-Boyce's and Brook-Smith's-and although the miniature Boycites managed to get twenty runs ahead in the first innings, their huge opponents gained the day by 50 runs.

We can hardly expect cricket to hold her sway much longer, and when 'tempora mutantur,' and football takes her place, we ought to lay our weeping willows in their winter quarters, consoled by the reflection that we can look back with satisfaction on the bygone season, and with the determination to do our best when called upon in the campaign of 1869.

T. W.

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Malt Whitman's Drum-taps.

ES, truly, it is a great thing for a nation that it get an articulate voice- that it produce a man who will speak forth melodiously what the heart of it means;' so says Carlyle. Whether America has really found her voice in Whitman, space as well as other things would here forbid us to discuss; but that in the Drum-taps he spoke for the North States we may safely assume. It may be thought strange to write of this work of Whitman's apart from the rest, but one has not room to speak of all, and, though he, of all writers of our day, ought to be read in his entirety, the Drum-taps will perhaps best bear extraction. Leaving all general remarks for a more fitting opportunity, which may or may not occur, we proceed to our subject.

There can be little need to say anything about the subjects of the poems, as the title speaks for itself, quaintly and characteristically. But we may just notice for the benefit of the unread that Whitman was one of the most devoted followers of the army during the rebellion. From the spring of 1863,' says Mr. Rossetti, in his prefatory notice, 'this nursing, both in the field and more especially the hospital at Washington, became his one daily and nightly occupation; and the strongest testimony is borne to his measureless self-devotion and kindliness in the work, and to the unbounded fascination, a kind of magnetic attraction and ascendancy, which he exercised over the patients, often with the happiest sanitary results. Northerner or Southerner, the belligerents received the same tending from him. It is said that by the end of the war he had personally ministered to upwards of 100,000 sick and wounded.'

Of this part of his life he has left us record in the poems before us. I think there is a sort of dramatic unity in the Drum-taps :* the first poem or two describe the arming for the war; with the last poems the war is finished. This unity is by no means unbroken, yet it seems traceable in the main. It will be one inducement among others to notice the poems in their order. The first few poems then describe the preparation; the exultant joy in the energy of the States reaches its climax in 'The uprising,' and 'Beat, beat, drums!' In the first of these the poet, who 'roamed the woods of the North, and watched Niagara pouring,' who was friends with the piping wind and the bellowing thunder, throws off his old allegiance to storm and cataract. These were a good preparation; but now for him cities, not woods; torrents of men, not of waters; now the sea and cloud that arose for him, if they have not lost their voices, have lost their meaning, and

'Lo! from deeps more unfathomable, something more deadly and savage: Manhattan, rising, advancing with menacing front-Cincinnatti, Chicago, unchained :'

because he has seen through crash of water and roaring of wind he mighty DEMOCRACY striding on to vengeance. Therefore that new life is begun for him :

'I have witnessed the true lightning-I have witnessed my cities electric: I have lived to behold man burst forth, and warlike America rise, Hence I will seek no more the food of the northern solitary wilds,

No more the mountains roam, nor sail the stormy sea.'

We have the same idea given in as splendid form at the close of the Song of Banner at Daybreak, where the poet's song ends thus

'O you up there! O pennant! where you undulate like a snake, hissing so curious,

Out of reach, an idea only—yet furiously fought for-risking bloody deathloved by me!

So loved! O you banners leading the day, with stars bought from the night!
Valueless object of ages, over all and demanding all-O banner and pennant!
I too leave the rest-great as it is, it is nothing-houses, machines, are nothing—
I see them not:

I see but you, O warlike pennant! O banner so broad, with ships, I sing you only,
Flapping up there in the wind.'

After a little we get into the very region of the war, where there are many poems of a touching beauty, even of word and expression; but few of these come up in weird and exquisite love

* It is necessary here to state that I have before me only Mr. Rossetti's selection, a book which anyone who cares for poetry nowadays ought to possess and know.

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