"UNTO him that hath shall be given" is a proverb of worldly, as well as heavenly, wisdom. There is a building belonging to the College, which is provided with two fire-escapes on the back, and iron balconies which can easily be connected on the front. Why Holyoke, being so well provided, should now have a new iron staircase, while the other College buildings have no protection, is an insoluble conundrum. Holyoke is a particularly dangerous building in case of fire, because of the number of "wells" which it contains. But Weld and Matthews both have elevator "wells," up which fire would spring like lightning; moreover, the "wells" in the latter buildings are sheathed in wood, while those in Holyoke are plastered. Grant, however, that the new iron staircase is desirable, which we do not attempt to deny, if the College can afford to make a useful improvement in one building, then, a fortiori, it can afford to make indispensable improvements in others. We know we speak to deaf ears, but it is better to be a Cassandra than no prophet at all.