The freshman crew seems to be laboring under the delusion that they are rowing simply for the fun of it, and that any work they may chance to do is so much to their credit as being not at all required of them. They are willing to work at odd times; but the idea of going up to the gymnasium day in and day out, and doing their level best, no matter how they may feel, is so appalling that as yet they have completely failed to grasp it. They all think that such little points as being sharp on time and keeping strict time while at the chestweights, are of such slight importance that it is not worth their while to pay any attention to them. If they condescend to come up and row for the benefit of the class, what more can be looked for? A great deal more is looked for. They are rowing in order to beat Columbia next year at New London, and they can only do that by steady, hard work and strict attention to details. The very first thing a crew has to learn is to keep time. Unless they do this there is no use in their ever going out on the water, for they would be beaten badly by a much inferior crew which did keep perfect time. And eighty-nine can learn this only by always keeping the question of time strictly before them in every thing they do collectively.

At present there is always too much grumbling and discontent among the crew for it to accomplish anything. There being no coach to complain of, the men are forced to grumble at the captain. And why? Simply because he alone of all the crew understands the necessity there is for hard work, and is doing his best to keep them up to their work, and teach them something against their will. It is true that both the Harvard University and freshman crews of last year beat Columbia badly, but they only did it after a year's work of the hardest kind, and not by loafing. As it is Columbia will probably have learned something from her defeat last year, and will put a faster crew than ever on the water, so that the freshmen have got to brace more than usual if they wish to win. If eighty-nine wants an example to follow, let her take last year's University crew, a crew which probably worked harder and accomplished more than any crew Harvard has ever put on the water before.

Too many men are now rowing for the same reason that the men who tried for the eleven last year played foot-ball; that is, for the sake of the credit of being on the team and of getting the uniforms. Such motives are perfectly contemptible, and the sooner eighty-nine realizes that their captain and the people who are coaching them know more about rowing than they do, the better it will be for their prospects of winning the June race.