SECOND SECTION.

April 22—Columbia Grammar vs. Hamilton Institute.
April 27—Berkeley vs. Trinity.
May 1—Hamilton Institute vs. Berkeley.
May 13—Columbia Grammar vs. Trinity.
May 18—Hamilton Institute vs. Trinity.
May 22—Columbia Grammar vs. Berkeley.

The Inter-High-School Athletic Association of Washington, D. C., has set aside June 6th for its field day. I hope the National I.S.A.A. committee will call their attention to the fact that this is a late date for associations who wish to enter teams at the National meet, and urge them to hold an earlier field day so as to send representatives to the general meeting. Every effort should be made to have as wide a representation as possible on this occasion, for much will depend upon the success of the first National affair. The Washingtonians have placed the hop, step, and jump, and throwing the baseball on their card. Neither of these can be properly considered an athletic event, and the managers of the Inter-High-School A.A. will be making a stride forward if they discard them.

It is to be regretted that the Inter-Academic League of Philadelphia found it inadvisable to hold a joint athletic meeting with the new High-School League. Such a meeting would doubtless have furnished good sport, as both aggregations have strong athletes, and the extra incentive of association rivalry would certainly have developed a higher standard of performance.

At the recent meeting of the Maine I.S.A.A. the dispute between Portland and Bangor High Schools over the possession of the championship cup was referred to a special committee consisting of one representative from Bangor High-School and Bangor Y.M.C.A., one from Portland High-School and the Portland Athletic Club, these four to choose a fifth. The dispute arose last June through a misunderstanding in the scoring of the hammer-throw at the spring meet. This trouble should have been settled long before, but the inability to get a special meeting of the association has prevented.

The prospects for a good meeting of the association this spring are excellent, in spite of the fact that the Portland High-School and the Bangor High-School, the strongest contestants at last year's field day, have lost many first-class athletes by graduation. Thus it seems probable that some of the smaller schools will make a better showing this year than ever before.

Thornton Academy, of Saco, has for two years held third place in these contests, with many points to spare. This year Thornton ought to make a strong bid for the leading position. Much good material is in the school, and only needs development. Among the expected point-winners are Hodgdon, the half-miler, who will try to lower his last year's mark of 2 min. 11-4/5 sec.; Wakefield, the all-around athlete of the school, who throws the 12-pound hammer over 100 feet, puts the shot about 34 feet, pole-vaults over 9 feet, goes 5 feet 2 inches, and 20 feet in the high and broad jumps respectively, and runs the 100 in 11 seconds and a fraction.

Preble, who has a record in pole vault close to 9 feet, is also expected to do well in the hurdles and the hammer. Cole is a new acquisition, but he is not new to athletics; he throws the hammer in the vicinity of 95 feet, puts the shot a few inches over 35 feet, and runs the mile under 4 min. 50 sec. J. Dow, who got pocketed last year in the 440-yard dash, has improved and can run near to 55 seconds. In addition to these men there are a number of others of more or less experience, who are all in training, and who help to make Thornton's outlook for success a bright one.

The Graduate.

[THE PUDDING STICK.]

This Department is conducted in the interest of Girls and Young Women, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject so far as possible. Correspondents should address Editor.

Margaret W—— and Jessie K—— ask me to write on the subject of chaperonage. They both take ground against being chaperoned, and they tell me plainly that they think the fashion as it now exists in our country a foreign importation and unnecessary. "Why in this world," exclaims Margaret, who writes from a village in western Illinois, "should my dear mother, who is tired enough to go to bed when her work for the day is over, have to put on her best gown, attend an evening party, and stay up hours later than she likes to, all to take care of Lottie and me, when we are fully able to take care of ourselves. Aunt Jennie, who was a great belle in her day, says that it used to be the boast of American girls that they did not need to be looked after, and, for my part," adds Margaret, "I am quite of her opinion. But we girls here in A—— are willing to leave the whole matter to your decision. Shall we or shall we not be chaperoned?"

I thank you very much, girls, for consulting me about this, and for expressing your opinion so freely and frankly. This is always a good thing to do. People cannot understand one another when they keep back a part of their thoughts, and very much always depends on the point of view from which we regard affairs, especially in the social line. Here in New York young people have learned to prefer the company of chaperons on every occasion where they meet one another for pleasure. It is not regarded as possible to leave out the mother or married friend, whose presence imposes no restraint, and who, by her tact and address and ready sympathy, makes a theatre party, or a dance, or any little meeting of girls and their friends among boys and men, pass off successfully. A chaperon need not be a withered old personage who frowns upon amusement. She would certainly be out of place if this were her character. She need not be a tired mother who feels herself a martyr to her children and their comrades. There are mothers who are not tired, whose health is excellent, whose spirits are not jaded, and who do not wish to be omitted when the roll-call of pleasure-seekers is called. But any youthful married lady may appropriately act as chaperon to a group of young people, as may a dignified spinster, still charming and elegant, though past her own early youth. And a girl's father may chaperon her, and prove most delightful when acting in that capacity.

It is not desirable that picnic parties and rowing parties and parties for riding and driving, of which Frances L—— speaks as of frequent and delightful occurrence in her country home at the far South, should consist exclusively of the young. Older people joining them will make them safer and therefore happier. Accidents sometimes happen to the best equipped parties, and at such times a woman of experience and presence of mind knows precisely what to do and to say, and where otherwise there would be awkwardness she relieves the situation. Do not be so selfish as to drag the weary and overworked mother into society against her will, but let some lady whom everybody likes and admires act in the mother's place.

Margaret E. Sangster.