other mortals outside the pale of college life. Numerous congenial friendships exist between college men and the girls of this city, but few engagements result.
That class of young ladies known among the students as "college widows," and commonly supposed to have the acquaintance of several generations of collegians, is not larger in New Haven than elsewhere. Let a girl once get such a reputation, however, whether justly or unjustly acquired, she can bid good-by to all hopes of wedding a college man. A fellow may enjoy her company; he may call on her; he may pay her sufficient attention to ordinarily justify a popular suspicion of an engagement; but he rarely or never marries her.
The most important society event of the year is the Junior Promenade, which occurs in the middle of the winter term. No other university or college has anything approaching it in a social way. It is held under the auspices of the Juniors, but is attended by the members of every class and by many of the alumni. All portions of the country are represented at this great mid-winter celebration, many of the ladies coming over a thousand miles to participate in the festivities of the occasion. The Promenade of late years has been held in Carll's Opera-House, just opposite the college Campus. The decorations are invariably magnificent. Silk and satin banners, the trophies won by Yale's athletic organizations in many a hard-fought battle, adorn the wails and balconies. Pendent from the proscenium arch hangs the university shell, decked with a profusion of floral emblems. Gazing upon the long, narrow boat that has carried his crew to victory, the Yale man may be pardoned for the feeling of pride that rises in his breast as he thinks of the conquests achieved by his university on the blue waters of the Thames at New London. The athletes are much sought after at the Promenade, and it is for them that the ladies reserve their brightest smiles and best dances.
During "Promenade week" the three upper classes hold germans, which are attended by the visitors from abroad. The favors distributed on these occasions are frequently of considerable value, and are carefully preserved as cherished mementos. On the evening before the Promenade, the 'Varsity Glee-Club gives its annual concert. The audience is generally limited only by the capacity of the house. The ladies are attired in their most beautiful toilets, and all the gentlemen wear evening dress.
It is then that the Freshmen attempt to display their class numerals in such a manner that "he who runs may read." Sometimes this display takes the form of a balloon, from which hang the mystic figures. On other occasions a large banner is, in some mysterious manner,
