NoristhishappychangeseenatCornellalone。Thesamecauses，——mainlytheincreaseintherangeofstudiesandfreedomofchoicebetweenthem，haveproducedsimilarresultsinalltheleadinginstitutions。RecallingthestudentbrawlattheHarvardcommonswhichcostthehistorianPrescotthissight，andtheriotattheHarvardcommencementwhichblockedthewayofPresidentEverettandtheBritishminister;recallingthefatalwoundingofTutorDwight，themaimingofTutorGoodrich，andthekillingoftwotownriotersbystudentsatYale;andrecallingthemonstrousindignitiestothepresidentandfacultyatHobartofwhichIwasmyselfwitness，aswellasthestateofthingsatvariousothercollegesinmyowncollegedays，Icantestify，ascansomanyothers，tothevastimprovementintheconductandaimsofAmericanstudentsduringthelatterhalfofthenineteenthcentury。
CHAPTERXXI
DIFFICULTIESANDDANGERSATCORNELL——1868—1872
Thefirstbusinessafterformallyopeningtheuniversitywastoputinoperationthevariouscoursesofinstruction，andvitallyconnectedwiththesewerethelecturesofournon—residentprofessors。FromtheseIhadhopedmuchandwasnotdisappointed。IthadlongseemedtomethatagreatlackinourAmericanuniversitieswasjustthatsortofimpulsewhichnon—residentprofessorsorlecturersofahighordercouldgive。AtYaletherehadbeen，inmytime，veryfewlecturesofanysorttoundergraduates;theworkinthevariousclasseswascarriedon，asarule，withouttheslightestenthusiasm，andwasconsideredbythegreatbodyofstudentsaboretobeabridgedoravoidedasfaraspossible。Hencesuchpranksascuttingoutthetongueofthecollegebell，ofwhichtwoorthreetonguesstillpreservedinuniversityclub—roomsarereminders;hence，also，theeffortmadebymembersofmyownclasstofillthecollegebellwithcement，whichwouldsetinashorttime，andmakeanycalltomorningprayersandrecitationsforadayortwoimpossible——aperformancewhichcausedalongsuspensionofseveralofthebestyoungfellowsthateverlived，someofthemgoodscholars，andallofthemmenwhowouldhavewalkedmilestoattendareallyinspiringlecture。
Andyet，oneortwoexperiencesshowedmewhatmightbedonebyarousinganinterestinregularclasswork。