ATHLETICS FOR WOMEN IN COLLEGES. 525 



hours. I was told that Darwin achieved the work of his life by 

 devoting three hours a day to his science. The dons at Newn- 

 ham constantly urge the students to reduce their hours of work, 

 claiming that the best results have been attained at the univer- 

 sity by those who spent the least time in study. 



The English students' power of concentration is remarkable. 

 They respect perfectly the study hours of their friends, and will 

 tolerate no interruption of their own. The English excel when 

 tried by two of Prof. Kraepelin's tests of mental capacity : amount 

 of work done in a given time and power of concentration. 



Wherein lies their advantage ? They will tell us that their 

 strong and necessary ally is vigorous outdoor sport. 



The English girl has, of course, known from childhood the 

 habit of outdoor life. At college she plays hockey or hand polo, 

 cricket, fives, and the games with which we are more familiar, for 

 at least two hours a day, and oftener for a longer time. Two 

 hours is a minimum of time spent in exercise. At frequent inter- 

 vals, usually at the end of each week, she seeks recreation from 

 past and preparation for future effort by spending many hours 

 in the open air, in boating on the river it may be, or in taking a 

 tramp of thirty miles or so. During vacations she not infre- 

 quently makes walking tours of longer or shorter duration. 



If an English girl finds that her mind is inactive and unre- 

 ceptive, she recognizes this as an indication that it needs recrea- 

 tion. She drops her books and puts her brain in fit condition for 

 study by some vigorous play. Under like conditions, the Ameri- 

 can student, not recognizing Nature's signal, mentally scourges 

 herself for dullness, and urges her jaded mind on to overexertion. 

 I once heard an English girl assert that she could daivdle all day, 

 but could not study for more than two hours at a time. 



A senior at Vassar, who had been honored by her classmates 

 with several appointments entailing strenuous editorial and ex- 

 ecutive duties, once said to me that she was grateful to the extra 

 work for showing her in how short a time her regular work could 

 be done. Having learned this lesson, she observed with surprise 

 the time spent by her classmates over their tasks. 



Every American who studies at Cambridge adopts the methods 

 of work of her English friends, and ever afterward looks with 

 compassion on the mistakes of her countrywomen. 



The power of concentration of mind can not be exercised at 

 will by those unaccustomed to practice it, but it can certainly be 

 cultivated through training, and the earlier the training is begun 

 the better. One school is known to me which has worked effect- 

 ively in this direction by restricting the time spent in prepara- 

 tion of tasks, and by requiring a sufficient amount of outdoor play 

 to keep the brain fresh and active. 



