so THE MODERN UNIVERSITY MOVEMENT 



and I formed friendships that have been lasting and, 

 beyond words, precious to me. But I was conscious of 

 the great lack of the place, and I used to build castles in the 

 air as I thought of what might some day be. Well, thirty 

 years have elapsed, and I have often revisited my old haunts 

 with pleasure ; but the greatest pleasure I have experienced 

 has arisen from observation of the steady growth of those 

 elements of student life which were most lacking in my own 

 day. The change has been most marked and most salutary, 

 and I am happy to say that I have seen a not less satisfactory 

 change in the condition of things in Leeds. We have not 

 moved far, but we are moving, and I feel sure we shall move 

 with increasing speed. 



We are at least industrious, and we are in earnest in our 

 studies ; we present few attractions and few opportunities for 

 loafers. We who teach, live under the public eye ; we are 

 kept informed of our not too great importance in the world ; 

 our absurdities are kept within bounds ; our extravagances are 

 sharply criticized ; our wise sayings, our sallies of wit, do not 

 convulse a whole community ; oddity does not give an 

 enviable distinction ; we are expected, we are, in fact, compelled 

 to take some interest in our fellow citizens ; we are called upon 

 to take our part, often a healthy subordinate part, in all kinds 

 of public movements ; we are constantly meeting people who 

 are our betters in everything except our own craft. We have, 

 oT course, some considerable disadvantages, for the time being 

 at least. We are deficient in the appurtenances for study and 

 research ; we are greatly distracted by the administrative calls 

 that attend the moulding of a new university ; we are not very 

 numerous, and we lack though personally I cannot make this 

 complaint the vitalizing intercourse with men of our own 

 crafts. Nevertheless, I will say for myself, and I am sure 

 I might say it for many of my colleagues, I would not 

 exchange my place for one in the university of Arcadia. 



