dingly made, of the appropriate dimensions, and inscribed
with these words:
"Mingere cum bombis
Res est saluberrima lumbis."

On the morning of Commencement Day, this was borne in procession,
in a morocco case, and presented to the Tutor. Tradition does not
say with what feelings he received it, but it remained for many
years at a room in Quincy, where he was accustomed to spend his
Saturdays and Sundays, and finally disappeared, about the
beginning of the Revolutionary War. It is supposed to have been
carried to England.

MINOR. A privy. From the Latin _minor_, smaller; the word _house_
being understood. Other derivations are given, but this seems to
be the most classical. This word is peculiar to Harvard College.

MISS. An omission of a recitation, or any college exercise. An
instructor is said _to give a miss_, when he omits a recitation.

A quaint Professor of Harvard College, being once asked by his
class to omit the recitation for that day, is said to have replied
in the words of Scripture: "Ye ask and receive not, for ye ask
a-_miss_."

In the "Memorial of John S. Popkin, D.D.," Professor Felton has
referred to this story, and has appended to it the contradiction
of the worthy Doctor. "Amusing anecdotes, some true and many
apocryphal, were handed down in College from class to class, and,
so far from being yet forgotten, they are rather on the increase.
One of these mythical stories was, that on a certain occasion one
of the classes applied to the Doctor for what used to be called,
in College jargon, a _miss_, i.e. an omission of recitation. The
Doctor replied, as the legend run, 'Ye ask, and ye receive not,
because ye ask a-_miss_.' Many years later, this was told to him.
'It is not true,' he exclaimed, energetically. 'In the first
place, I have not wit enough; in the next place, I have too much
wit, for I mortally hate a pun. Besides, _I never allude
irreverently to the Scriptures_.'"--p. lxxvii.

Or are there some who scrape and hiss
Because you never give a _miss_.--_Rebelliad_, p. 62.

---- is good to all his subjects,
_Misses_ gives he every hour.--_MS. Poem_.

MISS. To be absent from a recitation or any college exercise. Said
of a student. See CUT.

Who will recitations _miss_!--_Rebelliad_, p. 53.

At every corner let us hiss 'em;
And as for recitations,--_miss_ 'em.--_Ibid._, p. 58.

Who never _misses_ declamation,
Nor cuts a stupid recitation.
_Harvardian