American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-05-10

y
enjoyment of May Festival. Their school
house was beautifully adorned with flowers
which the May Queen and her retinue and sub
jects riyaled in their spring-life beauty.
Many ladies and gentlemen were present, in
Guiding the Mayor of the city, Aldermen French,
Towers, Sweeney and Pearson, and Messrs.
Chaplin and Wheeler, of the common council.
The arrangements being completed, the exer-
cises of the day commenced. Two beautiful
young girls, Misses 6eorgiana Polkinhorn and
Elizabeth Parsons, opened the ceremonies by
reciting salutatory pieces. These were followed
by the advance of the fair queen, miss Sarah
L. Ray Before reaching the throne dialogue,
upon the right of admittance to Floras domin-
ions, was recited by Misses Mary 7. Cornwall,
"a maid of honor,) Mary A. Lee, (Flora on the
throne, Ada NJ Harris, Second maid of honor,)
and Elizabeth Ashdown, (Spring.) Flora de-
cided that virtue, love and beauty could only
enter her precincts; but those three attributes
being declared to belong to the candidate,
Floras invitation to enter was cordially ex-
tended to her. Upon the arrival at the throne,
the queen delivered an address to Spring, which
was followed by speech by the first maid of
honor, who then placed q crown of silver, inter-
woven with bright leaves and flowers, upon the
brow of the lovely queen, who gracefully re-
sponded, and thanked her friends for the honor
bestowed upon her.
Then followed speech by the Sceptre-bearer,
elizabeth Parsons who presented the sceptre
to the queen A reply to the queen A speech
by 4th maid, Miss r. Polkinhorn.) A speech
by 9th maid, MARY Ratclif) A speech by 9th
maid, Sarah J. Davis.) A speech by Mary E.
Jones, It'll maid of honor. George Polkinhorn
presented a garland. A speech by the queen.
A speech by Louisa Lee. A speech by Mary
Bradley. A speech by Mary Knight; also, by
Violet Hinton, FIVE years old.
A dialogue by the Misses Martha Polkinhorn
and Emma Carr.
The flowers were then called from their places
by Spring. Flora requesting their appearance
within her boundary, Spring then called Rose,
Miss c. V. Hall J then Lilly, Sarah Faunce;)
then Honeysuckle, Emma Jacobs J then Pink,
(Anna E. Fowler;) then Tulip, (Ada Kinsey J
then Myrtle, elizabeth Harris j then Violet
Hester West;) then Rosebud, Harriet Yeat-
man J and then was pronounced farewell ad-
dress by Spring
An address to the queen was delivered by
Mary Ratclif. A song by Fanny Wright. A
speech by Hannah E. Polkinhorn, and q speech
by Sarah K. Knsey.
Miss Elizabeth West, fair little girl of FIVE
or six years of age, then appeared at the foot
of the throne with charming little bouquet in
her hand; she called for the Mayor, and, upon
his appearance, repeated the sweet lines:
"Pn pluck bunch of buds and flowers
And put this riband round them,
That you may think in your lonely hours
OF the sweet little girl that bound them"
The Mayor responded in brief but very happy
and appropriate address.
The school then formed procession and
marched to the Presidents House. Seated in
the East Room, they presented cheerful sight,
rarely witnessed, if ever, in the Executive Man
sion of any other country than our own free
and happy land. In few moments the Chief
Magistrate of the United States came in, and
the Mayor introduced to him Mrs. Hinton, and
the queen and company. The queen, on behalf
of the scholars, presented beautiful bouquet
to the President, who thanked her and them
in the kind, graceful and cheerful manner so
peculiarly his own. The little girl who pre-
sented the bouquet to the Mayor, and Miss Vi
olet Hinton, presented each bouquet to the
President, and received his heartfelt thanks for
the pleasure it gave him to meet and receive
such favors from them. After few moments,
conversation the children departed, but not
until the President had shaken hands and spo-
ken few kind words to the boys in the COM
pany. The memory of that hour viii long live
in the hearts of those who participated in its
enjoyments.
In the evening the ceremony of browning the
May Queen was repeated, which was followed
by recitations by the boys. The original essay,
by Henry W. Yates, 1.-THE first attempt, we are
told, at original defamation in our district |
schools gave good evidence of the careful in
intellect by their accomplished teacher. After
the recitations, music and dancing and sports
occupied few hours, and then the children
and company went TO their homes, satisfied that
the time passed in the pursuit of rational, in
tellectual, virtuous and loving pleasure is spent
without loss and with lasting profit
Among the pieces recited by the young ladies'
several were original. Miss Mary Knight pro-
nounced the following most prettily:
SONG FOR MAY
Come lot us all our voices raise,
Amid our fary bowers;
Let all our hearts unite and praise
The Birthday Of the Flowers.
The morning sun Is shining bright
All Natures face sgay;
Oh, let our hearts be cheerful-lght-
True embems Of the day.
The flowers which shed their fragrant breath
Upon the evening wind,
Or morning dew, DER vale and heath
All teach 10 be kind.