New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-06-26
COMMENCEMENT or THE NORMAL
SCHOOL.

Tie Commencement of the Female Normal School
was held in the Academy OF Music lest evening. No
accommodation having been provided FOR reporters,
beyond standing room in the sdescenes our report is
nccess arily rather meager.
At 4:4J p m the female teacher who had been en-
.aged school for seven or eight hours during the
day. were required to be present by their chief and it
was made their duty to stand until ~ P. NJ TO secure
the preservation Of order. Their suerings were NIT
gated, we learned by having ce-water furnished
them in pail recently painted. The pupils Of the
school, to the number of four five hundred were
arranged on the stage, and at O'Clock the graduates
entered in single file, led by Mr.. VIM. II. Wood. Mr.
Wood also led them in singing Mr.. Geo. II. Curtis
presiding at the piano. At this time the house
crammed in seats, aisles and boxes from parquet to
amphitheater The doors were SHUT and many who
had been supplied with tickets were unable to gain
entrance. As the air grew intense within doors, the
house became as from the stage, such surging
sea of fans could be adequately represented only by
a very heated fancy.
The vocal exercises commenced with the reading OF
the Scriptures. The Lord Prayer was then chanted
it having been printed with the programme for the
accommodation Of the school and spectators.
After anthem President Green Of the Board Of
Education in rather long address gave the statis-
mented on their beneficial results. The remainder of
the exercises commercially short. They con-
sisted Of several choruses by the School, accompanied
by grand piano and Alexandra organ compo-
sitions, most of which were read to be audible
TO less than a hundred Of the 5000 present, on
The Mother, the Teacher and the Friend Of
Education by Miss Cecilia Il. Davies; Poetry in
Everything by Miss Mary A. King; Laughter, by
n H.. no nv Cath
sidy; Imperfection of Human Character by Miss
Rachel T. Birdsall, and Fashion, by Miss Susan A.
Sparkling; the presentation of Diplomas, by Mr.. Da-
venport, Chairman of the Normal School Committee;
brief Address, by the Rev. DIR. Adams; Solo, very
ucccssfully executed by Miss s. Victoria Walsh;
Parting Song, Valedictory and Closing Hymn.
The piece on fashion, which was read better than
most of the others, so that people who sat within ten
feet of the reader could understand most of it, dated
on the dyantages of the sixteenfeet bone enlarge
ment Of woman's sphere 10 repellng undue familiar-
ties keeping admirers at that distance which lends
enchsutmeut ard rendering it delicously uncertain
which gentleman in all the street lady was walking
with. Miss SparDg thinks that it is very simple or
very insulting for one gentleman in car or an omn-
bus to offer his scat to lady just as though
it furnished more than half roOom enough for
her, During the presentation of diplomas, which
was, as always, very fine sight green stuffed
representation of fish was thrown the stage from
one Of the boxes. Fishing, we were told, is term
applied to making figures on ones own slate while
locking at that of another. The parting song, sung
by the graduates and the school, decidedly effect
i've.
The scene on the stage, seen from the boxes was
charming. The array Of happy faces, ard flowers,
white shoulders, aims ard dresses, was dangerously
bewitchinC.