Smyrna times., 1870-07-06
MiSceI eIIuW e us.
The New York Tribune on College
Graduates.

This being the annual season of University
Jubllees, 1t would be impossible rot to notice
the space which young women now claim in
the reports of those highly interesting celebra-
tlons. A great many girls, we observe, III diff
terent parts OF the land, are receiving the de-
gree OF A. NJ, which for obvious reasons, in
their case, seems to have been substituted for
the Baccalaureate 1t is utterly impossible to
call a fresh, blooming and beautiful demoiselle
a " Bachelor of Arts, for the most enthusias-
tic tea-drlnker OF the SOrosis must see the sole
cism OF such an addition. Neither as we un-
derstand 1t, is the feminine A NJ" to be re-
garded as an initial expression of Arthur
Maglster, for that would be equally improper
1t signifies, as we are told, Mistress of Arts,
and means about as much when it is given to
women as when it is gwen to men-which is
very little indeed We have always felt that
this Masters Degree was about the absurdest
legacy sent down to US from the scholastic
ages: We are tempted about this time an
nually, to inquire: Master of Arts! What
Arts? All of them? Painting? Poetry?
Sculpture? Architecture? Law? Physic Z?
Theology? Civil Engineering? The Useful
The Mechanical? The Liberal? The Polite?
The Arts Of War or the Arts of Peace
Alas the cabalistc letters give us no informa-
ton upon these points respecting the fortunate
individuals who have been decorated. A stu
dent takes his 9 A. B.. and goes Immediately
into the Goldfish or cotton business. Three
years after he boldly approaches his Alma
Mater with the requisite fees in his hand, and
( demands of her Marter diploma. The COM
plying dame hastens to grant his request; and
t he marches proudly away, to the music of a
brass band, bearing the attesting skin neatly
4 tied up with bonny blue ribbons.
We have looked over the programmes OF
several of the Female Commencements and
z al hat un tbo,y fl,, l.,
E the programmes in the colleges devoted to the
other kind OF young human beings These
graduating girls, equally with the boys, de
) velop propensity to select ambitious sub
a q Jects, and what is reported of the Exercise
d shows the same suspicion on the part of thu
writer's, that the reading of their perform
h ances subjects the world to some danger of
premature confagration. Here, for instance
NJ Tin Chicago newspaper) we find an accoun
It Of the Commencement of the North-W ESTER
le Female College at Evanston. Everything wa
10 according to the orthodox pattern, including
n; Salutatory lin the Roman tongue), Musi
se by the band, and 1.-THE Valedictory." Tn
reporter Is kind enough to give his opinio
~ OF the performances, as reporters are sure
do upon such occasions. OF the "Saluta
tOrianess" 1t is observed that "her motion
were extremely graceful" The next addres
''was well digested, and had vein of humanit
little too fast" In the fourth, "Homer, Cict
II ro, Demosthenes, and several other we-knOw
u gentlemen now dead, .were complmented.
The fifth was historical, geological, astron,
mical, romantic high-hOwn, and compreheI
:. sive." The sixth (on " Gcology'') was " wri
II" ten with a dashing and flowing PEN III
seventh regretted the unsOlved condition
the problem Of the North West passage" II
9 Valedictory followed, bringing tears to mar
10 hriU Ubk e. kho
ting reporter" couched in choice Language
went straight home, and was delivered in
,e. feeling manner" Then certain young wOmt
We were made " Laureates of Arts, and certa
as Mistresses of Arts, and still others "Mi
I'm tresses of Science )" the Alumni had the usu
dinner, and all was over
We have but little to add to this account
rs way of comment, but we feel that we shou
'er show ourselves devoid of sympathy and wan
ice ing in gallantry if we failed to condole wi
the young Mistresses of the N. W. Universe
upon the extremely hippant and habby Wi
in which all their fine things (which no dou
. cost them gallons of midnight kerosene) ha
been reported to the country. But repOrte
who are of an indolent disposition, or who a
pressed for room, find a ready source in adje
tives, of which their assortment especially
those who are complimentary is usually
the haberdashers say) large and ellselected
1t is thought to be quite enough to infoI
mankind that speaker was eloquent"
" affecting" or humorous" or that IL
remarks were we'll received by large and a
preciative audience - and what he really
say is generally considered of but little impt
tance. But apart from curiosity, to fl
ES. amount of which we are willing to make &C
5. fession, we think it would be interesting a
instructive to know something of the efft
= which quasi collegiate course of instruct
ach has upon the minds of young women. Dc
it, for instance, serve to develop and strengt