The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-29
ST. JOHNS COLLEGE, FORDHAM.
Twenty-sixth Annual Commencement Yesterday
The Ceremonies that Didn't Take Place
Under the Ellns'-fhe Chapel
as a Forlorn Hope.

Everybody KNOWS or ought TO know II he does
DOT know, where Fordham Is, what a seli-rellaIt
sort OF place IL is, and how IL continues thrive
Observation-Disclosures every day Of its liie--de-
spite the spiteIul efforts or the New Haven Rail-
road Company 10 decrease the population
by killing some one OF It's loyal citizens
Beml-occaslonally. But for all its pretenslons
to being big thing outside OF New York, Fordham
is very good sort OF place for New Yorker to live
out Of All hard drinkers who 60 TO college in the
neghborhood say so, and they ought TO Know as
mucn about the thing as most people However.
there is always one day in the year when New York
ers do like 10 tumble INTO Fordham all done up in
their holiday best, ana that Is when the cosmology
psychology and theodicy mills of st. Johns turn out
lot Of unfedged new-hedged graduates who know
nothing OF ali.
THE SWEET INSocENIs,
about the world ana its vast concerns. its ms IFS
outs and Its manifest vanies. Fordham always
wears broad smile when this day comes about.
Some people call the smile grin: but iGe villagers
call IL smile. and so DO the sweet innocents The
smile or grin, Just as you Ike 10 call IL spreads all
over The town. The nice young men who deal out
the crathur by the glass IN the village ''sailons.n
As Mike, tie trunk man, calls them. Always put on
Their cleanest unturned collar and give their de.
Canters an extra wipe the NIGHT aofe,r wnen
they get wind VI what the faculty are
about TO do the next day. Even the
fellows In The temperance restaurants. VINO
always nave cup OF hot tea and plate OF the Lord
knows what kiud OF meat ready for every hungry
visiIor that comes along with wry face and q
generous supply oi car dust IN lis coat wrinkles.
get up extra qusntites cf murphys and rolls and
Sandwiches, ana lay themselves out for a day Of
PLENTY or JoLLIFIcATIoN
thrown In. And IN al! this the caterers fthe ownr
show Their goo4 sense ana their pieiy They know
a. well as few others that one OF the college rules
confines the boys money 10 "a moderate sum-
NAV suggest or occasion reduire,f and every man
In the nolgnporhood. knows what terrible thing
this prudence" OF the treasurer Is, and how
seldom he comes across an which requires
any thing bigger tnau i've cent Nickel On COM
market becomes easy and-well, Kid gloves get
iignt on literary hands. so. why shoudn' I Ford
ham smile and grin Oh such an OCCASION and pu: Its
decdnters IN oroer. ana Dui.d up It's reIresAmelt
stands right by The gateway under the very OF
The men who, whether they IKE II or not have 10
content themselves win the sweet odor OF what
other people grow healthy on Well yesterday was
commencement day ~ For1ham out unIortu
nately, the preparations or the mixed soda water
dealers and the apple men aud the outside or the
gate hackmen were not sufficient TO make the day
ali thai sunshine aud clear shy would nave made
IT. In fact nobody who cared anything about ceie.
Grating II had any control the weather or the
MyeT-y department al Washington who makes
The weather Tor All OF US. Ana without sunshine
what does the time-honored ceremony under the
elrns amount to- There is a romance about the
thing that the ladies ike; but the rain
Knocked it all IN the head yesterday. IL was
100 bad Indeed. one or the graduates who
had lnvlted his sister 10 come up and see
INN tear heavy subject 10 iatters-and which
sister had invited two lady irIenus and which two
lady friends each invited two.of their lady friends
lost hts temper over the movement OF the clouds
10 such degree that he had 70 go 10 the sodawater
mans three several times before the Train arrived
with the New Workers. And when IL did arrive,
what rushing end crushing there was TO get out
without getting wet, and what harem-scarem rush
there was IL up Tie lawn road and under the trees
And IN the Railways when a big impudent cioud
settled over the grounds and then sprlnkled Itself
all over everything IL could get at-the reverend
clergy not excepted After then, when everybody
had got
UNDER THE ELMs
nn 1ura 70 t,ua .ar1, IN
"get M and git' and was told that the great tent
uad been raised In vain. that the flags ana the plat
form and the seats ana the ems would have 10 be
left alone IN their glory, what an irregular process
ton there was Of II 10 the chapel where the
monies had 10 be held al last The band crawled
up INTO the loft and felt happy. The big drum
wiped Its broad brow and Knocked itself agnsi the
organ with 'bum' that made even the leader stop
~irng has face with q red cotton handkerchief for
he mortal space VI three seconds. Lei " pf kpQYA