Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-07-15
LETTER FROM MONTPELIER
Montpelier, IT., July 4, 1872.


imagine, but can't describe, how sur
prised l was when l took up your paper
some time last April, and found that my
niece Susan had ben and gone and put
every word I said about them folks that
sings on the gallery, right in the paper.
Wal, now, Mister Editor, [ didn't say
that to be printed, but I do hope if the
coat fitted anybody they will put it on.
I never sposed then that I should ever
write anything for the papers but what
should pop into my head tonight, but
the idee that perhaps you'd like to hear
about the Sd and 4th of July at the cap
itol, and seein' Susan wasn't here, per-
haps nobody would write you about it
unless | did.
You see, yesterday | went to the
commencement, as they. call it, q
should call it ''fnishment'') up to the
new Methodist Seminary, on the hill to
the East of the village, where they had
the barracks for the poor sick soljers in
war times, (heaven bless 'em,-the sol
jers, | mean) There's lots of buildin's,
boardin' houses, and all, up on the lev
ell ground on the top of the hill, but the
Seminary is bigger than a number of
um put together. It's made of brick,
with four places to 60 in,-"entrances, "
I believe they call 'em. 1t isn't done,
but the hall is, and it's handsome, too,
all frescoed off on the walls and over
head. We got there jest in time to see
the five young ladies who was to gradu-
ate, come from their house. They look
ed as though they was from some forren
country. with their heads all frizzled and
trimmed with posies, and their muslin
dresses all founced and ruff1ed and over
skirted and humpted-dumpted up be-
hind, with one or two gals to hold up
their long trails. We got into the hall
jest after the prayer, which must have
been good, because the Rev. Mr.. Cooper
made it, and he's jest the best, sunniest-
faced man [ know of. Then a man
played ON the peanno, and little chap
came out and talked in Latin, or He
brew, or somethin' of the sort. A man
gave me little printed paper, and l
found that this was the "Salutatory Ad-
dress" Everybody tried to look wise,
jest as though they understood it all,
but don't think they did; I'm sure 1
didn't, for [ don't deal in dead languag-
es, it's more'n | can do to speak our
language right, and I find that's the
case with most everybody. I'm afraid
it might take too long to tell of everybody
that spoke and what they spoke about,
but I'll jest mention few. The sing
in might have ben good if they had
spoke the words plain, but you know it's
the fashun to sing so that no livin' SOU
can tell what the words air. The char
who spoke Hold your Horses" E" sale
that when he saw boy disobedient t.
his parents, he wanted to say to him
'Hold your Horses or habits of dis
obedience and vice will carry you dowr
to destruction" Then he said some
) thing about that everybody knew tina
water, as it fell over the rocks was cal
led cataract, but nobody knew till thi
f century that there was disease of tn
$ head called waterfall folks knew, too
, that there was Grecian Peninsula, ant
o that there was a hump on camers back
but it was left for the ladies of the lot
s century to demonstrate the fact tina
S there should be hump of a half-moo
n shape upon the human form, and tina
Il it should be called the s'Grecian Bend.
| presume | haven't got it jest right
v but it sounded funny when he said
a and made the folks laugh. liked 40
e the other side" by George HI. Hasting
/ He spoke of the glories of this worlt
but made out that this world was yer
insignificant compared with the glorie
n of 1.-The ether side,'' that is, heaven
r We didn't expect much from the nez
!; chap who came ON to the stage All I'll
e rest had ben dressed in nice shiny coa
and white vests. with nice little bow
\ on their collars but this chap wan
" slicked up a bit, not even a paper coll;
Is on, and his clothes were all course, bl
O. he spoke the best of anybody. 'Tw;
about the Lesson of Homer and vi
We gill" He told how great both these me
~ were, but said it was sad that they al
ID their writings lack the refinement whi'
e. christianity alone can give. He SCENE
to think that the people of old Gree
o. and Rome ought to have cultivated the
no hearts Jest as we'll as their minds. Th
n Mr. Newton spoke every word jest
}" plain as day, and when he got throu!
- they cheered him three times as much
IS they did anybody else, and threw me
h bokas at him, and | was glad of it. I
best essay was read by Alice NJ. Wa
n rem of Berlin. The little paper said b
IA piece was ''Real vs. Imitation, with Vi
edlctory Addresses. She talked to t
of teachers-three ladies and three gent
r.. men-who sot on the stage, and to son
~ body she called alumni and to
classmates and she did it up slick, t.
Then the Preceptor gave the ladies tn
y, diplomas. These were big sheets