Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-01-03
THE CHURCHES.

pure snow the prayers of men and omen, to
join the prayers of other men and women going
up from all chimes for the extension of His king
dom. And it is happier thought still, that
from those earnest hearts in the church on Bever-
ly Street there went up prayers which are moro
| like His prayers than any others on earth
prayers solely for the salvation of others. At
the same church on Christmas day there was SER
vice in tho morning, the sermon by Rev. Mr..
Hullihen being from the text "Glory be to God
in the highest" On the next day tho children
had festival in the SUNDAY school, At the
Catholic church there was High Mass by Rev.
Father McVerry, and services later in the day.
The pastor being absent there were 10 services
at the Lutheran church, bat there was very
happy chdren's festival Monday evening. At
the Presbyterian church on Christmas eve the
Magic Lantern of the W. L. Asylum was used
to give the Sunday School children a very &C
cep table treat.
THE OPENING CHORUS
Christmas may be said to have commenced at
the schools the week before, and very charm
ing aud joyous commencement it was. At the
Virginia Female Institute there were two
soirees, one on Thursday the 10th, and one on
Friday the Goth, and on both nights, the hall of
the Institute was crowded with an appre ciative
audience The programmes were selected with
great taste. On the first night the selections
noticeable for excellence, were a solo and chorus
s'non piu mesta," by Miss Adams and the vocal
Glass; AMI the duet "Responds moi, =" by Mss
Dawson and Prof. Richard. Two values
"Elfenreigen," by Miss Maddox and Miss Ware,
and "Amoretten Taenze,' by Miss Getty and
Miss M Moore, pupils of Prof. Ide, it was uni
versally agreed, were worthy of professional per-
formers, and the chorus by Mad m RuhPs class,
was capital. The reading of the Conquered Ban
ner," by Miss Goree, 'fTasso's Coronation" by
Miss lie Sassier, and 1.-THE Volunteers Wife, " by
Miss McCay, were all excellent. On Friday
night the occasion quite as delightful
The overture from "Pique Dame 1.-TWO pianos,
organ and violin) by Misses. Dunnovant, Hous-
ton, Flower and Kern panists, Miss Croxton
organist and Prof Ide violinist, gave the con-
cert a capital opening, and it went on with
some excellent readings In Germ an aud French,
from Miss McCay and Miss Irwin, and some
pieces mimi tably read by Prof Scharf While all
his reading On Friday night were excellent it is
hard not to particularize from Winchester to
Strasburg," as illustrating how man of genius
can take sketch, which would hardly be read
in a newspaper, and make it so amusing as to
make every one inquire who was the author
One point in these exhibitions aroused a great
many more thoughts than are likely to be put
into a newspaper notice of soiree, and that
was German reading admir- ably done by one of
the young ladies. 1t is a recognition of the
change in tho premiership of nstionsIand Rev.
Mr.. Phillips the Principal, shows that he is
abreast of the times in this, as he is in everything
else when he perfeots his scholars in the language
which is to be the popular language of the world
On the following Saturday nighta musical
soiree was given at the Baptist Female Inst tute.
Prof. Jns Hart, Principal. The music hall at
the Institute, the day being near Christmas, was
tastily ornamented with festoons and wreaths
of cedar and holly. Like the other Institute
the room was densely crowded notwithstanding
the snow was falling heavily. The progra NINE
was good one and the instrumental and vocal
performance judiciously varied, Prof Brown
taking charge of its execution Both his
scholars and those of Prof. Hamer did great
credit to their teachers. The duet stIn the
Starlight" sung by Miss Massey and Miss
Ragand, was captally rendered the solo
'"Tis Evening brings my heart back to thee,p
sung by Miss Shumate, the solo and chorus
'Touch the soft harp gently" by Miss Hitter
and the class, solo GOOD Night" by Miss
Hitter, and he solo "All Alone" by Miss Brown.
of Alabama, were all finely sung. The best
piece of the instrumental music was duet
called the "Three Marches and the exc
cution was worthy of the highest praise The
splendid voice of Prof. Brown added so much to
the evenings singing, that we could not we'll
close this notice without thanking him for the
qualification it afforded We tase it, from the
perfection exhibited in the vocal and instru.
mental departments, that Prof Hart has in
every department placed his institution in the
front rank of institutions for female education.
At the Augusta Female Seminary the inter-.
tainment was excellent, and from those who at
tended we hear the highest praise. concerted
piece with ID performers was chief of the even
ings anment.
THE ANUS EMgNTs OF THE SEASON
There was but one public amusement in the
week and that the tableaux for the be nefit of
the Memorial Association. 1t was not largely
attended ,on account Of the bad weather, though
it was we'll worthy of patronage. The female
schools were alive almost every night with tab
leaux, masquerade balls, &C., but of course they
were only among the girls, and the public was
nnt hen off tied nv than, The 1aia b;nr bowav,r
was the GROWING glory of the season. One of
the schools gave its scholars general sleigh
ride, and the exhibition of rosy cheeks and bright
eyes on the streets was enough to drive man
mad. Some of the teams out were very fine, and
one dashing fellow had four in hand out and
drove them we'll
THE LAST OF THE YEAR-wATCH NIGHT AT THE
METHODIST CHURCH.
The closing of the year was most impressively
soemnized at the Methodist church. The last
service of 1872 was commenced Tuesday night
at O clock, and before 10 o'clock the body of
the church was filled with people of all ages =
After some very sweet singing there was an i'm
pressive sermon by Rev. Mr.. Waugh, and then
commenced the most solemn service we remem-
| Der having witnessed in church. The pastor,
| Rev. Mr.. Kennedy made aseries of brief, eloquent
and sometimes painfully impressive appeals to
those of,the audience who yet sided against God,
to avail themselves of the few remaining moments
of the year to come forward and signal their de-
termination to yield themselves to Him. There
we're three young people who came, one of them
| q young lady who was weeping bitterly. AND