Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-06-04
THE COLLEGE cOMMENOEMENTs.

THE COLLEGE COMMANDMENTS.
COMMENCEMENT AT THE VIRGINIA FE-
MALE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. L EXHIB-
TIONS-FINE MUsIC-THE PRIZES
CLOSING EXERCISES,
&c, &c, &c.
The Commandments are commenced,
land this sentence, eng written. shall
stand in defiance Of Grant White or Prof
essor Dimitry or any other man and that
at the Virginia Female Institute was one
OF unusual elegance. The visitor, Tuesday
evening, who wasn't in rush to get into
the exhibition hall, could spend an hour
pleasantly in looking over the beautiful
parterre of the Institute with its white
walks and green lawns, in which there are
two fountains crowned with statues, pre-
senting a beautiful picture; but hardly
more charming than the elegant parlors
iii which are more fountains, almost
smothered in flowers and surrounded with
bouquets in the shadow of which gold fish
reflect the glitter of the gas lights, darting
about i'll the sparkling water. Going
across the street to Mozart Institute which
contains the exhibition hall the visitor
found the room densely packed and ladies
| perched on chairs in the hall leading to it,
1t was sight that taught IL high moral
| lesson for it showed suffering female
humanity that Providence has so OF
dained it, that the woman who will not
come early must suffer for it, and the girl
who stays late at home and will run back
| to ask Mary Jane if her collar is straight
| for the third time, must pay the penalty.
| The Principals, Rev. r. H. Phillips and
Miss NJ. A. Burr had systematizcd the
commencement so as to give each night
for q different entertainment and Tuesday
night was solely for tableaux and dialo-
CUES.
TUESDAY NIGHT.
| The curtain rose on the French play of
''The Cat being away, the Mice will Play
| with that perfect little comedienne, Daisy
| Gordon, as one of the school girls. The
/ acting WAS all good and the French excel
lent. One young lady Miss Lulle Wead, eli
cited the highest compliment from d
| French lady in the audience, that it was
Partisan French. The "dialogue'' of
'School for Daughters, I" n English, though
four acts long, was carried well, from first
to laSt-one character, performed by Miss
Ida Ewing, being astonishingly we'll done.
1t would be hard to pass such a conbina-
ton OF good points in SO youthful IL per-
former without a good word-a perfect
| =, hoo iF,,1 Of
intellectual face, a close adherence to the
text, and an intelligent and thoroughly
spirited rendering of its meaning. and
just enough of feeling in the points re-
quiring pathos of tone and look, without
overriding it, all combined to make her
acting model of dramatic elocution
The tableaux included "Tbe Light of the
Harem, " 1.-THE Passions" al Penseroso,''
and " L'Allegro," and g The Sculptor's
Dream" of which all were fine and the
last superb. In it the representa- ions of
statuary were exquisite, and one figure
that OF q lovely girl Miss Lettie Robinson)
| cllnging to a cross, was something long to
| be remembered.
In both the plays and tableaux, The stage
setting and drapery was OF the highest
! elegance. Prof Richard, who painted and
arranged the scenery in all, deserves the
| highest praise. The dance of the peasants
in the "School for Daughters" with their
blue and pink banners, so carried away the.
audience that all encore was loudly de-
manded, but not given
MUSIC NIGHT.
On Wednesday night, which had been
| set apart for musical exercises, there was.
| a most appreciative audience present, in
GLIDING a number of pupils from the other
schools. The concert opened with the
overture from Fidelio, which is considered
very difficult and which was done in eX-
| ceedingly fine style with four pianos. a
| piano solo, Halevy's concerto, sc. Minor
was given by Miss Ida NJ. Ewing, who was
frightened into skipping few notes in the
first part but did the second part we'll and
played the last part with a brillianey of
expression which was worthy of the high
est praise. The same young lady sang the
duet ''Whither" with Miss Alice Polk
which was only fairly done. The "Vom
Fels Zum Meer'' of Liszt and the overture
to Isl "DETAILS Roi," ON four pianos 10y
several young ladies, were only tolerably
executed, it being the first appearance OF
most of the performers before an audience.
and they being afflicted with that terror of
grown people, as well as of children knowfa
as stage fright" But that was not the
case with some smaller performers-little
children don't appreciate the gravity of the.
situation so readily. and they went through
Meyers Galop Militaire very cleverly ia
deed. Miss Darlington Loving sung the.
aria ''He comes; he smiles,' very finely as;
far as the last part was concerned, bat I'M
the first and very slow movement she didI
not give vlgor enough. Her voice is Of
excellent quality. Miss Lizzie Fairfax
sung ''L'Ardita" very sweetly, correctly.
and with considerable spirit. In speaking
of these performances we judge them by
the high standard in music which the Viz
ginia Female Institute has adopted. and
from which it tolerates no falling Off.
A girl might play or sing piece which
would carry parlor by storm, but when
she comes to try it under the supervision
and by the standard of this Institute She
may, and ten chances to one will, ba held
to merciless account for shortcomings
CLOSING DAY.
Yesterday morning, at 10 O'Clock the
closing exercises of the school commenced.
and included very handsome salulateGy
by the retiring editress of the ssssoiree, -
Miss Maggie Q. Dunovant, and a va