The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-07-10
The Makawao Female Seminary.
MArlwAo, EAST MAUI, june 18th, Il

WAY AWAo, last MAUI, June Zotn1 1910.
Mr.. L--ca-DEAR SIR AS requested, I will
try TO furnish a shor. account Of yesterdays exam
ination at the Makawao Female Seminary.
T. The exercises began at $50 A. 81 and continued
till 1 p. M, conducted by Miss II. E.. Carpenter. the
Principal, with occasionally an elementary class ex-
hibited by assistant pupils.
A large audience was present, filling the spacious
school-room. A full representation Of the foreign
residents Of the region we're there, besides many
from ether paris.
We we're prepared b. report Of former exaniina-
tons, to expect q day Of rare interest; but those Of
US who had not before enjoyed the privilege of wit
Messing them, had no proper anticipation either Of
the perfect thoroughness Of the work shown, or Of
the delightful entertainment it was made TO the
audience.
The latter element was largely due to the songs
and short oral recitations abundantly interpreted.
The singing was sweet. from well-trained voices,
generally accompanied by the fine parlOr organ under
the hands Of scholars, and occasionally those Of Miss
Lottie Alexander. Among the pieces that seemed to
the writer peculiarly well chosen and rendered, we're
some that seemed to answer to names like " Golden
HAIR - " Suwanee River Ito other words) Buy
my Flowers /" Children let us walk with Jesus;''
anthem, Let US Make q Joyful Noise"
The pieces for recitation were generally delivered
with a peculiar clearness of enuuciation, which was
very remarkable in Hawaiian girls. few Of whom
had known airy English three or four years ago.
Still more remarkable in several was the correct, full
emphasis and the impressiveness Of delivery which
showed q thorough comprehension Of the sense and
entering into the spirit of their pieces, such as
teachers seldom succeed in leading their scholars irto
These pieces seemed to have been selected with
rare adaptation; short, often with humorousness,
aIuava decnroua oiavafad and ulnasanriv inefrucfivo
I have noted some supposed titles; Patience and
joshua "Mabel's Dream Each and Every
Day" Not Strange that Maids will wed - {" Reaper,
whose name was Death "Treacherous Seas
IS Some Lessons l Have TO Learn /" Barbara Freit-
chic was read. The manner Of the girls was ex-
c%ellent, suggesting a growing dignity Of character
and subsection to a winning moral discipline.
The studies exhibited were more nearly perfect II
don't mean TO write extravsgautly) than at 0ny
other examination 1 have ever attended, with very
few exceptions, If any. OF course there we're classes
of beginners who showed how hard they found il 10
climb the hill Of science. But all the higher classes
showed q precision. thoroughness and extent Of
attainment that made us older people envy the youth
of these days. What they did not know Of geography
could very well be dispensed with. In grammar
they wound through the mazes Of Transporting and
a~nalyzing sentences, defining terms and relations,
constructing anu passing sentences tnat was ASTON
ishing to learners Of Murray and IngersolL
Bot in arithmetic, especially Mental, was the tour
de force. How those girls ever learned 20 thread
their way through such labyrinths Of perfect logical
demonstration of the most intricate combinations Of
fractions, coming out TO successful and complete con-
illusions, where our memories failed to carry us
through; how they attained such ready skill in COM
pick processes Of interest and reduction as were
shown on the black-bo6rds, all that was a mystery
Of success.
One Of the most satisfactory exercises as Demon
strating genuinely high attainment in knowledge Of
the English language was one in reading. The
article read was entitled" Visiting in China. -.
The method Of examination proved e peculiarly
thorough knowledge Of the shades Of meaning Of
in Hawaiians.
One of the last exercises was " spelling down " BY
the whole school. The teacher gave easy words TO
beginners; but as more and more gradually fell out
of the ranks, the hard words came faster. until
when only eight or so Of the veterans remained, the
hardest words were propounded with O mereiless
rspidity. The last to fall were Miss Snifen and one
Miss Halsted, the elder Miss Hslsted Of Wailuku,
claiming the palm. We all felt that we should have
stood little chance with these accomplished Web
sterians.
A Bible exercise was the last. IN the form Of
answers by the school to catechetical questions, with
texts Of scripture in explanation and support. The
answers were prompt and clear, aud the texts always
the right ones. But what an immense amount Of