Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-06-13
LETTER FEeM san Jose.
Commencement Exercises-The Normal
School Christening.

Commencement Exercises-The Normal
School Christening.
We of San Jose have been inundated
with commencement exercises during the
past two weeks. The reporters of the
several dailies have been living in clover,
so to speak, as they have had stacks of
essays, etc., to draw from, and graduating
wardrobes to discuss, and sweet girl
graduates to lean upon them, until their
reportorial heads seemed fairly bewildered.
One sedate master of the pencil, who is old
enough to know better, says his slumbers
are constantly invaded by visions of trains
not railroad trains, but siken ones-and
curls and dimples and flashing eyes, all
mixed up with roses and violets, and
chopped rainbows, while over the whole
little fat Cupids seem to be pouring the
very best extract of San Diego honey from
crystal jars.
There were the closing exercises of the
Convent of Notre Dame OF the College of
Santa Clara Of the University of the Pa.
cifc, and l don't know how many more.
The Pacific University rather had the adj
vantage in the way of sensations, as it
managed to close its exercises with mar
riage. Wasn't that romantic? Such is
the result of susceptible male and female
hearts being thrown together during their
years of impressibility. They can study
mathematics and love, physiology and
sighs, philosophy and kisses, chemistry and
biilet-6olx, all under the same roof. Then
they clasp hands, and step from the school
room into married life, with about as
much knowledge of its cares and response
bilities iii their poor young noodles as there
is fragance in potato-blossom. What
will be the use of mathematics to the
sweet young bride when the bread
doesn't rise, or the potatoes are
boiled to jelly. Where will
chemistry come in to aid the gallant
groom when his wife visits her mother,
and leaves him to cook his own beefsteak
And how will philosophy assuage their
anxieties when the baby gets wind in its
stomach, and papa walks the floor in chill
ing midnight breeze and an abbreviated
costume, while mamma, with trembling
fingers, drops five drops OF paregoric into
warm teaspoon?
But the grand termination of all these
graduating exercises-the final flourish,
with trumpets, drums and banners-was
given last Thursday, June I'd, when the
thirty-fo graduates of the State Normal
School stepped off the stage of school life
into the world. These exercises possessed
two-fold interest, from the fact that they
were really the christening OF the new
Normal School building. The assembly
hall was literally packed with parents and
friends before o'clock, the hour of com.
mencing Every inch of standing room
was occupied far into the halls, and many
were compelled to go away without even
glance into the favored sanctuary of
beauty and knowledge. About all the
great educational guns were present,
besides many small -bores mo pun
intended). Governor Perkins, Superin-
tendent +. NJ. Campbell and Professor
Allen of the Normal School occupied the
stage with the graduates, and seemed to
inwardly gloat over the misery Of less ia
vored mortals, especially the many hand
some young gentlemen of our city, whose
longing eyes were cast in tkat direction.
And then the flowers Surely San Jose
Justly claims the title OF "Garden City,"
One OF the class-rooms was set apart for
the storing Oh MOWERS INTENDED Tor the
graduates. And such an abundance of
rare children Of fragrance and color it has
never before been my fortune to meet.
Such exquisite designs-baskets, wreaths,
hearts, snd others too numerous to re-
were never surpassed. In
the fower.room encountered 0 "Senator
from Santa Clara, studiously taking items
as to the arrangement of bouquets, and,
doubt not, wishing he were rose.
The class of 81 departed somewhat from
the stereotyped custom, in substituting a |
beautiful banner with the names of the |
members In the place of the traditional |
class-tree. Professor Moore received the |
banner with spirited address tothe class.
In the evening the annual banquet was |
given at the Auzerais House, to the Nor.
nal alumni, at which toasts and sentiments
md general good feeling prevailed. |
San Jose says to Sacramento, "Well, if |
gou are the capital Of the State, and have
;he Legislature, and slickens fights, and
you're another ing each other, we have
he State Normal School, and more pretty
,irls to the square foot than any other city
N this coast" ISGLo.
WHEN exhausted by mental labor take
Kidney Wort. J.