The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-06-01
COMMENCEMENT WEEK
The State Normal and High School
Exercises.

COMMENCEMENT WEEK
5 The State Normal and High School
;. Exercises.
, A Complete Synopsis of Proceedings.
STATE NORMAL.
The exercises of Commencement
Week began on Sunday morning with a
sermon To tho graduating class by Rev.
DIR. G. A. NanAnda, of Minneapolis. The
NJ. +. church, where the services were
held, was crowded To its utmost capaci.
ty. The aisles and all available open
. space were occupied with chairs and
scttccs. The services opened with the
united singing by the choir and large
"All Hail the Power of Jesus Name"
DIR. VanAnda read rs scripture lesson,
the Dist Psalm. and from the 9th chap.
of Mathew from the 2Ith verse to the
close. The text was from Philippians
w., 18th V. Il can do I'LL things through
Christ, which strengthened me" 1t
was Il very mastery presentation of
what constituted success in life, the need
of character, AMI the strength that may
he gained from trials and labor. The
cloqucncc of the speaker, and the occas-
sion, made the address more than ordin-
arily impressive.
Such beginning to commencement
Week is right and proper. To the scri-
GUS work of life into which these young
men and women are So soon Ia 80 IN
earnest word of admonition and counsel
is fitting.
CLOSING EXERCISES az THE MODEL
SCHOOL.
Monday afternoon was Il gala day for
the little folks of the Model school. 1t
was for them not only the last day of
school. but also the time when parents
and friends came To- hear their songs and
recitations. by a:30 the large assembly
room WAS filled Ia its fullest. The par
ents Of the juveniles were out In force,
happy in their children, proud in their
appearance and ANXIOUS us Ia their sue
cess. The exercises opened with "a
greeting by Master Lyle Soaring. In
| a., ..An..l..r.l Stn.I.ln wards Ia.
welcomed the audience and asked their
sympathetic consideration. This was
followed by song If welcome, ave
come, dear friends, To greet you," 10y n
chorus, which was rendered very charm
ingly. Next on the programme came
a recitation by Llewelyn Davis-"Wait-
ing" detailing the troubles of Il boy
with good appetite, compelled to wait
Cor the second table and specializing rs
to his chance for cake. The speaker |
showed deep interest in the sentiments
of his little speech and the sympathies of
the audience were fully with him. The
instrumental solo by Nellie u. Burt next
i'm order was very nicely rendered and
showed much skill and thorough train
ing. Fifth ON the list was Il dialogue
1.-The Gray Swan"-by DaSmar Jorgen-
sen and j. Will Meagher. The young
lady played the part of the old dame
seeking her long lost sailor boy To per
lection and the .jauntS AR and rolling
gait of the sailor laddie could not he
improved. 1t was good piece of act
ing. A song followed on this, "A May
ing We will 60" On the stage by means
A 4. 4 4, -, |
ranged filled with boys and girls, that
looked for all the world like an open
wagon, crowded with jolly crew. The
driver had his hands full managing his
fiery steeds of boys. This was jovial
happy melody OF spring time joys.
Seventh came IIilda Bcchdolt with Il
recitation, "They didn't Think" dcscrib-
ing the fate of a careless mouse, turkey
and robin, who would not be advised by
their elders. This was rendered very
simply, earnestly and naturally. Eighth
on the programme came "The May
Queen
Scene I.-Cr0wning OF Queen, Call or the
flowers, Entrance Of Guard.
Scene 1.-The May pole dance.
Scene III.-Grand March.
Space is wanting to do full credit to
this. The queen enters accompanicdby
her maids of honor and pages, and is
decked with wreath and crowned with
flowers and to her is given q sccptcr,
when she is led to the throne and all
the flowers, one by one, arc called in to
the tune of Little Buttercup' and
cluster about her majesty. The butter
cup, pansy, fOrgctmenot, rose bud, dan
deliOn, sun-ilOwer, may -flowcr, colum-
bine, violet, all represented by little
girls, decked with these flowers, and
bringing them in little baskets, made q
most beautiful spectacle. Then came
i'm the guard of her royal highness In
full splendor and with all the panoply
of war. The singing, the dance about
the May-pole and the grand march was
fine thing to hear and aglOriOus thing |
to see. The clustered mass of youth,
innocence and happiness made deep
impression on all. The recitation of
.JOhn Maydard' by John Morse was the
tale of brave act bravely told. On this
followed trio and chorus sour Noun
tain home" prettily sung. The select
reading "The bald headed man =" by
Mary Coon was indeed well done,
though by some 1t was thought to have
little. personal bearing on the
Squire. The recitation by Frank Herr
mann, "How he saved Saint Michael's,"
showed that the speaker has III him the
germs Of oratOry.
After this came motion song by the
Primaries "'The Farmer. The vim,
interest and enjoyment the young tots
took in their singing was charming to
| witness.
A scene from the courtship of Miles
Standish by Edith Jones as Priscilla
and John Parry as John Alden was next.
The way in which the young Priscilla
said, "Why don't you speak for your
self. John Z" was with bewitching grace
and rogucishness.
This was succeeded by q recitation by
| MAY Fletcher, "Brier Rose" This was
produced with all the force of meaning
and infection that an artist could have
put into it. AS production from Il
little girl of such tender years 1t was
simply phenomenal. The afternoon
concluded with the "Kinder Symphony
and vacation song" In this the whole
stage was filled with host OF little peo-
pie, singing and keeping time with
every imaginable instrument of music
and noise In looking over what is
written supcrlativcs come in over and
over. Ii may DC fault, but we won't