The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-06-24


mex esiris-The Last Waltz.
Olass Day at Harvard is always an event of
more or less Importance. With the people
who have sons, brothers, or sweethearts at
Harvard it is looked forward to with immense
interest of course; and there is another class
the society class, who have not asd too far
away for their summering, who make great ac-
count OF class day, for it is the last chance to
plume and preen their fine feathers, to meet
the notable strangers "from Maine to Califor-
MIA" who have como to assist at the departing
festivities of their boys. The festivities OF yes.
terday were in nowiss behind those of any pre-
ceding year. 10 some respects they we're more
brilliant. The weather was perfect. After q
succession of fisry days and gaspingly hot
nights, the east wind came in on Friday morn
ing to make everything delightful. However
much we may rail against this easterly brsezs
IN winter and spring, 10 the heart Of summer
1t is whole salvation army to us.
To contrast the simplicties OF the "class
day" OF ten or fifteen years ago with that of
this year, is like looking back into Arcadian
life. Then everybody seemed to know every
body. 1t was comparatively rural feast With
l
seems to have gone into the country-for we
must always call Cambridge the oouutry-and
turned the country out for thu nonce. The
class exercises were in Sanders Theatre, and
at the old hour, $780, The class of "a marched
TO the chapel, whore DR.. Peabody offered q
prayer. From the chapel they formed into
line again and proceeded to the theatre. A
big audience awaited them and such futtering
feathers and ribbons and fans! As they came
| in, to the baud music, two by two, the first
marshal, T.. Jefferson Coolidge, who is de-
scendant of the third President OF the United
States, escorting DR.. Peabody, there was a
murmur of recognition that was like happy
| chorus to the music. Then after another of
the good DIR. Peabody's prayers, the chief mar
shall introduced the orator of 'S4, William
Wallace Fem. After the grafton came Lewis
Edward Gates, the class poet, then Mr. John
Jay Chapman gave his ivy grafton, which was
full OF the "quips and quirks' of fun and hu-
NOR usual ID that class of GRAFTON. 1t was past
one when the singing of the ode, written for
the occasion BY another OF the boys, Mr.. Mum.
ford, was sung. After this the companV
poured out OF this theatre, aud scattered about,
| some to private spreads, and great number to
the gymnasium, where the marshals, Coolidge,
Goodwin, Wesselhoeft, and Wyeth, Osborne,
Mamford, Curtis, Abbott and Chapman gave
united spread, which was said to be one of
the most elaborate ever given at Harvard
The great and famous Hssty Padding club
spread was, however, the biggest. This was In
Sever Hall, where there was ample space for
dancing, and out Of which, in the open recita.
ton rooms, the friends and acquaintance could
look and linger at their quiet ease In the
college yard the Boston Cadet band PLAYED
their sweetest strains through the afternoon.
aud a little before five o'clock an enormous
mass of people gathered about the amphithea-
tire built around the tree. Tier over tier rose
the scafolding of benches twelve rows high.
These were completely filed, mostly by ladies'
and at little distance looked like NAM
moth bouquet of summer flowers. The tree
| was in the quadrangle formed by the Harvard,
Holden and Hollis buildings. 1t was in the
spaces between that the benches were placed.
In the open grass plot which was centre of
interest there we're juniors, sophomores and
| freshmen, aud graduates to the number OF
| eleven hundred in all. At half past five the
| fun Slogan by the approach of the seniors,
headed by the band. They fled into the GEN.
tire of the hollow square, which had been sud-
| denly vacated By the crowd of students, who
seated themselves on the turf beyond, and
forming in circles around the grand old
elm tree sang thsr class song. The band ac-
companied them, and seemed to think they too
were graduating class by the vim with
which they sounded their cymbals and banged
their drums. Then Jefferson Coolidge started
the cheering. Tho deafsning roar from the
lusty young Threats continued until they had
taken in DR.. Peabody and ended up with
Jones the bell-ringer aud Johnny the orange
man.
After this bout of cheering the marshals ar
ranged their men for the rush and fury OF the
scramble for the wreath OF flowers nailed to
the tree above their heads. In the old-time
way they went at it helter-skeltsr, pell-mell
at the last until the last cluster was torn down.
Girls laughed and clapped their hands, and
presently took from these conquerors the bud
and blossom, leaf or spray, that it had been
such hot work, spite Of the east wind, to get.
"All nonsense" says Mr.. Gradgrlnd, who
hears Of or reads Of this seramble-"an silly
nonsense fit only for ten-year-old children"
Up on one of the high benches overlooking the
o~O-AS oAeo
pared as he entered to turn up his nose, aud
utter MS ''all nonsenss" But the breeze blows
over the great campus, there is a scent OF
sweet hay fields, of clover aud june roses
there is a sound of boy voices ringing down
with the Sc breezes from thirty forty years ago,
and this Mr.. Gradgrind finds himself shouting
with these gay scramhlers and laughing sym.
pathetically until there are tears in his frosty
old eyes that for the tims quite wash away
State street and its troubles
When twilight came, there came with it the
prettest of all the spreads, the twilight teas,
in the grounds Of some old estates near by. Col
| ored lanterns swung here and there, music
ioAted mp 10 song and chorus, and by and By
rockets andsRoman candles brought in the
fireworks. "Eighty-four" presently shone forth
In illuminating splendor by the gas Jets; and
at little before ten the glee club started; then
the dancing set in with that staying vigor
| which only comes with the later hours Me-
mortal dining-hall and the gymnasium were
the centres of this gliety. They were made
into bowers Of beauty by ferns and flowers and
plants, and bunting, and long after Mr.. Grad
| grind has gone home with those cooling tears
In his eyes, the sisters and sweethearts of
| Elghty-Four," and Eighty-Four's fellow stu
denss were flying on light feet down the
chalked floors to the sound of-"fiute, violin,
bassoon." And with the strains Of the waltzss
in her ears the few fair girl annex students 20
home and dream Of the great day coming
when her graduation-day shall be as fall Of
pomp and ceremony. when her class shall be as
full OF girl-membership. She can hope and
prophesy anything now that the Massachusetts
Medical Society has opened its doors to her
sex. But just for the moment while she is DER
haps catching her breath after that last waltz,
she will not be likely to concern herself much
about remote possibilities of hard work, for
just for the moment it is good enough to be
young, though "only GIRL" when az girl
she is wearing the fiowery trophies of these
scrambling conqusrors, and leading these con-
qusrors themselves in chains that jingle to the
music of Tanner and Strauss.
| NORA PERRY.
GENERAL NEWS.
The grass crop, which promised we'll in the early
spring is reported total failure in many places In