Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-06-30
COMMENCEMENT DAYS.
st. Mary's Academy Salt Lake city.

n fOyagef SAILING out OF port Tor "a
long voyage over the mighty deep is
| filled with emotion as his vessel plows
the main and casts up the bring spray
in its outward, onward course, and
his heart swells to oyerfowing when
the last object, more prominent than
all the rest, fades away on the dim
receding shore.
A feeling akin to this must creep
over the pupils of st. Mary's at the
close Of the scholastic year when they
leave that institution, though it may
be for vacation or it may be forever
for their distant homes.
The NEWS. more than once. has
made favorable mention of the educa-
tional advantages of st. Mary's and
of the noble work being done there by
the self sacrificing and painstaking
Sisters, but it never had the pleasure
of witnessing before such satisfactory
display Of the fruits of that work as
was exhibited during the commence
ment exercises of June 90 and 21st
The scholastic year just closed has
been the most successful in the histo-
nv of the institution and its achieve
ments in the many departments will
live on its brightest pages. Better
and better is the proper legend for
its banner for each returning year has
found it more numerously patronized
and the fruits of its works more salts
factory TO the Sisters, the patrons and
friends. Idaho is looking largely 10
St Mary's for the education of her
daughters from home and the grow
ing numbers that enter her halls from
year TO year bespeak the satisfaction
Of patrons with the training given and
the happy homelikc influences thrown
around their daughters in that train
ing. The year just ended shows a
roster of matriculates from Idaho
with more names than were ever en-
rolled in single proceeding year.
The programme for the commence
ment days which is too elaborate for
our limited space of this issue, was
prepared with the greatest care, and
so arranged as 20 bring the smallest
minim of the school before the pub.
lie as well as the ones wearing gradu.
ating honors. The weather was de-
lightful and altogether propitious for
the time aud occasion and for the
comfort of the vast crowds assembled.
The cooling showers had alnost pleas
ing effect upon the spacious grounds.
and their beauty was much enhanced
by the scores Of merry children col
lected here and there in groups and
making the very air musical with
their Jolly laughter. Long before the
hour of opening exercises the Art
rooms and the rooms of the Needle
work department were filled with Wis.
itors and woods of admiration burst
involuntarily from the lips of all as
they beheld the treasures. the beau
ties and the accomplishments achiey-
ed by the closest application and
painstaking displayed before them
The paintings, the china decorations
and other works of art were simply
superb, while the ornamental needle
work, laces, lace dresses, etc, were
pronounced by lady connoisseurs as
exquisitely beautiful
But the grandcst feature of the en-
tire programme awaited the crowd as
sembled in the auditorium when the
classes in music and elocution were
brought on the stage by the introduc-
tion of over two hundred pupils en-.
tering to Wagner's grand march play
ed on pianos and harps, The musi-
cal treat rs marked out in the pro-
gramme was a gem of the purest ray,
and any attempt at description of the
parts from the solos. the rendition of
difficult selections from Beethoven to
the concert of twenty guitars, five
pianos, two harps, either and violin,
would be as insipid as the attempt
would prove fruitless. The classes in
music and elocution fairly distin-
guished themselves aud their perfor-
mances before the public told of a
training that could not be surpassed
in any female school in the west His
Excellency, Governor West, presented
the medals, prizes and awards and, in
his closing remarks expressed himself
delighted with the exercises and prais-
ed the Sisters for the grand work they
are doing.
II has been said that every rose
has its thorn and the only thorn no.
ticeable in these closing exercises was
the lack of room for the accommoda-
ton of the vast crowd that desired to
be present II would have required
the spacious room of an Opera House
or Exhibition Hall TO have seated all
who were present TO manifest their in.
terest in st. Mary's. The Mother Su-
perior and the good Sisters must feel
proud of the noble work they have