Morning journal and courier., 1888-01-06
APLEAsANr OCCASION.

Reunion of the Parepa Rosa Club.
 The members of this once famous singing club, which at the time of it's organization in 1872 numbered sixteen young ladies, held reunion last evening at the house of MT. Malcolm Booth of the High school. Eleven of them came, bringing their sheaves with them, that is to say, the husbands present numbered eleven, and the "olive branches"
 fifteen. The fruit table, which was served | at o'clock, was most inviting sight, there | being present fifteen youngsters varying in | age from three months to eight years, with | their youthful mammas standing near to see l that they observed proper decorum. Regrets | were received from absent members, also an interesting letter from the former pianist of the club, H. Rowe Shelly. The original | president of the club, Prof. B. Jepson, in re- sponge to toast, remarked as follows: My recollections of the Parepa Rosa club
 are among the pleasantest of my life. That was beatifc vision which the drop curtain \ of the New Haven Opera House gradually \ unfolded to a bewildered audience on the night of January 16, 1879. Sixteen angelic l beings arrayed in snow white drapery, six teen pairs of flashing eyes, sixteen pairs of rosy lips smiling in unconscious beauty, six teen pairs of dainty slippers peering out from
 beneath clouds of gauzy tarletan, and still
 more, sixteen sylph like bodies curtseyiug
 with grace and uniformity which was the
 very acme of poetry itself. And then the | sixteen pure melodious voices (how shall I
 describe themD graduated all the way from
 the high c of the first soprani to the low c ! of the second alti.
 ! The debut of the F. R. c. was made mem
 orable not only by the appearance of the l snow white semi-circle within the opera | house. but by the myriads of circles and | of TUh wiknOnk
 be it known that the greatest snow storm of , ! the season prevailed that night and many in ! attendance reached their homes with the ut |, most difficulty.
 ,t The P. R. c. was organized for the practice : of good music and the cultivation of sociality
 among it's members.
 \ It is but just to say that in their aims and |, purposes the club achieved measurable suc- | cess.
 Its brief history of three years included many brilliant concerts, receptions and other public appearances. Its entrance fees were wholly devoted to charitable purposes. It is sad to think, however, that all things mortal, no matter how auspiciously begun,
 must ultimately come to an end.
 It has been the experience of many clubs and societies that after d few years existence
 they find themselves assailed from without | by the cruel shafts of envy, jealousy and evil speaking.
 It was not thus with the assaults on the P. | K, V. : were) were very deadly, and it is now mat ter of history that fifteen arrows were direct- | ed with unerring accuracy by that prince ot
 marksnen commonly known as Cupid. 3 The inherent virtues of the P. R. 0. were ! too numerous to mention, but high over all | one grand characteristic was made conspicu-
 GUS in it's sad demise. Of this noble and self sacrificing principle the juvenile second
 edition of P R. O. served at the first table | this afternoon afforded convincing and mani l fold proof.
 The F. R. O. died that others might live.
 It is a subject for hearty congratulations a l that of the sixteen original members none Q have died; also that eleven of the number
 are present tonight, and but for distance and I other unavoidable circumstances the other , five would also have been present. ! It is matter of personal astonishment as | well as reorganization when I think that these matronly women were but yesterday . as it seems, children under my own instruc-
 tion. I can only hope they make as good i teachers as they were formerly pupils them ! selves.
 To the gentlemen present who from tho f dark directed those poisonous missiles whicE
 ! extinguished my beautiful Parepas I car i. l only say, in the light of the present, for , give you.
 . In conclusion permit me to offer as sen a timent:
 . The wives of the Parepa Rosa club, togeth
 CT with the partners of their choice, may
 their lives be prosperous and happy, and may
 each and everyone in due season be enabled
 to organize in their own home 8 semi-circlt
 | which for the variety and excellence of iti j. music shall surpass the parent club. B Among the number present were MT. anc a Mrs. Malcolm Booth and two children, MT a and Mrs. Fl. H. Presten, Mir. and Mrs. Arthur " Mix and one child. MT. and Mrs. E. Dicker man and two children, Mr. and Mrs. Franl }, Frisbie and one child, Mir. and Mrs. H. Chat s field and three children, MT. and Mrs. E
 Beach and child, Mir. and Mrs. w s Crampton and two children, MT. and Mrs. R g Nichols and two children, MT. and Mrs. Ed T ward filling and one child, Mrs. Edward s Perry and MT. and Mrs. Arthur Griggs ant . one child.