The Portland daily press., 1898-06-28
HARVARD COLLEGE
To the Editor of the Press:

40 tNe E0tt0T o. tne fTeSS:
Harvard College, June "a, 1893.
If with all the crush of war news you
TO tanner but yet.to some of us an inter
esting subject, l should like to make my
closing letter to you brief account of
class week and class day.
Last Sunday not fewer than $50 seniors
in caps and gowns marched by couples
into Appleton chapel to hear the bacca-
laureate sermon by Rev. Henry Vandyke
of New York city. The speaker made
forcible, eloquent appeal to the '9S men.
Jesuss words. eye are the salt of the
earth" are directly applicable to the
graduate. These words were not uttered
as compliment to the. disciples but as
plain statement Of what the disciples
stood for in the world. Salt is under.
stood to cleanse, to purify, and to pre-
serve. Such was the duty of the disciples
! and such is the duty of the college man.
Good salt is aggressive piercing, pene-
trating. 1t permeates and gives flavor to
the world. Aggressive, piercing and
1
by the college sman. With his mental,
moral and religious training he shou Id
mix with the world aud try to make the
world better.
During the week the same uncouth slab
fences have been springing up, from
building to building until now the q uad-
rangle formed by the Eyard dormitories
and that part of the yard between Thayer,
Sever. Gore and University halls. are
securely barred against the public. Ever
greens transform the rough enclosures
into hedges not only presentable but even
picturesque. The enclosed bit between
Holden chapel, Hollis and Harvard halls
is not the scene of the tree exercises this
year. This celebration has been trans
ferred to Mem orial and will henceforth
take place about the John Harvard statue
on the triangular lawn known as the
| Memorial delta. I shall speak of the ex-
| eroises further on.
| Thursday was a day of Importance. In
| the first place it marked the end of the
| final exams. The dreadful period of
| uncertainty was at least over come from
| it good or bad. Then came the depress-
| ing news from the crew. There was no
time to grieve however. Sorrow was
| drowned in anticipation, and the gods
| soon showed themselves propitious. Thurs
day evening saw almost universal happi-
| ness, for had not the Yale-Haryard strug-
gle for base ball honors gone the right
way?
| Let me pass with but brief mention
of the joys of the seniors promenade in
Memorial. Long lines of carriages, lights
music, dancing, silk skirts, and gay
faces. 1t is the same old brilliant thing
that keeps the senior ON the Jump till
midnight when he ought to be preparing
| for the morrow-in bed.
BY nine O'Clock this morning the SEN
| ior class had assembled before Holworthy
and were on the march to Sanders thea
| tire, where graduating exercises are held.
meanwhile caterers, furniture movers,
| and others slip in and out of the dorni
tories with their preparations for the
| spreads of the afternoon and evening.
Already gaily plurned hats and gowns,
| clapboarded with yellow, pink or crimson
ruffles announce that the class day young
lady is here. At times, too, cap and
gown scurries across the yard and is gone
heaven knows where. Again.we see some
| senior who Is taking shis little party of
two OF three to place sof safety. He
mops his forehead, tries to say ssomething
| and wears .some sort of smile. Perhaps
he thinks he is happy. Such happiness
may sometime be yours, but you feel in
| no hurry for it.
After O'Clock the visitors begin to
| throng the yard. The crowd increases by
2 and O'Clock, till at the suffocation
| limit has been reached. One feels as if
| the big elms shouldlbe removed to give a
| chance for more air Stand If you will at
| window above the heads. Round and
| round beneath ssthe eyes nothing but a
Kaleidoscope change of color, a sort of
huge brilliant chemical reaction first
with green, then white, then crimson till
| the eye aches with the surging panorama
and the senses fairly turn with the end
| less whirl below.
About five o'clock the classes assembled
| in the yard and marched to the Memorial
delta. The statue exercises proved in
every way welcome substitute for the
tree. The rough barharous scrimmaee was
eliminated. The wreath of flowers which
| was fought for about the tree, now rested
| at the feet of John Harvard and was
borne away by the seniorsiat the close of
| the exercises. The classes cheered the
graduates, the graduates the classes. each
class cheered itself and all the rest. and
graduates cheered President Eliot. Dean
| Briggs, Prof. Shaler, Mr.. Lehmann. not
forgetting cheer for the fair visitors.
AS soon as 1t is dark enough to light
| the lanterns, the poor tired senior who
may be has been lucky enough to get an
hour or two of rest must again spring to
| the post of duty. Perhaps this is to dance
IN the breathless jam of Memorial or the
gym. The man of exceptional physique