The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-10
THE GRADUATING CLASS
ADDRESS BY REV. I. NJ. GEORGE
or NEWBERN.
A DAY OF VERY INTERESTING EXERCISES
A Bright Day in the History Of the Historic
College and a Most Pleasant Ocea'
sion for Parents Pupils Teach
ers and Friends.


That grand old institution, st. Mary s
school, of Raleigh closed its 5Sth scho-
lastic year yesterday, held its 5Sth com
menccment exercises, and added eleven
talented young women to its already ex-
tended roll of graduates.
1t was fitting, very fitting, that the
mothers. fathers and friends of the
graduating class who had assembled
should be greeted in a salutatory address
by Il charming young granddaughter OF
the founder of the college, Il member
of the graduating class, Miss Sarah
Smcdes Root. of Raleigh. The very
happy and appropriate sentences deli
cately woven by her into Il brief but
touching salutatory, preceding her grad
uating essay, was one of the happleSt
numbers on the days interesting and
highly entertaining programme.
It was alike fitting, that the eXer-
cises of this 18th commencement should
be closed by the awarding of diplomas
and distinctions by so distinguished Il
son of so distinguished sire; the pres
ent rector. Rev. Bennett Smedes, upon
whom has fallen the mantle of the
founder of the school. There were
mothers present, many of them, who
saw class honors and distinctions and
diplomas descend upon their daughters,
who stood upon the very spot upon
which they had stood in years gone by,
and received like honors and distinctions.
There We're even grand mothers who
could recall some summer day long ago,
when they. too, had stepped ont from
the class room and paused just long
enough on this historic rostrum. to be
crowned with class honors-ere they
turned into the paths that led into ma
ture woInanhood, and through the sun
shine and shadows of after years.
Yesterday was IL glad day for the
friends of St. Mary's. 1t was the eli
max to the commencement exercises of
'9S. 1t was the grand finale of an eight
months daily college routine, the
ringing down of tho curtain on one
of the most fruitful and prosperous sess
sions the grand old institution has ever
enjoyed.
/ might insert here the programme of
the delightful exercises and stop, but III
that programme there was rhyme, music,
beauty, logic, eloquence, admonition,
sweetness of voice, of manner of gesture
that the type can never reproduce.
There are lingering echoes around and
about the corridors of the historic hall.
and the beautiful new chapel that will
linger on in spite of the closing of the
shutters and the doors.
There are recollections of song and
essay, sweet reflections of the days en-
tertainment, thoughtful remembrances
of the friendly advice of the beloved
rector, and the kindly utterances in the
f,u nj .la all IN
graduates that will live on, despite the
breaking away of classmate from class
mate of pupil from teacher Of school
from rector And the day will live in the
hearts of all, pupils and teachers and
friends, as one other day in the life Of
St Mary's, over which not Il single
shadow passed.
1t was commencement day. and the
exercises began at II o'clock, and were
opened by the rendition by Miss lois
Holt, of "Wachs," by Mazurka. on
the piano. The following programme,
which filed two hours brim full of in
terest aud pleasure was then rendered.:
PROGRAMME.
Mozskowski Waltz, Misses Eliza Ii.
Simmons and Mary Cornelia Thompson
Salutatory and Essay-Dante Gabriel
Rossetti Poet and Painter-Miss Sarah
Smedes Root.
Kellie douglas Gordon. Mezzo-so-
prano: Miss Louise Pittenger
Essay-The Value of our Chief Period
icals-Miss Josephine Belle Gulley.
Essay-I,wo Great Actors Booth and
Jefferson)- Miss Frances Hawks Cam
eron.
Lack (Tyrolienne)-Miss Mary Sher-
wood Smedes.
Essay-The Earlier English Lyrists-
Miss Sallie Burton Harriss.
,-Schumann (Traunmerei)-Violin Miss
Florence Il. Boylan.
Essay-A Modern American Novelist
Miss Olive J.. Armstrong.
Rubinstein (Barcarolle)-Miss Leila b.
Philips
Essay One of our Chief Singers
Miss Margaret III. Smedes.
Hause-The Night has Thousand
Eyes-Misses Emma Huger and Flor
ence Holt.
Naledictory, and Essay-Four Men
Whom the World Loves Miss Kate Nc
Kimon Hawley.
EXERCISES IN THE CHAPEL.
professional hymn SD.
Reading of the roll of honor.
Address to the Graduates-By the
Rev. T. NJ. George.
Presentation of Diplomas and Distinc.
tions-By the Rector.
Anthem--'Sing, Ye Faithful" (Maun-
DER.
Apostles Greed.
Nersicles-Collects.
Benediction.
Recessional Hymn" Jerusalem. High
Tow'r," dudley Buck.)
GRADUATES.
Miss Olive T.. Armstrong, Miss Jessa
mine NJ Higgs. Miss Frances Ii. Cam
eron. Miss Sarah s. Root. Miss Jose
phne Il. Gulley. Miss Annie l.. Shaw
Miss Sallie r. Harriss. Miss Mary G
Smith. Miss Kate Mex. Hawley, Mis-,
Margaret II. Smedes, Miss Ethel Wor
rel.
There was not a hitch, no delay, no
even an awkward pause. The youne la