Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-05-31
MEMORIAL UNVEILED
To The Memory of Miss Mary Julia
Baldwin


Baldwin Seminary the past week were
most appropriately inaugurated by
the unwilling of a handsome window
to the honored memory of the founder
of the Seminary, Miss Mary Julia
Baldwin. The ceremony, a most beau
tiful and impressive one, replete with
touching reference to the great educa-
tor, was conducted i'll the chapel of
the Seminary on Friday last before an
appreciative audience. The window is
the gift of the Alumnae Association,
and on this occasion was formally pre-
sented to and accepted by the Semi
nary. At noon the President, Mrs.
Nellie Hotchkiss Mccullough, called
the assemblage to order. after which
Rev. George W. Finley, D. D., chair
man of the Seminary board of direc-
tors, opened the exercises with a most
appropriate prayer. Following was a
poem read by Miss Virginia Lucas, of
Martinsburg, w. Va, gifted writer
and alumna of the Seminary. The
poem was composed by Miss Lucas
for the occasion and is pronounced by
competent critics a most admirable
literary production.
l.
rial was the privilege reserved for
Hon. Joseph A. Waddell, the near
friend and adviser of Miss Baldwin
since the days when her school teach
ing responsibilities began. Amid ad-
miring applause the schools hOnored
patriarch came forward to deliver the
address. In point of literature it was
a production worthy of his able pen.
Its substance was a most interesting
resume of Miss Baldwin's work. of her
life, of her self sacrificing devotion to
the school which she built up and
maintained, winning for it a national
reputation. Many of the audience who
knew Miss Baldwin intimately, learned
for the first time with unmistaken in
terest of her girlhood, of her young
womanhOod, of her mature wisdom
and of her great goodness. Withall
was mingled the narrative of happy
incident, that portrayed as words
could not do the nobility of her char.
acter and lofty aims.
At the close of the address Master
Baldwin barrow, son of Mrs. Mary
Crawford barrow, former honOred
teacher in the Seminary and near
kinswOman of Miss Baldwin, stepped
to the side of the chapel and drew the
cord which unveiled the window. III
it's design the window is in excellent
good taste and as beautiful as it is ar
tistic. 1t is the production of William
Reith, of Philadelphia, designer of
great merit and an artist.
This valued gift was accepted on be-
half of the Seminary by Rev. A. M.
Fraser, D. d., in well timed and happy
remarks. In reality it was an address,
the superior merits of which occasion
ed much remark. In the choice of
language, the beauty of thought, the
originalityand power of description, the
address was delightful and delighting
Had we the room it should be repro
dueed in full. Descriptive of the win
dow be said:
I'VE receive the window as a monu-
ment that will not allow to perish the
memory of our benefactor and friend.
If you will turn with me for a while
and look at the window and study the
details of the design, you will see how
fttingly the ornamental execution of
it makes it serve the purpose of a
memorial.
1.-The pretty device at the top is an
emblem in heraldy. 1t is the coat of
arms of the Baldwin family. 1t was
not by accident that Miss Baldwin was
a rare woman. She was descendant
of that family, honorable in history
and in all of its association, whose I'M
sullied name she bore.
Lower down we see a spray of flow
nv.c off LIE
and lilies on the right. These flowers
are the emblems respectively of the
royal houses of England and France
am told they are put here to perpetu-
ate the information that Miss Bald.
win, like Queen Victoria herself, WAS
a descendant of both Alfred the Great
and William the Norman.
''Lower down still, on the stem of
the torch of knowledge and near it's
base. is the device of a spinning wheel.
That is the official seal of the Daugh-
ters of the American Revolution. Near
ancestors of Miss Baldwin were among
the heroes of that struggle for the in
of America. She felt great
pride in that fact and took a deep in
terest in the Daughters of the Revolu-
ton. For these reasons that official
seal has been given place in the de-
sign. Clear perception, a strong grasp
of facts, lofty purpose, bold enterprise,
daring execution, tlreless energy, puri
ty of heart, honesty of mind, unselfish
benevOlence, exquisite modesty, pro-
found and simple pietY, were some of
the traits she cleaned from all the
generations of her people who had gone
before her on both sides of the house,
and bound them in the single sheaf of
her own character"
Attention was then directed to the
torch of knowledge, a conspicuous
object in the foreground. I'm the Sem
mary Miss Baldwin held the torch of
knowledge in her hand. But she took
little interest in learning that Was not
sanctified- to religion. 1t was there
fore most appropriate that the central
object in the whole window should be
the open bible spread out against the
stem of the torch of knowledge. On
the page is inscribed the words from
the Latin version ''Dominus it lumi-
natio mea," The Lord is my light.
Below this is scroll ON which was
inscribed the name MARY Julia Bald
win" and the date of her birth and
death.
At the bottom of the window are the
words Erected by the Alumnae Asso-
citation" and the year 1901"
Two substantial columns flank the
whole design on the two sides, sugges-
tive of the two pillars on which all
Miss Baldwin g work rests, her charac-
Ter and her intellect.n
A occasional by the vocal class
closed the interesting program, after
which was the benediction by Rev. DR..
Finley.
Death of an Old Highland Resident
NJ. Iono,,l, ID II.xo,. 49, 81 IL