The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1901-07-26
REMARKABLE SCHOOL.
Something About the Work at the
American College for Girls at
Constantinop!e.

The American College for Girls at
Constantinople holds it's charter from the
commonwealth of Massachusetts,, and is
the only institution in the Orient which
provides COLLEGIATE education for girls
Its students are OF many nationallties,
each with its own vernacular, but
English is the academic language in
which the examinations must be taken
which secure the diploma of the college.
The president, Mary Mills Patrick, Fh.
D., has command Of SIX languages, and
adds to her duties Of president, profess
sor of philosophy, psychology and ethics.
The faculty is composed Of American
women of tine education. Tutors of
various natiOnalities are employed in the
language courses. A fine musical depart
ment is sustained under the direction of
Paul Lange. The alumni association
each year makes a contribution to it's
alma mater, and is raising an endow-
ment fund. A concert given by them in
The United States consul--general,
Charles NJ. Dickson, has proved his in
terest in the college by giving $1,000 to
this fund.
The following interesting article, writ
ten by Miss g.. Grifhths, one Of the pro-
land:
Pupils of Many Faiths.
The American College for Girls at Con-
paratory department, 100 students, about
half of whom board in the college. Many
of the boarders are from such distant
points as Mecca and Athens. Trebizond
in the interior. Phillipopolis and Sophia
in Bulgaria and Batoum and Tiflis in
Russia, although large proportion come
from the Bosphorus villages which form
| no
school is made up Of many different ele-
ments. Many Of the girls are Armeni-
! ans, most of whom belong to the Arme
MAN or Gregorian church; large num-
Der are Greeks of orthodox faith; an
equal number are Bulgarians, belongin
to their branch Of the Eastern church,
and smaller number are "Franks," as
Europeans are still called here, of whom
are some French Catholics, some Ger
mans, English, Hungarians and Ameri-
cans representing the Western Protest
! ant church; a few girls are Hebrews, rep
resenting Judaism, and few are Turks,
representing Mohammedanism. Proba-
bly, nowhere else than in Constantinople
could one find an institution made up of
such diverse religions, and thus it seems
to me that the principles of religious in
| struction worked out here must have q
high significance.
Week" Day Services.
While an enumeration of the special re-
!lglous service of any community gives
but little idea, perhaps, of it's real relig-
ious life, still certain estimate may be
made from knowledge Of even this for
NAL expression Of that life. Each day
the college inmates gather in Barton hall
for evening and morning prayer The
chapel exercises conducted each morning
by DIR. Patrick, president of the college,
| consist Of chant by the choir. a reading
from the Bible, often. with some we'll
| chosen remarks; prayer. closed by the
chanting of the Lords Prayer, and a
hymn. in which all join. The girls of
the college remain at the close of the
| service, and this is Miss Patrick's time
| for intimate little talks with them about
matters pertaining to college life and
spirit as we'll as more personal matters.
The chapel exercises in the evening are
conducted by the professors in rotation
a week at time and are rather simpler
than the morning service. The eighty or
are divided up more or less by classes
into six groups for their Sunday Bible
work. These classes meet Sunday morn
ings, and are conducted by the profess
ors. We find the girls religiously in
clined: and quite willing to discuss the
ethical questions raised.
Sunday School Work.
When Miss Fenshaw, the dean of the
college, who is now completing her theo-
logical course in Chicago, is at home. a
| systematic course of weekday Rihle
! study is pursued. Thus the Sunday Work
answers very largely to the ordinary SIM
day school work in America. although #
differs, in that each teacher chooses the
| line of lessons which seems best adant-
| ed to her class. At 11:3O each SUNDAY
! the whole resident body of teachers and
students assemblies in Barton hall for the
church service Of the week, which, con
Quoted by different ministers in the city,
offers us good music for our choir for
| girls, and usually really excellent ser
mon: There is in the college a student
Christian association organized much as
| a Christian Ende2vor society is at home.
The pledge required Of the members is
| similar to the Christian Bndeayor pledge
The lookout committee invites a Girl TO
become member when in their opinion
she is showing by ner daily life that she
has an earnest desire to do right. This
prevents many Of the younger girls from
| joining for a trivial purpose. Such an
arrangement is necessary among q people
whose ideas Of religion lean toward the
esthetic rather than the practical. Sum
day evenings the Christian association
=