The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1902-06-19

lhehi Ky, MISS BILLINGS.
bers OF society. Features of both the Boston
ana New \ ork settlements were described.
and the work was commended as bene
fitting not only the poor children in whose
interest it is undertaken but also those who
are engaged init.
Miss Margaret Eliza Billings, the class
poet, took for her theme, The Home of the
lmmortals,' and rendered into English,
hexameter Virgil's account of the Journey
across the StyX and his visit to the land
where dWelt all those who had gone before
Miss Billings showed perfect familiarity
with the spirit of the Latin poet and ex-
pressed in vigorous English verse the feel
ing of the voyager as he crossed the dark
! river with the boatman Charon, and later
as he, in succession, on the other side, heard
the wailing of the children. saw the despair
| of the falsely condemned the woes Of those
who left earth through self-destruction, and
| the grief of those consumed by loves hope
less passion, among the latter of whom he
saw the hapleSs Dido. The land of the
warriors of earth was depicted as ID more
ney was passed the pathway to the left
where was seen the river of terrible raging
fire. Then followed the glowing account of
the realm in which the wanderer met in
bliss his aged sire, and after a short inter
view ended his wanderingS.
The next essay on the program was on
"The Ocean Greyhound, by Frank Ryder
heene, but he was excused.
Miss Lena Eames Leavitt dealt with Su-
perstition as hydra, whose serpent heads,
once severed, grow again and continue to
thrive. Superstition rlourisheS more or less
in All countries, and may be recognized in
many forms, although the world seeks to
represent It as fashions and customs. The
unculturetl classes are satisfied with magic,
WitcAcratt and fortune telling, while the
more cultured prefer to take it under some
scientific guise Many people of culture
and refinement place faith in some 'healer,'
While the unlettered believe in such omenS
as seeing the moon over the LETT shoulder
sitting thirteen at table, etc. 1t is not
alone the ignorant lower classes who resort
to fortune tellers, but statesmen and bust
ness men patronize them Many familiar
superstitjons were referred to and compari-
sons made between the beliefs of olden
time and those of TODAY.
Mrs. T. =. Frost sang very sweatly
Arditti's "Magnetic Waltz" and responded
to an encore
Miss Georgie Annie Triggs' subject was
"Gypsies. The advancement Of civiliza-
tion, she said, means the elimination of the
romantic and picturesque, and especially is
this so in the case of the modern American
Gypsies, for while far more intelligent and
trustworthy they have lost much of the
rude character that distinguished their pre-
decessors. The origin of the gypsies has
never been satisfactorily explained, as they
themselves are ignorant on the subject
The first organized bands appeared in
Europe in the fifteenth century. Miss
Trggs cited evidence tending to show both
, Egyptian and East Indian origin. Ii is
only in America, and in the past century,
that the word gypsy has ceased to be
Synonymous with lawlessnesS She de-
scrbed the habits and customs of these
strange people, speaking of Their industry,
and methods of obtaining livelihood
They prefer the religion either of the
Roman or Greek church in some countries
, and in others none at all They alone of all
races and people have no fixed habitation,
but wander to and fro on the earth, and
their picturesque ways lend the finishing
touches to many of natures masterpieces.
The class prophet, Austin Joseph
Fernad, had dream while resting in a
I,,,, ,S,nI-r 3,,- I l.
was transported to many places, in each of
which one or more of his classmates appear
ed in some occupation suggested either by
the preference or special aptitude of the
pupil, or by some event of school life, or
perhaps by traits opposed to those possessed
by the person under discussion. After
pleasant interview with, OF a glimpse of
} each OF his classmates the dreamer suddenly
falls and sees myriads of stars But this is
no dream, for the young ladies of his class,
while out digging gum, cut the hammock
rope, and he was suddenly awakened from
his pleasant visions.
The school chorus now rendered The
Postillion'' by Malloy in manner which
fully confirmed the good impression formed
by their first number, and responded to
hearty encore.
Mr.. Fernald, the class president, then
stepped to the front and said that his class
highly appreciated the gifts of pictures to
the school by the Belfast Improvement
bought by the proceeds of the high school
lecture course, and that the members of 'O2
valued the privilege of resenting to the
school bas-relief of a reproduction of
Thoraldsen's "Alexandrine Procession
The gift was on the platform at the right,
and was viewed and admired by many of
the audience after the close of the exer-
cises.
Principal Howard accepted the gift in be-