The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-25
HONORS WELL WON
DIPLOMAS AND AWARDS OF ST.
VINCENT'S ACADEMY.
CLASS DAY EXERCISES
CHARMINGLY GIVEN AT THE SA-
VANNAH THEATER.

Last Night from Hands of Bishop
Kelley in Presence of Large As
sembIage-MaEy Prizes and HOnOrs
Given-The stage Was Exquisitely
Decorated, Confederate COIOrs and
Flags PredOminating-EXer
Brought to Mind the Days of
..Sixty-One'-Vcteran Present by
Invitation.
Class day exercises in a form most
interesting and attractive were held
last evening at the theater by the
graduates of st. Vincent's Academy,
and the. house, in spite of the heavy
rain, was crowded from the entrance
to the stage with an audience that was
thoroughly entertained and delighted.
A portion of the gallery was set apart
for the younger pupils of the school,
who in their white frocks and ribbons,
side by side with their kind Mistresses,
made charming picture.
At the right of the stage the boxes
were reserved for the clergy, many of
whom were present, the central figure
being the Bishop, who, with Father
occupied the outer box. The Confed-
crate Veterans, to whom special in
vitation had been extended, occupied,
for the most part, the front seats in
the orchestra, although here and there
through the house and in the boxes oc-
casional grey-coated figures were to
be seen.
Another especially honored visitor
was Mrs. P. H. Rice of Augusta, who
is a graduate of the Academy and pres
ident of the Alumnae Association. Mrs.
L. w. Dupont, whose interest in Con-
federate matters is we'll known, occu-
pied one of the boxes with Miss Annie
B. Bell and Miss GeneVieVe Heffernan,
AS the curtain rose on the opening
chorus, which was sung to orchestral
accompaniment, the scene revealed was
a very lovely one. A high open arch
at the rear of the stage enclosed a
smaller arch in perspective, and both
of these were draped artistically with
red and white bunting caught into reg
ular garlandS. In the background was
dais on which were many beautiful
palms, and from their midst rose four
banners of the Confederacy stacked to-
gether. Larger palms filled in the
to the wings. The walls were draped
with Confederate flags, and at the left
hung a tattered banner that told it's
own story.
Under Bright Canopy.
Under this bright canopy, and amid
| a happy arrangement of color, pretty
in itself and full of suggestive memo
ries to q Southern audience stood the
! girls in their fresh and simple white
dresses with bows of white ribbon in
| their hair.
A little to the front were the grad
| yates, Miss Mary Roe Nugent, Miss
| Margaret Theresa Barrett Miss Mary
| Patricia Jordan, Miss Louise Marie
4 Logan and Miss Camille Adeline Bar
nett Each was gowned in white, wear
| ing the class colors, blue and white,
| in a knot of ribbons at the left Shout
| der. Each carried an armful of white
roses, the class flower, tied with blue
| ribbons.
Miss Barrett read the salutatory in
a clear voice, that made her cordial
welcome easily heard in all parts of
the house. Under the suggestive cap
| ton of Glass Echoes" three charming
bits of verse, retrospective and pros
pective, were given by Miss Logan,
Miss Jordan and Miss Barnett, and,
just before the closing chorus was
sung Miss Nugent delivered her valedic-
tory, a thoughtful and earnest adj
| dress.
The novelty and charm of the vari-
| Gus numbers on the programme WaS
early indicated by pantomime, repre-
| centing the Last Rose of Summer"
The familiar song was most sweatly
rendered by several feminine voices, the
singers being invisible, and at the same
time the young girls of the senior
| classes, each holding "a pink rose, in
| f6Fnr6tl6 M 10 in
a succession of graceful poses and ges-
| lures.
An Artistic Treat.
This pretty pantomime, pleasing as
| it was, was but an introduction to one
more beautiful and to which the an
| ticipation of the audience had been d.
| rected by the decorations, the recita-
ton of THE Conquered Banner" The
| idea was conceived in so fine an artis-
tic sense and so perfectly executed
that, while it might be possible to de-
| scribe it, it would be difficult to con-
vey an adequate impression of it's
singular beauty. Each girl bore on her
arm the banner of the Lost Cause. and
followed with graceful movements.
! that interpreted their meaning better.
the familiar and dear words of Father
Ryan's exquisite poem. Miss Gertrude
| Lyons, in the center, recited the poem
with a depth of feeling that touched
| every heart, and there were many wet
eyes in the audience. Encores were so
hearty and prolonged that the last
stanza was repeated in response to the
applause.
AS is always the case in st. Vim
cents exercises, the musical numbers.
both instrumental and vocal. were ali
tine. The only solo was played by Miss
! Camille Barnett, who gave Chonin's
'Polonaise Militaire" with much taste
and skill Prof Wiegand and an orr
chestra accompanied all the numbers
After the award of honors and the
crowning of the graduates, Bishon
Kelley, in his happiest vein, gave a
brief and informal talk, trimming
with fun, to which he generously Adj.
mitted the audience as we'll as his old
friends the graduates. with a few
words of sound wisdom for the latter
In closing he referred TO the patriotic
| portion of the exercises, and said that
| 1t had suggested to him a parting wish
| Tor those who were about to leave the
/ sheltering Convent walls-fhat tha,,
might model their lives after those no,
bic Southern women who had loved ana
suffered and bravely lived from '6i 10
/ '65. Va :"
List of Awards.
The list Of awards was read by Mr.
Arthur j. OHara. II was as follows:
The highest honors of 81. Vinvent's
! Academy were conferred upon the
class OF 1903. for having successfully
completed the prescribed course.
Diploma and The Becker gold