The Irish standard., 1908-06-20
II ST. GATHERINGS
a Number Of Excellent Papers
by the Graduates.
Diplomas and Medals Awarded
. by Very Rev. DR.. HI ffron.

The graduates of st. GATHERINGS
college presented their class play June
l2th, in the Aula Maxima of st. Paul
seminary and the commencement ex-
gsgcises were held the next morning in
the library hall of the college.
The class play, Palms." sacred
drama in five acts, represented the life
of the Christians in ancient Rome dur
4 Ing. the Prosecutions. Despite the rainy
weather, the hall was crowded to toe
doors with loyal friends who were we'll
repaid for their loyalty. For the score
or more Of the young ladies who pre-
4ented the play brought back in very
truth the spirit Of that ancient stormy
time. There was the rigidly obedient
Roman soldier and the naughty en-
peror. sullen, cruel, pitiless: the saw
age hatred Of the pagan world for
Christ and His followers, and the con-
tempt Of the cynical philosopher, toe
indifferent to hate. All the pomp and
pride, the heartless cruelty and the
cold despair Of pagan Rome were will
portrayed. Indeed it was this cold, uu-
personal subservience to the State. SO
faithfully interpreted by the actors.
which gave the drama at times an air
OF monotony and sameness in the
voices and actions Of the characters
IN the pleasant garden Of Nemesius
they still stood In awe Of the all-pow-
erful all-pitiless State.
! But there was independence, too.
and sweetness and love and joy. Clau-
dia, the blind daughter of Nemesius.
is a beautiful character creation. aud
her playful tender innocence, her joy ON
miraculously receiving her sight. her
gratitude to Christ, the great Healer.
the rapturous love with which she con-
fessed her new found faith and went
with her father to embrace martyrdom.
gil this was interpreted by Miss 1sa-
bella Donnelly with unusual sympa-
thy and rare skill. Nemesius, father
Of Claudia. and commander Of the I'M
perial Legion, was another character
In which the tender love Of the parent
and stern loyalty to duty and to con-
science, were admirably portrayed by
Caecilius. with his polished urbanity,
his sceptical philosophy and generous
devotion to his friend was well brought
out In the acting of Charlotte Wunsch.
Agnes Mason as Symphronius, Edna
Burch as Zilla and Mary Gleason as
the Princess Viva, added much to tile
life and movement of the play. The
passion Of Laodice was portrayed with
energy and understanding by Margaret
f.. Kane of Minneapolis and Mary Jen-
nings assumed the impassive mein of
the Roman soldier very skilfully. But,
indeed, every one Of the actors showed
careful training and an appreciative
understanding of her role. Altogether
this sacred drama. as presented by
these young ladies. brought back as
nothing else could the heroic spirit Of
the age Of martyrdom.
The closing exercises were complet-
ed on the morning of June IL. Rev. G.
a. Arctander preached the baccalau.
reate sermon in the college chapel. lat
or, at 10:30 o'clock, as the strains Of
Mendelssohn's Cornelius" began, the
graduates marched slowly in single file
from the office. and entered the large
library hall which was crowded with
relatives and friends. There were
twenty-one young ladies dressed in
white. Each carried on her left arm
clustering mass of pink roses from
which were draped festoons of pink
ribbon dotted here and there with
blossom Of sweet peas. After they had
taken their places and the music had
ceased the graduates delivered their
addresses and then the diplomas ard
medals were awarded by Very Rev. Dr.
Iieffron.
There We're four papers by the grad
yates and one notable feature was the
profusion of poetry in them all. Both
salutatory and valedictory were in thu.
form Of verse, and scattered throughout
the other compositions were choice
quotations from the best English poets
lines embodying their best principles
md giving one hint of the atmos.
phere Of ideality surrounding that qui.
sett institution which nestles quietly
away. out on gently rising eminence
oyerlo oking beautiful prospect oa
meadow, wood and stream.
But there was more than poetry. Tho
scholar and the seer az we'll as the
bard have here their students and their
desotees. In her literary apprecia-
tons. Miss Mary E. Hoy showed ia
miliar acquaintance with the history Of