Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-06-16
ST MARY'S ACADEMY \
Closing Exercises-Spiendid Programme
Award of Gold Medals, Diplomas
and Prizes.

ana PflZeSs
After days OF continuous rain, the
heavens on Tuesday evening smiled he,
nignly upon the forty-second annual
commencement OF st. Mary's, when
under clearing skies and with the good
| wishes OF friends and teachers, class
of ten young ladies, bidding farewell to
school days, stepped from the sacred
portals OF the classroom into the great
school OF life and with high hopes o1
the attainment of youths ideals, took
their places among the ranks of that
great body of noble women that yearly
augmented is growing up about their
Alma Mater to bless her name anu do
honor to her teaching st Mary
Alumnac. 1t was commencement day
at the Academy, aud, rs usual each
year, long before the hour named for
the opening OF the programme Lannon's
Opcrl House was filled to the doors by
the patrons and friends of the instltll-
ton whose sphere of usefulness yearly
grows with it's student roll which Ill
lgO9191O reached nearly three hun
drcd. Promptly at $50, the curtain
went up and the senior vocal class be-
gan the opening chorus, Summer
Fancics, I" with Theresa Waters accom-.
panist. The sight OF one hundred
beautiful southern girls attlrcd IN
snowy white with the harmonius set
ting of a stage in which stately palms
graceful ferns and Junc's faircSt bios
SONS were mingled, was an artistic
one, and as their sweet voices rose anu
fell in measured cadence that spoke
voice training OF uncommon MERTON
could not but wish that their lives, as
on this happy day, might be ever fun
of music and song and flowers, The
graduates, Misses Maria Theresa
Waters, of Washington; Mary Audrey
Murphy and Marie Estellc Gaines, OF
Alexandria ;Maudc Elmira AlcnSworth,
of Manassas: Catherine Mary DAILY, Il
Washington, and Mary Madalnc Byrnc,
of Alexandria, then entered and took
seats upon the stage. The Cuban
Dance" by Pearl Corl, Anita Howard,
Virginia Downey and May Gaines was
a splendid instrumental number. 1t
was followed by the salutatory, Let
There Be Light, in which the young
graduate. Marie EStelle Gaines, made n
plea for the diffusion of knowledge.
Her sweet poem closed with hearty
welcome to the assembled audience.
Mendclssoln's Spring Song with
Katherine Kell, Emily Johnson, Della
Phillips aud Marguerite Field at the
piano was an artistic musical number
that showed talent and study Margaret
Wood then gave the pretty prologue to
to the cantata, In Grandma Land,
| which, brought the minimS to the fore
as entertainers. Attircd rs grandmaS
in solemn grey with caps and kerchlef>
they went through their song or rcclta-
ton with an ease OF manner that would
do honor to their elders. The play in
troduced sixteen little misses who attir-
cd as colonial lords and DANES danced
the stately minuet with grace and dig
nifty of movement that suggested the
days of Washington and Sallie Fairfax
in the old historic Carlyle house. 1t
was beautiful number that elected the
hearty applause it deserved The trio,
II waited for the Lord, " All adaptation
from Hymn OF Praise" !" by Mendel-
ssohn, was splendid selection OF part
singing that made a delightful change
in the programme. 1t was ably rend-
cred by X. Brill. NJ. Gaines, X. kcll,
NJ. Ball, I. Hoffman. Y. Bittle. X.
Waller, L. Wilkinson. and Y. c. Wag-
gaman.
Catherine Mary Daly's essay,
Loyalty is Royalty" was decidedly
one of the best literary efforts OF the
evening. 1t was dissertation on
that characteristic yirturc of the noble
LOYALTY. Its clear we'll rounded periods
showed Miss Daily writer of no ordi-
nary ability and attested her claim to
the elegant prize in compositions
copv OF Longfellow's poems, which
was later conferred upon her.
"Pioue Dame Overture with Nerna
Bi,tle, Pauline Hellmuth, Madalne
Byrnc and Mildred Hellmuth ut The
pianos was q sprightly number ably exc
cu,ed.
The Virginia drill showed excellent
| work along physical culture lines the
large class OF young participants, using
the colors OF the state~blue and buff,
went through series OF intricate move
ments with graceful precision that
evinced careful training joined to
painstaking practice. Then followed
March Hoagroise," full of abandon
and martial spirit, which was splendidly
rendered by Ethel Dix, Magdalen Ball !,
Edna Brill and Christine Wagganran.
Maud Allensworth S essay The Morn
ing Star of Liberty" was poetic trib-
ute to Washington which displayed
literary talent and elocutionary ability,
for she recited it with expression and
dramatic power that added greatly to
its intrinsic worth Her effort was
warmly applauded. The Quartette, the
old yet everloved Annie Laurie, sung
without accompaniment, was tine
piece of vocaliza,ion in which the four
parts blended with perfect sympathy
and harmonious beauty. It gave ample
scope for the clear tones of Katherine