The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-04-13
WONDERFUL PAGEANT
NOT DIMMED BY RAIN
Wilderness Of Girls Fills Horse Show Building to Pic
ture Great Achievements of Y. w. C. A. in Be-
half Of All Womankind Throughout the World

their best to rob it of It's beauty. And
driving rain all the afternoon did
its part to reduce the attendance
over these obstacles and others in
cident to the forced change of setting.
the pageant rose triumphant In the
beauty OF its symbolism and the force
OF Its message. The tableaux and
scenes following each other in smooth
succession. called out round after
round of applause from the thousands
that had braved the weather and oc-
cupied every available seat in the i'm
mense auditorium.
A Wilderness of Girls
Three score colleges from the South
and East and North and West sent
picked delegations to aid in the inter-
probation Their insignia and colors
were suspended from the bandstand
and ran diagonally across the breasts
of 400 capped and Gowned representa-
tives. Two hundred more were pres
ent from the normal schools and the
city organizations of Richmond, Nor
folk, Cleveland. Baltimore and New
York, converting the large central
area OF the Horse Show Building into
a wilderness OF girls ranging In age
from youngsters of ten to young wo-
men who no longer have birthdays.
Over the whole drama presided the
stately figure OF Miss Louise Holm
quist, who. as the Association Spirit,
spoke the lines that bound the sepa-
rate scenes into continuous brilliant
~ tinted .ilm, burdened with the story
OF the associations achievements.
Around her as the central figure re-
volved the tableauX. A pers onified
Greek chorus, robed In the royal blue
Of the national association. she inter-
preted the unity which underlies the
associations work in all It's phases.
Stated in its simplest. the pageant
depicted successfully the activities OF
the Young Womens Christian Associa-
tion In college In the open country, in
the city, and in foreign lands. 1t
preached the gospel of self-hclp and
racy as BELTS the major woman's or
ganization In the meltingpot OF the
nations.
Six hundred in Line.
The pageant opened impressively
with the entrance of the association
spirit robed in royal blue and follow red
by Four courlers In white, wearing
insignia ribbons of the same blue. Be
hind them followed 400 students. those
from the normal schools In white and
the rest in caps and gowns, each wear
ing the insignia Of her college. After
these came twenty-one girls. repre-
ssnting the county associations. In
green liberty capes. carrying lowered
STATS.
Behind the county division came the
representatives of the city associations
in white shirtwaists and duck skirts.
and next, sixteen foreign girls In Japa-
nesc, South American, Chinese and
Spanish national costume. The whole
parade. numbering more than 600
tramped slowly around the auditorium
to the strains Of the Royal March from
Tannhauser.
Brilliant Tnbleaux.
With the grand march over there
followed In brilliant succession the
tableaux, songs and scenes intrusted
with tho telling of the story. First
cnme picture OF the associations
work In college given by delega-
tion from Randolph Macon Woman's
College, Farmvilla State Normal, Sweet
Briar College and Hollins College. 1t
showed a fragrant of the vesper SER
vice OF tho Blue Ridge Summer Con-
ference
To the strains of tho Heidelberg
music from The Prince OF Pilsen,"