Alexandria Gazette

LOCAL ITEMS.

CLOSING EXERCISES OF ST. JOHN'S ACADEMY.

Liberty Hall was literally packed on Friday afternoon, with the parents and friends of the students of the above Institution, the occasion being the closing of the 1st Session. At 2 o'clock, the students, numbering about 50, assembled at the Academy, most of them being attired in uniform, and wearing their class badges, and proceeded, under the direction of Jas. H. Watkins, of Fairfax, and his assistant marshals, to the Hall. The curtain rose at 3 o'clock, and the exercises were commenced by the singing of the following verses, to the tune of "The Watchman":

Round Friendship's holy altar.
Once more, to-day, we stand,
In youth and strength rejoicing
A happy, loving band.
Our hands are quick and ready:
Our hearts are brave and true,
And with God's promised blessing.
The right we'll e'er pursue.
Though clouds may gather round us,
And angry surges rise,
In faith and love triumphant.
Their fury we'll despise;
And on life's stormy ocean,
Secure from harm we'll sail.
For o'er each angry tempest,
Will love and truth prevail.
Though sad the hour of parting.
We hope to meet again;
For what shall e'er divide us
But e'en the sweeping main;
Though dangers lie between us.
And frowning mountains rise,
Yet as we are true and faithful.
We'll meet beyond the skies.
Then ever with rejoicing.
A love which ne'er can fail,
We'll calmly bid adieu
In sorrow's wintry gale;
Our hearts will be united,
Whene'er we rove to dwell.
Yet tears will come unbidden,
For we must say farewell.

"The Salutatory" was then spoken, in a very creditable manner, by Hugh H. Doan, of Marion, Ia., who was succeeded by the recitation of "Hiawatha's Childhood," by Willie E. Latimer, and a humorous description of "Election Day," by Joseph T. Collins. An original dialogue, entitled "What will we do with Ourselves?" was then spoken by W. H. Clarridge, J. Franklin Dyson, Richard D. Massey, James H. Crump, James F. Wood, Charles T. Clark, Elijah Horseman, jr., John T. Crawford, James R. Caton, and David M. Monroe; and J. Alton Hunter recited "The Modern Bride." This was followed by an "Address to Virginia," by J. Samuel Wimsatt; the singing of "The Virginia Maryland," by Rudolph Johnson, of Montgomery county, in that State, Oscar F. Baggett and Samuel B. Field then spoke "The Sewing Machine," to the great delight of the audience, and James A. Neale recited "The Bailor's Sale." "Annie Lisle" having been previously sung, Charles R. Burgess next delivered a patriotic address on "The Union of the States," and Thomas S. Nowland recited "The Charge of the Light Brigade," in a masterly manner. These were followed by Henry J. Nevett, in an address on "The Miseries of School;" by John R. Edelin, David W. Pretty man, Wm. F. Stump, Robert M. Prettyman, Wm. P. Woods, John K. James, and E. Hunter Benedum, in an original dialogue on "Fools;" by Maurice A. Williams, of Baltimore, who recited Longfellow's "Psalm of Life," in a most impressive manner, and G. Wm. Hunter, in an address on "The Burial of Sir John Moore." All the students then rose, and an original "Hurrah for Holiday," was sung, amid waving of hats and other demonstrations. After which the Principal read a brief note from Mayor Price, who had been expected to distribute the medals, stating that official business detained him at his office, and requested the Rev. Peter Kroes, of St. Mary's Church, to act in his stead. The honors were then announced, and distributed as follows:

Observance of School Rules:-Gold Medal to Arthur Cleaveland, of Fairfax County, Va.; Silver Medal to Lloyd T. Smith, of Middleburg; Premiums to French C. Lugenbeel and Chas. R. Burgess.

Observance of Regulations for Boarders:- Silver Medal to Rudolph Johnson, of Montgomery County, Md.

Regular and Punctual Attendance:--Silver Medal to John B. Padgett, of this city; Premiums to Arthur Cleaveland, of Fairfax, and Charles A. Simpson and S. J. Fletcher Dyson, of this city.

For the greatest number of correct Recitations:-Senior Class--2nd year: Silver Medal to J. Samuel Wimsatt, of this city; 1st year: Silver Medals to Joseph T. Collins and Henry J. Nevett, both of this city, and Premiums to Rudolph Johnson, of Montgomery County, Md., and Richard H. Lyles and G. Wm. Hunter, of this city. Penmanship: Premium to Richard H. Lyles. Algebra: Premium to R. Johnson and J. S. Wimsatt. Arithmetic: Premiums to J. T. Collins and J. S. Wimsatt. Double Entry Book Keeping: Premium to Joseph T. Collins, of this city; and Latin: Premiums to G. W. Hunter and H. J. Nevett.

Intermediate Class--2nd year.-General Studies: Silver Medal to John R. Padgett; Premium to John R. Edelin. 1st year.- Silver Medal to Arthur Cleaveland, of Fairfax; and Premiums to E. Horseman, jr., of this city; Charles H. McGlue, of Orange C. H.; Wm. B. Price, French C. Lugenbeel, and James H. Crump, of this city. Premiums in Penmanship to E. H. Benedum; in Arithmetic to E. H. Benedum and F. C. Lugenbeel; in Single Entry Book Keeping, to D. W. Prettyman, and in French, to L.T. Smith, of Middleburg.

Junior Class.-General Studies.-Silver Medal to Noble Lindsay, of this city; Premiums to W. E. Church, J. W. Kenner, Benjamin Tubman, James L. Kidwell, and J. I. Bailey, jr., of this city; and in Penmanship, to Benj. Tubman.

Entrance Class,-General Studies.-Silver Medal to Stephen Woolls, jr., of this city; Premiums to Singleton Ridgely, Ernest D. Lambert, James Murray, and Thos. S. Ballenger. Penmanship and Arithmetic: Premiums to Singleton Ridgely.

Preparatory School.-Premiums to John Rathbun, Leesburg, for Observance of Rules; to John P. Phillips, for Regular Attendance; to Robert Travers, for Spelling and Reading, and Arithmetic; and to John W. Rhodes for Penmanship.

The Principal prefaced the distribution by a few remarks, stating that the honors were not given for the best examination, but for the greatest amount of work during the year. The "Valedictory" was then delivered by J. Samuel Wimsatt, a student of seven years standing in the Institution, and the exercises concluded with the singing of the following lines:

Is this the hour of parting.
With those we love so well"
Sad with our last adieu,
We speak, sad word, farewell:
Many a happy day we've passed,
Sporting with our friends so dear
Little recking that the hour
Of parting was so near.
We go to happy places.
To verdant fields so gay,
By wood, and shining rivers,
Where glancing sunbeams play:
Ye go to think of the days
Of whose joys we scarce can tell,
And our hearts refuse to speak
The parting word-farewell.
Yet part we not forever;
We hope to meet again,
And there join together
Each link of Friendship's chain.
Then our parting need not wound
To our brotherhood a spell,
But with hope and love we may
Speak the word farewell.

The singing was accompanied by several gentlemen, on different instruments, and was performed mainly by T. S. Nowland, Wm. B. Price, Wm. H. Clarridge, C. H. McGlue, and W. R. Warfield, whose fine voices gave much pleasure to the audience. The last song, "Farewell," to the tune of "Music in the Air," was, in particular, well sung.

One thing, however, marred the entire proceedings, the Principal had very injudiciously admitted a large number of bad boys, and these talked, laughed and ran in and out, incessantly, so that but a small part of the addresses were heard by the audience, and the speakers were evidently so much worried as to be utterly incapable of doing their best.