Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

Page 8 text:

2 THE AUGUSTA SEMINARY ANNUAL. The essays on Chaucer, Shakespeare, Burns, and Scott belong to the class work, and are fair samples of what is done in the Literature Department. The review of the Lit- erature work of the year gives some idea of what we have been doing in this department and testifies that all of school life is not play. We wish to thank the following members of the class for their interest and assistance, as they have all made con- tributions, though their names are not signed : Misses Ir- win, Simpson, Anderson, Butt, Haygood, Jones, McCreery, and Morton. As we hope that our paper will find its way into the homes of the old girls who have not forgotten the Seminary, we have taken particular pains to find out as much as we can about those who have been here within the past six or eight years. Many of the names have been changed, as the Marri- age lyist will show, yet we think the old girls must have a warm feeling for everything connected with their school life, and trust they will be interested in the Changes which have taken place here within a few years. It is not, however, only the old girls whom we desire to please, but all who are interested in our work. In conclusion, we will say, in the words of him whom we have studied : Goe, little Booke, thyself present, A child whose parent is unkent. And if that En vie baike at thee, As sure it will, for succour flee, And when thou art past jeopardee, Come tell me what was sayd of mee, And I will send more after thee. Edna Baer.

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THK AUGUSTA Seminary Annual. VOL. I. STAUNTON, VA., MAY, 1891. NO. 1. Editor in Chief :—Miss S. E. Wright. Associate Editors : S. B. Striblixg, E. E. Baer, L. D. Hanger, M. L. Richmond. Business Managers : Mary Guy, Bettie Coffey. Editorial. n HE SEMINARY ANNUAL makes its debut with - this number. We send it out into the world with some misgiving, for this is our first attempt and we lack the self-confidence necessary to make a successful paper. The want of a paper has been felt for some time in the Seminary, but as it is an undertaking requiring much time and trouble, it has always been postponed until a more convenient season . Last 3 ' ear we got up a paper and had it read before the school. The girls encouraged us so much by their interest, that we resolved our next effort should, if possible, be printed, for if other Seminaries can publish papers, why shouldn ' t we ? A short time ago we called a meeting and talked the subject over. After some hesitation it was de- cided to make the effort, and to make it now. We can but hope that if our paper is a success those who follow us will each year publish one, and with this hope we name it The Augusta Seminary Annual. It may be well to state that this is the work of the Literature classes and not of the entire school. This accounts for the character of the subjects of several of the essays. We claim for our under- taking the kind consideration of our fi-iends, and wish to say that most of the articles within the pages were written for the Literature class before any plans for the paper had been matured.

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THE AUGUSTA SEMINARY ANNUAL. 3 Literature Course, 1891. (RIRSX YEAR.) T HE WORK OF OUR CLASS, though comprehen- -■- sive and at times requiring close study, has been so interesting that we cannot connect with the study of our daily lessons the dull school hours, which school girls some times speak of when the} ' have disagreeable tasks. The first three months of school were occupied with Welsh ' s Coiuplcte Rhetoric, an outline of each chapter being considered a part of the daily lesson; frequent short compo- sitions were written to illustrate the various principles learned from our text book, while at the same time themes were assigned, the preparation for which required much reading and thoughtful consideration. Various subjects from Te7iny son ' s Idyls of the King aroused our interest in the early Keltic stories. Then we gave all our thoughts to the Anglo-Saxons, reading in connection with the class work Harold and Hcreivard from which materials were gathered for the essaj s on various phases of life among the Anglo- Saxons. The Anglo-Saxon language, the language of our forefathers, came next in the regular course. We read from SweeV s Primer xzxxoViS selections firom Alfric ' s Lives of the Saints, translations of the Bible, and the Old Chronicle. Dr. Morris ' Eleineyitary Lesso7is in Historical English Gram- mar, in connection with the Anglo-Saxon, gave us a new knowledge of our mother-tongue, while OliphanVs Old a?id Middle English and SkeaCs Etymological Dictionary excited the deepest interest in investigating the origin of many of our common English words; we now made our own happy discoveries and noted the derivations and rela- tions of many words. A general review of our study was confined to a thesis (for so we liked to call our little books) upon the Anglo-Saxon language, in these theses all points of interest and importance being dwelt upon. Their length was somewhat inordinate, but I am sure no one can look back with anything but pleasure upon the hours spent in compiling our history of the language.