Mary Baldwin College - Bluestocking Yearbook (Staunton, VA)

Page 21 text:

The Augusta Seminary Annual. 15 The few remaining weeks of the session sped so rapidly and brought with them such countless multitudes of last duties, that nothing could be done to carry out our new ideas. Summer days came swiftly and then the happy home-going and all the merry-makings and the numberless pleasures of vacation hours. But in the midst of the joy and sunshine came ringing in our ears, like the chimes of far-off bells, the talismanic letters, Y. W. C. A. Louder and clearer they sounded as the vacation hours drew to a close, and soon our minds and hearts were so filled with the melody that many a petition went up to the throne of grace for guidance in establishing an association the next session. September soon re-united many of the loving school-friends in the time-honored walls of the A. F. S. Well, girls, we are just obliged to have a Y. W. C. A, this year. We can ' t do without it, such were our words during those busy days of preparation for the hard, steady work of the winter. Miss Baldwin greatly favored our plan and with her help and that of a number of our teachers, a Young Women ' s Christ- ian Association was organized Sunday, October 7, 1894, and the following oflBcers were elected: President, Miss Eleanor Preston; Vice- President, Miss Margaret Daniel; Treasurer, Miss Hallie Ogle; Secretary, Miss Pauline Du Bose. By the next Sabbath, our President had appointed several committees to carry on the Association work. The Membership and Finance Committee were soon busy canvassing for members and collecting the dues, the vSocial Committee was planning en- tertainments, while the Committee on Religious meetings was trying to revise the order of services for Sunday afternoons and Friday evenings. Other committees were added, one by one, as they seemed to be needed. The Y. W. C. A. combines in itself the little Volunteer band and the Missionary Society and takes under its supervision all our religious meetings. Were there lions in the way of this newly organized Christian band ? Aye, lions fierce and growling, such lions as threatened to tear the then feeble undertaking to pieces. But when we came to them, like Bunyan ' s Pilgrim, we found them ' chained ' The first difficulty that stared us in the face was the lack of a suitable room for our Association. Little by little, this diffi

Page 20 text:

14 The Augusta Seviinary Ayimial. vines of the Trosachs, one tangled mass of hazel and hawthorne blossom, from which comes the faint, sweet odor of the eglantine and brier-rose. And now our poet brings before us another scene, different, yet quite as beautiful, for Scott loved Nature in all her changing moods, and has represented her to us not only in all the splendor of her siinset glor3% but in the dewy freshness of morning, and in the solemn majesty of midnight. Now the sun is just rising o ' er the hills and forests ' round Loch Katrine, and its golden beams dart hither and thither, play- ing hide-and-seek in the broad boughs of the overhanging trees, and dancing on the rippling waters of the lake. At their touch, the gray mists leave the mountain-side, and float away in great, billowy masses, whose fleecy brightness is reflected in the blue depths of the lake below. One pale wreath still hovers on the topmost peak of Ben An, as if to play with the ivy-vine which there flaunts its banners gaily in the breeze, or to caress the small wind-flowers which, awakened by a merry sunbeam ' s morning kiss, now raise their graceful heads to the heavens. All Nature is glad; the very torrent seems joyful and leaps to show its glist- ening pride; but above the noise of its laughing waters, comes the gentle coo of the cushat dove, and the answering notes of the lark as it up-springeth, blythe, to greet the purpling east. Nannie McFarland. Y. W. C. A. OU need a Young Women ' s Christian Association here. j It would be the greatest help in the world to you. These earnestly spoken words fell upon the ears of a number of girls and teachers gathered in the parlor of the A. F. S. one evening in May, 1894. Mr. D. Willard Lyon, traveling secretary of the Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Mis- sions, was the speaker on that memorable evening and we eagerly listened to his words of counsel, for each felt the need — the unde- finable something that was lacking to make the dear old Semin- ary perfect in our loving estimation.

Page 22 text:

16 The Aiig2ista Seminary Anmial. culty was removed and, at last, our hearts were delighted with the gift from Miss Baldwin of the Old Calisthenics Hall, which was soon changed by the busy hands of the Room and Library Committee into a pleasant Y. W. C A. room, with books, maga- zines, and a small museum. The fund for this purpose was in. creased by the sum of $15.00, the proceeds of a Mother Goose Entertainment, planned and successfully carried out by the So- cial Committee. Mother Goose proved herself the same old de- lightful lady that she has always been and the pleasure afforded by the antics of her numerous children was greatly increased by the recitations of several of our best elocutionists. We have been much helped by the visit of Miss Abbie Lyon, who, although coming especially in behalf of the Student Volunteer, still gave us much aid in our Y. W. C. A. work. She made two deeply interesting addresses in the Chapel and her face showed that her words came from her heart. Never will we for- get tho.se delightful conversations with Miss Lyon in her own room, when she solved for us so man} ' of the difficult problems in our own Christian work. All too short for us was her stay in our midst, for in her we found an inspiration. Another great help to us has been the series of meetings in our Y. W. C. A. room, conducted by the Rev. Mr. Booker, for Mr. Booker has, in an unusual degree, the gift of knowing what to say to school-girls to show them very plainly the road to the Celestial City. Our beloved pastor, Mr. Fraser, has often been among us and teachers and girls have felt that his presence always brings a benediction. One of our greatest difficulties, one lion which is still roar- ing loudl} ' in our path, is the question, How are we to keep up the interest among the members ? Alas! that lion has made us tremble again and again. The variety of our programs has done much to rivet the fetters of this king of beasts, but he is still very threatening. However, many, many blessings have fallen to our portion and for these let us raise our hearts in thankfulness. And, when we of this year are far away from our Alma Mater, may those blessings increase and may many souls be made heirs of God through the instrumentality of our grand old Y. W. C. A. Pauline Du Bose.