esting in affording to the guests the opportunity of seeing the large and beautiful collection of etchings and photographs given to the college by the Italian government through Miss Bernardy, comprising many pictures of the master-pieces of Italian art, ancient monuments of Rome, and reproductions of plates made by Piranesi, a famous Italian engraver of the eighteenth century, and now in the possession of the Italian government. The collection also includes several volumes relating to Italian art. The bestowal of a gift upon a college by the government of a foreign country is very rare, and Smith College is most grateful to the Italian government for its generosity. To those who enjoy a combination of poetry and music, Miss Dyar and Mr. Story offered a very enjoyable evening on Tuesday, March 22. Enoch Arden is difficult to read on account of its lack of variety, Enoch Arden Music and its single moment of deep, passionate outburst. Miss Dyar's rendering avoided the melodramatic without ever dropping into the monotonous or unsympathetic. In his interpretation of the Strauss music, Mr. Story caught the spirit of the poem. We could hear the washing of the breakers, the laughter of the children on the beach, the mother rocking the cradle of her fatherless baby. And when the shipwrecked mariner came back to the cottage which was no longer his home, the refrain "Never to let her know; never to let her know," haunted us in the music as well as in the poem. An interested audience, overflowing the hall into the ante-room and out on the stairs attested to the hearty interest with which the college welcomed the reading. On Saturday, March 19, the "big game" between the sophomores and freshmen was played. At the request of the Council no decorations were seen on the college houses, and for that reason the Basket Ball Game morning seemed strangely quiet. Still there was that atmosphere of suppressed excitement throughout the college which always ushers in a great event. By the time two o'clock came there was just as much open excitement as there had been in previous years. Long lines of girls formed at the different entrances to the "gym" at 2 o'clock, and at 2.30 the doors were opened. The seniors and sophomores had one side of the gymnasium, the juniors and fresh men the other. The decorations were unusually pretty and effective. As usual the singing began as soon as the running tracks were full, the seniors and sophomores being led by Margaret Hotchkiss 1904, and the juniors and freshmen by Lora Wright 1905. This singing continued until the game began, the enthusiasm becoming more intense with each song. Just before the game began the sophomore "sub" team entered, bringing the sophomore mascot, a little Indian. Then the freshmen "subs" came in, drawing a little warrior, who was to be the 1907 mascot. A few minutes later the sophomore and freshman teams rushed in amid loud applause, and the game began. It was a good game all the way through, and a very exciting one. There were very few fouls and the playing was clean. The score was pretty close throughout the game, and this added to the intense interest with which every play was watched. When the umpire's whistle was blown and the game was over the excitement redoubled. The score was 26-19 in favor of 1906. The winning team was carried in triumph around the room, as was also the freshmen team, and the wild shouting and singing lasted for quite a while after the game was over. Finally all the classes joined in singing the new college song, and then went home. Everyone left the "gym" feeling that there had never been a nicer game or better spirit shown. The fouls made during the game and the score in detail were as follows: A departure from the traditional, if it succeeds, is to be doubly praised, and the Haven House, in its presentation of a play as out of the ordinary as "Alice in Wonderland", has succeeded. Haven House Play The costuming, perhaps the most important feature of the play, was admirable, and the setting was in accordance with it. The scenery and costumes together produced most telling effects-impressive as a whole, ingenious and satisfactory in detail. Not once did the curtain rise on a new scene without a burst of applause from the audience. The parts were all well taken. The birds and animals in the first scene were good, the mouse especially so. Tweedledum and Tweedledee were very attractive. The caterpillar's part was made interesting and was sustained by good by-play. Humpty Dumpty was excellent; force of circumstances not permitting much change of expression as to countenance, he made maniffest his emotions by a very expressive use of legs and feet. In the mad tea party the hatter and dormouse acted especially well. One of the best characters in the play was the mock-turtle, whose sad voice and solos were creative of much sympathetic laughter. Alice was good throughout; some of her gestures and little motions were childlike and amusing, yet the part could have been made more interesting had she been more frightened, more joyful, more individual. Careful training rather than individual acting was manifested in various characters. The effectiveness of the Queen of Hearts depended entirely upon one gesture, and the King failed to make the impression that his lines would have warranted. The grouping was always good; there were exceedingly few of the dull spots which make a play drag, and the cast and committee deserve hearty congratulations upon the success of their undertaking. The cast was as Manager, Florence Lord; Chairman of Costume Committee, Lora Wright; Chairman of Scenery Committee, Louise Kingsley. The junior frolic was held in the Alumnæ Gymnasium Saturday evening, March 12. CALENDAR Apr. 19, Song Recital by Mr. David Bispham. May 20, 22, Lawrence House Dance. Open Meeting of the Mathematics Club. Lecture by 23, Annual Business Meeting of the S. C. A. C. W. 26, Lecture by Prof. Hopkins of Yale University. Sub ject The Hindoo Drama. 27, Concert by the Boston Symphony Orchestra. 30, Phi Kappa Psi Society. 4, Joint Play of Alpha and Phi Kappa Psi Societies. 11, Junior Promenade. 14, Alpha Society. CONTENTS THE SMITH COLLEGE MONTHLY is published at Northampton, Massachu- setts, on the 15th of each month, during the year from October to June, inclu- sive. Terms, $1.50 a year, in advance. Single numbers, 20 cents. Contri- butions may be left in the box outside the Monthly Room, Students' Build- ing. Subscriptions may be sent to Isabella Rachel Gill, 9 Belmont Avenue, Articles designed for the literary departments for a particular issue must be submitted by the twenty-second of the month preceding. Entered at the Post Office at Northampton, Ma-sachusetts, as second class matter. |