“‘Hail the day with joy and singing,
Swell the chorus, full and ringing,
Love to Alma Mater bringing—
All hail! C. L. S. C.’”
“Our repast was bountiful, and the decorations were worthy the loving hands that arranged them. We sat long at the table, and gave the time more to song and toast than to food. These reunions are so enjoyable that I think their fame is causing many in our town to feel that it would be very pleasant to be numbered with us. One of the ’82 graduates is pursuing his third year at Wesleyan University, and his presence at these reunions adds to our pleasure.”
From Johnstown, N. Y., the secretary writes us that on October 1st the circle was reorganized, and the officers for the year elected.
For two years the “Clinton” circle of Newark, N. J., has been quietly but seriously working. On the 14th of October it began its third year’s work. Of the plans which have governed them each year we have a brief outline: “We endeavor to amuse and profit ourselves by embracing as great a variety of general lines in our programs as possible; for example: Our first president, a C. L. S. C. graduate, made our meetings especially attractive by illustrating the lessons in geology with maps, engravings, fossils, ores, etc., and bringing ‘the heavens near by’ with blackboard and crayon. Our second year president fostered and developed the question-box idea, and encouraged the preparation of original papers. This year we hope to make famous with special exercises in memoriam, lectures, glees, quotations, and question matches.” At the meeting of the circle on October 30th, among other happily chosen exercises was a talk on “Europe” by a cultured traveler from their circle, who has lately returned from a trip abroad.
The chemistry in this year’s course is going to prove a most delightful part of the year’s reading, affording, as it does, such ample opportunity for interesting experiments. One of the first circles to report their work in this line is the “Parker Circle” of Washington, D. C., of which the Evening Critic of that city says: “‘Parker Circle,’ C. L. S. C., has taken up the work of the year with increased vigor, the meetings being well attended and very interesting. A special meeting was held last evening at the residence of the president, A. P. Steward, to give opportunity to the members to witness some experiments in chemistry, a portion of the required reading of this year’s course being upon this interesting subject. The experiments were conducted by Mr. W. T. Criswell, chemist. Hydrogen and oxygen gases were successfully generated, hydrogen soap bubbles blown and then exploded by igniting them, recently extinguished tapers relighted by oxygen, sodium and potassium burned on water, arsenic and antimony tests made, etc., etc. Only one slight explosion occurred, which caused much amusement, but no harm resulted except to the test tube, which was blown to atoms.” The plan of the “Parker” circle in securing a practical chemist to conduct their experiments is wise. There is always more or less danger in operating with gases, and we earnestly recommend circles who wish to see these beautiful experiments to engage the services of some one skilled in laboratory work.
A neighbor to the “Parker” circle is the “Pansy” circle of our national capital. We have received from this circle a poem lately written in its honor, from which we extract the following verses:
Beside the lake, in simple grace,