HpoQvfxoi e'v <&l Ai\xa 6r)ra. VOL. VII GETTYSBURG, PA., OCTOBER, 1882. No. 1. MUSING* BY W. B. PALMER. I sit all alone in the stillness Of a summer's eve, balmy and fair The zephyrs are wantonly sporting, And filling with perfume the air. All nature at rest, and the landscape Illumed by the moon's brightest sheen, The beams on the lawn and the shadows Richly carpet with patchwork the green. I hear, at a distance, the music Of violin, flute and guitar; And withdrawn to a place of seclusion, Find solace in fragrant cigar. Sweet time for reflection and study, For rev'ries and dreams coming fast, I think with much hope of the future, And then, I revert to the past. The years have sat lightly upon me, Many days of my youth still remain, My life, though, has been not all pleasure, For some things have given me pain. Ha! a strain of the music arrests me, In snatches it falls on my ear, With attention again I will listen, Do I certainly rightly hear? Oh yes, I could ne'er be mistaken; That rondo, whose cadences low As murmurs of slow, gentle waters, So well and distinctly I know. 'Tis five years, and more, since I heard it, AVhat changes have happened since then ! Yet clearly are things erst forgotten Recalled as I hear it again. •Read before the Tennessee Alpha Alumni (Nashville chapter) of Phi Delta Theta, Tuesday evening, Sept. 26, 1882. A Few Ideas Concerning the Convention of '82. How she looked as she sang, I remember, 'Twas, at that time, my favorite song, She repeated it often to please me, While we lingered, and lingered yet, long. Ah me ! well, at length it all ended, 'Twas not right we should meet as of yore, And painful and sad was the parting, We knew we must meet never more. Confound it, that music has brought back The mem'ries I thought buried deep ; My cigar is extinguished, I'll turn in And try to destroy them in sleep. A FEW IDEAS CONCERNING THE CONVENTION OF '82. As the time for our national convention approaches and all eyes in the Phi world are turning eagerly towards Richmond, it may not be improper to venture a few suggestions regarding the work to be ac­ complished. Probably the matter of greatest interest to the majority of Phis, is the new catalogue, whose coming has been anticipated for so many months. We are eager to see that catalogue, and as one who has had a great deal of experience, disagreeable experience, in trying to get the old boys to be prompt in filling up their blanks, I can assure you that I realize that the task is not an easy one. Let us concentrate our efforts to make that catalogue come out at the earliest possible moment. The time of holding our national convention is very unhandy. It interrupts the work both of the student and the man of business. In August, those yet in college can go easily while the business man can get vacation much more easily than in October. Most of the Frats hold their conventions in the summer vacations. Why then cannot we? Burgess, the official jeweler, has done any thing but satisfactory work for our boys. It seems to me that a change is absolutely necessary. A diamond pin, whose diamonds have fallen out is a rather sad specta­ cle, to say the least. * Would it not be well to make our national organ, open? There seems to be nothing published therein which may not be seen by "bar­ barian gaze," and it would serve to help us wonderfully, in many re­ spects, were we privileged to exhibit our SCROLL to many men. Lastily, would it not be a pleasing feature to change the name of officers? We belong to a Greek Fraternity, to a secret society, and the Response to the Address of Welcome, Beta Province Convention. 3 "Mr. President" or "Bro. President" sound decidedly unharmonious with the nature and kind of the great brotherhood to whose noble Bond we have been permitted to attach our names. EN-YAP. RESPONSE TO THE ADDRESS OP WELCOME, BETA PROV­ INCE CONVENTION. BY D. DE MOTT WOOD.MANSEE, OHIO BETA, '81. BRO. HOBBS: Your words of Welcome come to us to-night freighted with the true fraternal spirit. I am sure that I but express the sentiments of these representatives of our order from the great States of Ohio and Indi­ ana, when I accept your greetings with all the regard which they imply. To my mind there is no plan which is better adapted to strengthen our vows of fidelity and friendship to each other and to our order than to meet as we have met to-night: and there is nothing which adds greater inspiration to such a work than a good hearty supper. If you want to disturb the average man's conscience, just ask him about his record. If you want to torment his soul, ask him about his creed or his religious belief; but if you want to make him supremely happy, feed him,—feed him much and feed him often. We have come from our respective fields of labor, have left behind us the cares and responsibility of our different vocations to do what we can for the Phi Delta Theta fraternity; and last, but not least, to have a genuine good time. And as I look around me and see these cheerful faces, reflecting a spirit of enthusiasm in this work, I am forced to prophesy a future for this province, filled with successes, crowned with victories. If we want to make anything a success we must be in ear­ nest, and I believe that the spirit represented here to-night is one of earnestness and one of unflinching fidelity. There is something fascinating about this fraternity work. We are shut off from the outer world by the veil of secrecy, but behind that veil is a brotherhood of brothers where frankness and fidelity are the ruling impulses. We work for a common end and rejoice over common victories. Our organization binds together the leading Colleges of our country and elevates their social standard. We used to think that it was an easy matter to run a College without a President, or if needs be without a Faculty, but to run a College without a fraternity was a total failure. Fraternity life, notwithstanding its abuse by many so-called fraternity men who bring reproach upon the whole system, has its charms and its benefits known only to active and faithful members. When properly conducted it acts as an antidote for many of the cares 4 Response to the Address of Welcome, Beta Province Convention. and troubles that meet the college boy face to face. It often lifts up the depressed spirits of the diligent student and gathers around him a circle of comrades in whom he can confide, and with whom he can labor in the coming years. That young man who joins a fraternity for the purpose of gaining social position entirely at'the expense of the fraternity, is totally unworthy of the badge of honor. He reminds me of the man who tries to go through the world on the reputation of his wife. Many men do that thing, but by and by the burden becomes too great for the wife to bear and she dies. * * * I am compelled to believe that our alumni chapter here in Cincinnati takes an active interest in our fraternity, when I think of another bril­ liant affair (May Music Festival) which they have refused to attend to­ night that they might be with us. When it was known that the Phi Delta Theta fraternity would hold a convention in Cincinnati on the 18th and 19th of May, those who were interested in the success of the May Festival thought that to be just the time to have it, in order to get a crowd. For this reason the Festival goes on to-night, and I dare say that the chorus is more voluminous and the accent of the prima donnas sweeter because of the spirit of Phi Delta Thetaism that per­ meates this city. I must also compliment the members of the chapters of this prov­ ince who have responded so well to the invitation to be present at this banquet. And brothers, whether we are in College or not, let us be determined to stand by the Shield and Dagger with renewed energy and never allow our banners to trail in the dust. Let us say that the Beta province shall be the banner province of our fraternity. With the alumni chapter of Cincinnati for our example, let us go forward to victory. Let us pledge our support to our President, Scott Bonham, of whom let me say that, notwithstanding his extreme piety, he would rather attend a fraternity meeting than go to camp-meeting or to Sun­ day-school. He would rather attend a good, red-hot initiation than a banquet in honor of the Queen. And knowing of his earnestness in this work as I do, let me say of him what his modesty would ask me not to say, that the Beta province should congratulate itself upon having at its head a man of such energy and of such loyalty to the best in­ terests of our fraternity. But we have other great men. In states­ manship we have a Harrison, a Foster and a Ramsey.