COMMUNICATIONS

When Shall We Three Meet Again

The Editor, DARTMOUTH ALUMNI MAGAZINE : Dear Sir:

I have been much interested in the article in the January Dartmouth Alumni Magazine written by Professor Pattee, entitled "When shall we three meet again." It seems he has searched most thoroughly for authentic knowledge of who really did compose the song, and also the true knowledge of the old Pine Tree. It all brought to me so vividly my little girlhood days, that I do want to tell something about it. My Grandmother on my maternal side was a New Hampshire girl, and in the very early days of Dartmouth when the college was poor, was often sent for to sing at Commencements and great days. She possessed almost a Patti voice, and early history says "was very attractive." She always went on horseback, riding behind her escort on a pillion. This must have been some time before 1800, as she married in 1806 and moved to northern Vermont, where I knew her well and lived with her in my early days. She was anxious to have me sing and before I could read she taught me three songs, the third was this Indian song "When shall we three meet again." I never saw words or music until my father found a copy of "The American Vocalist" (which I now possess and which reads "when shall we all meet again,") and the "Vocalist" says "it was composed and sung in Dartmouth by three Indians around a 'youthful Pine'." My Grandmother taught this same thought to me, and often entertained me when I was a little older with her girlhood experiences, and all about this song and the Indians. At that time Hanover seemed as far from me as China does now, never expecting to see the Old Pine or Dartmouth, but the -wheel of time is always moving and in 1857, when I was seventeen, my eldest brother, Benjamin H. Steele, and my husband, Samuel E. Pingree, graduated there, and I spent the summer there at my father's uncle's Dr. Roswell M. Shurtleff, where of course I heard much about the "Old Pine Tree" as it was then called. I am sure this class of 1857 had its exercises there, and "smoked the pipe of peace," and there "buried the hatchet."

In 1870 another brother graduated (I refer to Sanford H. Steele) and I have in my possession his class day exercises, and a farewell address at the "Old Pine." Long years ago my husband knew and entertained in our home many Indians whom he considered intelligent •and worthy in all respects with minds as brilliant as any man or woman. My Grandmother was intimately associated with Dartmouth and never spoke of any other composer of the song, but the Indian. Therefore, with such associations 87 years ago, I felt impelled to answer Professor Pattee's interesting article.

The Dartmouth Song

The Editor, DARTMOUTH ALUMNI MAGAZINE: Dear Sir:

For several weeks past at our local alumni luncheons we have been having a discussion with reference to the Dartmouth Alma Mater song. Last Saturday noon, as a matter of interest, we decided to take a vote of those present indicating an expression of preference for the present song as against the song entitled "Men of Dartmouth." I thought you might be interested in the outcome of this expression which was as follows :

"Men of Dartmouth" 25 Present song 5

The change seems to me to be so apropos that I took interest in making inquiry of some of those who voted in favor of the present song to find what reasons they could possibly have, with the result that there seem to be among this small minority the following reasons :

First: Some of them thought that before changing the song the lists should be thrown open for a certain length of time with invitatations to write new songs, one of which might be superior to the present one entitled, "Men of Dartmouth."

Second: There seems to be a reluctance among one or two to announcing in song that their brains contained granite.

It may further interest you to know that a discussion is now being developed over the advisability of continuing the custom of singing the Dartmouth Song at the end of football games. There are some of us who think that this custom should be discontinued and that if the Dartmouth Song is to be sung at football contests it should be the final song which is sung during the period between the first and second halves.

Yours truly,

The Milwaukee Conference

Editors. THE DARTMOUTH ALUMNI MAGAZINE : Hanover, N. H.

Dear Sirs : I usually read The Dartmouth Alumni Magazine with a great deal of interest and pleasure. I especially enjoy the genial, kindly "Editorial Comment," which keeps us plder alumni in touch with present day college problems and developments. But I have to confess to a less pleasant reaction after reading in the February number the nearly two pages of "Comment" devoted to the recent student conference at Milwaukee. It seems to be neither genial nor kindly.

When some three thousand college students from all parts of the United States and from other countries devote their Christmas holidays to attendance on a serious convention, where burning questions of the day are faced frankly, and discussed without reserve, the occasion would seem to call for sympathetic treatment at least, and to be worthy of more accurate information than the writer of the "Comment" professes to possess. If it bad been an intercollegiate football game that was under discussion, the writer would hardly have been content to use such expressions as "is not recalled," and "if memory serves," implying that the whole thing was too insignificant to requi-re exact statement. To speak of the conference as numbering "several hundred delegates" is certainly not to exaggerate. The writer seems especially peeved by the stand of the conference on the question of war, and not only treats the question flippantly, but uses an expression which might well call for an apology when he speaks of the "gay young amateur bolshevik." Is he not aware that this matter of war is being looked at by a great many people in a new light in these days, not only by college boys and girls but by many older people? Not all have reached a definite decision for themselves, but they are asking if in the present stage of civilization war can under any circumstances be justified. And not a few are saying that never again shall it have their approval.

Whether one is ready to take that extreme position for himself or not, all must agree that the.time has come to face the facts of international relationship in a different spirit from that which has prevailed in the past. And it will not strengthen the argument to use ugly terms or to indulge in sarcasm. Our young men and women may, some of them, betaking themselves too seriously, but even so, such resolutions as those adopted at Milwaukee are better than sole devotion to jazz and its accompaniments.

The article which I have ventured to criticise does not seem to me quite worthy of a magazine intended to keep the alumni of the College .in touch with the young and eager life of today in the colleges. There may be more significance in such a gathering of seriousminded young people than in much larger gatherings of alumni and others to see a football game.

Yours very truly,

Regarding The Weather Vane

I am rejoiced to see in the "Pencil Points for December a series of sketches of VANES for the new library, and although I might have a shade of doubt as to the best one having been given the prize I am sure that the proper thing will have been done, in putting up a VANE when the time comes. For, every spire needs a VANE, in spite of the fact that we have a Weather Bureau at Washington. But they cannot know when the wind changes 'way up in New England after they have sent out a forecast can they? Not a bit of it! Many a weather prophecy goes wrong because the wind backs down to the eastward and instead of a fine day we get rain, fit for a swimming pool contest, or a coveted snow for our winter sports. I hope to live to see the VANE in place. When I see it high aloft, I shall be reminded again, of an old friend who "lived on a vane" as may be said. He lived on it, I repeat, because he could see one, daily from his bed of pain and have something to think about. In this way he suffered contentedly, hoping always for a fairer day, but alas, a builder came along, saw a vacant lot, proceeded to "develop" it, and as he developed it higher and higher the last bricks cut off from my old friend his daily view of his vane.

His life was spoiled; he had no more occupation on his bed of pain and soon passed along on a fair wind let us hope. And so, let us keep an eye on the new VANE at Dartmouth and live' in the hope that once in place it will continue for generations yet to come to point out steady, fair weather for Dartmouth, and if storms arise, let it give the College warning, in advance, to enable her to withstand the threatened devastations.

A winter view of the Webster Cottage