One of the special engagements that occurred yearly were the commencement exercises of the Benicia Female seminary, a meeting of alumnae and pupils. From 1862, on my return to California from Boston, until the death of our instructor, Mary Atkins-Lynch, I was the honored guest as vocalist at these gatherings, and I count these epochs in my career some of the special occurrences. I was among the first pupils of the school and added my talent on all occasions of note during the continuance of the seminary. It was in Benicia where Mrs. Lynch first began her work as principal of the seminary. Her pupils are now scattered over every quarter of the globe. A thousand invitations were sent out and 250 accepted and others sent their regrets from the different cities in which they resided. These were put in a list and read with interest by those who gathered in 1878--the last and most notable reunion of the school. There were at this time Messrs. Gray, Jones, Woodbridge and Hastings, trustees of the seminary when it was founded. They had not met for years, and the pleasure they felt at this accidental meeting can be imagined. It was like one large family reunion, for these men were our friends as well, and through their efforts the seminary was placed upon a high standard. We were visited yearly by the notable men of the state legislature, army and navy, professional men and women of culture and talent. It would not be amiss to let the younger generation be familiar with the names of early Californians who stood high in the nation and honored men of the state: Capt. and Mrs. Matthew Turner; Dr. Cole and wife of San Francisco; Professor Trenkle, pianist, San Francisco; Dr. S. Woodbridge; Judge D.N. Hastings and wife; Hon. L.B. Mizner and wife; Bishop Wingfield; Major Hackert; Professor Roger of St. Augustine College; Capt. E.H. von Pfister; General Kautz; Major Wells; Major Wilhelm; Captain Rixford; Lieutenant Scriven, U.S.A; Lieutenant Weresch, U.S.N.; C.B. Houghton; Rev. Mr. Easton; Professor Corbaz; Mrs. Brackett, class '59; Harriett Riddell, Class 72; Major Townsend; Dr. Peabody; Samuel D. Gray and wife; John Denning; Judge Lynch; Professor Trenkle, one of the pioneer musicians of the state and seminary; Mrs. Mary Loughlin Kincaid, of San Francisco high school fame, president of the alumnae; Mrs. Mary Hook-Hatch, vice president; Mrs. Agnes Bell Hill, treasurer; Miss Kittie Stone, secretary; Mrs. M.R. Blake, the first vocalist of the seminary to distinguish herself in the world of music and song.