The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1866-06-23

to the mysteries Of truth, and dccipher
the hieroglyphics of knowledge"
DO not mind, most worthy sirs, that
this question is ever propounded. 1t
is only by the skeptical, and you are
aware that they are eve to be found,
and always found doubling. The peo-
pie generally are too well conversant
in your past actions-your friends in
your manhood-to expect aught else
than the contamination of this work.
They are only waiting to exclaim,
when all is finished, "Well done! l
knew it would be So" AS for MS, a
we better evidence our faith in your
frmncss, and our convictions of your
muniAcencc, than by the answer we are
ever ready to give such skeptics? We
are filled with gratitude for all you have
done towards making our College the
Shekinah of womanly greatness and
goodness. If you wish to have your
memories nurtured, your very names
loved and honored, stop not until our
noble building towers in perfection.
1t will be the most ennobling, the o
thicst, the most enduring Mausoleum
that ever pcrpetuated the "few i'm
mortals names that were not born to
die"
Schoolmatcs, l have associated with
most Of you but a little while, yet /
love you all. Ihave learned that many
q true and noble heart is beating warm
l,y within you. Rarely do we find, in a
number so large, so many that are as
faithful and laborious as most of you.
You have tho appreciation of your
teachers, the love and admiration OF
your associates. Nature has not spared
her gifts, and duty forbids that you
should abuse them. Already has the
truth entered your souls that it is far
better to Ire Il few days than breathe
out a long existence. Your eyes are
on the Orient star, and l trcmblc lest
luxury, fashion, pride, all assail you in
their most en%rapturing phases, and
hurl you lower than Hope first found
you. But you wiil-oh, you will be
true to natures noble gitt-a royal
mind. The aroma Of society's incense
will cnvelop you with its sweetness ;
the harp of pleasure woo in its most
enchanting strains, but these must be
resigned and relinquished for the high
er destiny offered, the destiny you are
now pursuing.
"Let piety guide the aspirations
which leap like angels from the temple
Of your hearts, and though you shall
be borne on the weird waves of life a
scattered band, yet will the tendency Of
your lives and your final destiny each
be known to the others. Upon some
hearts "grief will tread heavily" the
hower-bed of life will have its sweetest
plants and perfumes, naught else can
we expect. Joy will crown her favor
itc, the blithc vivacious girl. Wealth
will abandon her protege, and the child
ofluyury will offer sacrifices to Neces-
sity, but whatever be your fortunes, be
true to yourselves. BE true to your
selves, and this wall will never be
wrung from your hearts
God pity us all
Who vainly the dreams of youth recall
For of all sad words Of tongue or pen,
The saddest are these: 1T might have
been"
The bittcrcst drop in all this bitter
cup is the adicu we must faltcr to you,
II dearly loved and honorcd i~nstrnc-
tors. The pain of parting would be
aggravated, were we not permitted to
tell something of the grateful feelings
that arc swelling from the heart. Full
well we know that you all have sacri-
feed much for our advancement-have
offered up much of possible luxury to
enable us ''to walk alone over burning
ploughshares." We bow with heart
felt thanks, while on very souls leap
with q proud happiness that such n
corps has entered the tournament of
life, resolved to solve the enigma Of
woman's disputed powers. No Others
are better prepared for the work, be-
cause they who would rise above i'm
bedded opinions and place themselves
o n a lofty principle, are assailed by
calumny, hawkcd at by envy, and
charged with Alexandrian ambition,
and few can turn the Spartan front.
But when such souls as yours 60 forth
in strength and e%arnestness, there is
little probability of failure.
'Thrice is he armed who hath his quarrel
just"
Thrice happy we, to live so long I'M
der your vigilant eyes, and reap richly
from the conquest. Happy, too, that
you, dear Teachers who hold the soul of
in your soul, who give not to the
world all your grandest measures
happy that your woman's intuitions
have been working upon our forming
characters. Faithfully have you en-
deavored, and well have you succeed.
ed, in awakening an %intenser love for
the good, the beautiful, and the true, in
hearts. You have led us to love
your own muses., to love everything
can refine and elevate human ma
We now feel that you have de-
lineated the only commendablc avenue
life in one grand epic verse,
'Virtue and goodness bring their own
exceeding great reward" May we al.
ways feel thus; may We carry through
all time the truth that "acts proclaim
nobility" Could those of us who have
knelt by your side, and heard you re-
peat, with all the soul of feeling scnti-
ments that seemed born in Heaven,
could we be filled with aught but the
most poignant sorrow that such supe-
pleasure may never more be ours ?
We feel that we are launching from a
spot where we would that our banks
ever linger. In our hearts we
bear your image, and gratitude and i,
love shall keep it always fresh and hal ,
!