Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-06-14
THE COMMENCEMENT EX.
ERCIsEs OF TIE STATE
FEMALE COLLEGE.
y~aIedictOry Address.
Essays By the Young Laales.

Wednesday evening last was a period
IN the history Of the State Female col
lege that will be long and pleasantly re-
membered by the pupils and patrons
thereof, being the ninth anniversary OF
the commencement exercises Of this val
liable institution of learning. The large
chapel was crowded with the beauty and
fashion, the wealth and ~arist0craey OF
our city and adjacent neighborhood, and
a good s%prinkling of visitors from o dis
lance, all eager TO witness the final
ceremonies. About half after eight
O'Clock the scholars formedin procession,
headed by their teachers, and entered
the chapel through the center aisle, and
then passing back to the front door, re-
peated a number of times this ceremony,
presenting 81 imposing appearance in
their promenade, through tine ailses
to the seats assigned them to the left Of
the platform. They were all most taste
fully and beautifully attired in flowing
robes of snowy w%hiteness. trimmed with
neat ribbons and ornaments, and with
heads bedecked with wreaths of flowers.
The Rev. S. Watson then offered up
prayer, in which ne beseeehed Divine
favor toward the pupils and success and
prosperity for the institution. Then
came some excellent vocal and instru-
mental music, participated in by
teachers and scholars. The exercises
proper were preluded by an agreeable
episode i'm the chaste and beautiful ora
tion Of the Hon. J. w. Clapp, which
WIS of al eminently practical
character, and worthy the time,
the place and the occasion. The
young ladies were given most excel
lent advice in regard to the future con-
duet Of their lives, and informed that
only by their personal application could
they bope or expect to make material
progress. God has so arranged it'for our
good that nothing valuable can be ae-
quired without some corresponding
effort. The precious metals, as they are
called, which we prize so highly, are dug
out of the deep, dark mine, and scoopsd
from the bed of the lovely mountain
stream by toiling hands, and wrought
into the coin of commerce, or converted
int a thousand costly and curious
articles for use or ornamentation.
The pearl, whose lustre captivates
the eye, was obtained by some
adventurous diver, at the peril of his
life, from the far down caverns Of old
ocean, within whose silent chambers the
monsters of the deep reEOse, and
amongst others the huge pOlypus, which
sometimes clasps him in its Shiny arms
and doOms him to death in its most
loathsome and appalling form. The
| diamond, when discovered in its rocky
bed, is a comparatively rough and worth
less stone, but after 2 tedious process of
cutting and polishing, it N from the
hand of the lapidary a brilliant and
priceless gem, to sparkle on the brow of
beauty, or to glitter in the diadem Of the
kings. He advised them not to I'LL their
minds with a map Of ill-digested facts or
load the memory with names and dates,
but to evoke, draw out and discipline the
intellectual faculties in other words, to
teach the art Of higking-and for this
purpose no study is so efficient as that
of mathematics. He congratulated them
upon the creditable manner in which
they passed the ordeal Of a public exam
i%natiOn; and, Notwithstanding some
may have been mortified at their want
Of ttueney and readiness which IS 81
evidence of proficiency, they should re-
member that confusion and hesitation is
not always an indication of the opposite.
He a~nimadverted upon that most despi-
cable class of creatures, the married
belle, and condemned those who have no
aim to De useful, but content with being
a perambulating block for fashionable
millsTnery. He said nothing which
should haye been left Unsaid and
nothing Whieh saoHld haEe been
said was omitted. 4 warm APP
plause greeted his reference to the
war, which was eloquent and touching.
The essays of the graduating 0iass in
~terspersed with triOs, duets, quarJettss,
songs and an interesting interlude in
French. was read in the following order :
J. Sslutatory, Miss Belle Reid, Mem
pi4is.
?. Essay, "@e hayo but One Life to
Live" Miss Anna Lea AleXaaser; Chp-
lahoma, Miss.
8. Essay, Excelsior" Miss Bette
Burleson, Greenwood.
4. Essay, "The Genius of Adversely"
Miss Sallie McKie, Marshall county,
Miss.
5. Essay, HWill IS Destiny Miss
Mary A. Millsaps, Cspiah county, Miss.
6. Essay, "The Workman Dies-his
Work Goes On" Miss Jennie PostOn,
Greenwood.
Z. Essay. "Vision of Paradise Miss
Isora Stanfeld, Coahoma county, Miss.
s. Essay, "The Tyranny of Fashion,
Miss Anna Tuggle. Memphis.
g.. Essay, "Donit Give Up the Ship"
Miss Julia Tuggle, Shelby county, Tenn.
10. Essay, ant Might Have Reen =
Miss LauG Thompson, Brookhaveh,
Miss.
II. Essay, "The Pen is Mightier than
the Sword" Miss Ella Watson, Mem
phis.
u. Essay, 1.-THE Beautiful Miss
Anna Wilson, Greenwood.
These essays were all original and were
well written and well delivered, reflect
ing credit on the fair authoresses. We
feel disposed to p~articularize, but where
all WED to do the best, and all acquitted
themselves so creditably, we think it
would be an injustice to make distinc-
tions ~ will content ourselves by Civ
ing NJ following beautiful valedictory,
written and delivered by Miss Emma
Wilson, of Greenwood:
Kind Friends: 1t is with mingled
feelings of joy and sadness that 1 appear
before you on this deeply interesting
occasion. Upon the one hand / am sad
dened to know that the social &
of teacher and pupil, which has s6-sng
subsisted between US, is now TO be dis
severed; and the light and silvery chain
of friendship, which has 50 long bound
together the loving hearts of my dear
sehoelmates, will be unlinked, while on
the other, l am pleased that we have
been thus far successful in ascending the
hill of science.
l truly appreciate the high honor con-
ferred by my classmates ia thus select
ing me to deliver the yaledictory, but at
the same time I have much apprehen-
sion lest l should not do justice to them
or myself, since thought comes teeming
so rapidly oler my confused brain that
it is difficult to gather up those suitable
for the present occasion.
W. hnvya a arufuad daar olaoupnafng I
a grand epoch in life. The regular rou-
tine of school duties is over; in future
we shall seek paths Of different wind
ings, which may be thiekly studded with
either thorns or flowers and as we wan
der along the rippling streams OF life,
blending romance with reality, letLong-
fellows true words, Life is real, life is
earnest ever act as our talisman.
Here in these classic halls and Shades,
dedicated by the genius of enterprise and
christian b~eneyolenee to the noble work
of educating the fair daughters Of our
land, we have come together. Here,
hand in hand, we have trod the paths eff
learning, now gathering its sweet flow
ers, now Stacking u thirst at it's limpid
fountains, add now climbing its rough
and rocky accents. Here by revealing {
the merits of each individual character, .
QaliN COmpa0lOuSQlD mas ldlu Tue lOuu-
of mutual respect, and woven the
bright chain Of friendship, which l trust
will be lasting as life.
And how much We owe to the noble
spirits who founded and have still sus-
tanned this seat Of learning How ele-
CANT in its structure-now complete its
furnishings with all the aid OF study, 4,
how full and excellent its moral and in.
teIleetual training, andhoY beautiful and
iudicious the location in view of all the
wants of u country. Long may it :
stand to hand down to future generations J
the blessings which We have here en-
loved. Many thanks to the sainted
Starks, its first president, who, in the !
midst of his tolls, early received the ,
masters release. Many thanks TO the
trustees, who became its legal guardians, !
and TO him on whom fell the care and !
responsibility of sustaining it through
he terrible oalamities of these years Of
war. But sweet peace once more spreads l
her white wings over our southern land, G
and ardently do we hope that the days
Of former prosperity and greatness may {
Though now We part to go /
Rhithersoever it may be the will Of Di- J
vine Providence to call US, how gladly =
will our hearts ever turn to this central
spot and revive the recOlleetiOns of these
DAYS. 8