The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1870-07-07
W. ID. " ATrEEsON.

| BY special invitation we attended the
commencement at the Robert Donncll
Institute, on the l7th inst.
The exercises were highly interest,
lhg and entertaining to the large audi
cntc in attendance, as was cynccd by
the marked attention which character
lied the entire occasion.
The essays by the graduating class
were first in order. There were four
in number, read respectively by Miss
Salic Roberts, Miss Emma Johnson,
Miss MolIic Hunter and Miss Matte
McNaughton. The subjects were well
adapted to the occasion, and most
cloQucntly portrayed both in the com
position and reading Of the essays.
The class has been pronounced by
some OF the Examining Board, who
are citizens Of our own town. aud en- ;
inent for their learning, as one Of the
best classes ever sent out from the
schools OF Winchester. In fact, this
is the prevailing sentiment Of all who
attended thcrcXaminaiion on the day
preceding the commencement The
first named Of these young ladies was
in the Robert DonncIl before the war,
and returned after its close and finish
ed her education. She is u niece Of
General Wilson, Of Marshall county.
The second was u student of ProlcssorI
Burney's at the Mooresville Institute,
for two or three sessions, and entered
the Robert Donncll in 1867. The third
had been Il student Of the Lcwsburg
Institute for several years previous to
entering the Robert Donncll. The
fourth spent her first day at school and
her last in the west roo 4 Of the Robert
Donncll Institute.
From this sketch it will be seen that
they are fit representatives of their
Alma Mater, and will be shining lights
to direct others to her classic sha,lcs,
around which, no doubt, their dearest
memories will ever cling.
The Baccalaurcatc was delivered by
Professor Burncy, the Principal of the
Robert Donncll. And it is sufficient
to say that more appropriate and
eloquent address has not been heard
by the people of Winchester for many
day.
The literary address was delivered
by one Of Tennessee's most gifted
sons. General Gordon. which would
have done honor to any occasion. His
lame had preceded him, and cxpec'a.
ton was at the highest pitch, but never
in our lives did we witness public cx.
pecta,ion so fully me. and surpassed
as on this occasion. Ii has become so
common to culoeize every EFFORT of
this kind on similar occasions, that we
feel that such culogy would fall far
short Of the true merit of this address +;
hence, to say that it was rich. pathetic
and eloquent is, in the common accep-
tation of these terms, a compliment in
adequate to the demands Of the cast.
1t was our purpose to give more
lengthy notice Of the address in our
last issue, but We were induced to with
hold t, knowing that request signed
by the leading citizens Of our town,
had been addressed to General Gordon,
asking a copy oil it for publication.
Hoping that the address would bcpub-
lsbed, VIC withheld our notice Of it
last week, and regret now to inform
our readers that the General has de-
clined the request for its publication.
1T is seldom the good fortune OF our
citizens to enjoy such literary feast
IS was afforded them in the commence
nent exercises of Robert Donncll In
,itute On this occasion. W.
Ex Queen Isabella has formnllyl
-,