The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-07-01
Annual comasns.ms.. q the Co

Animal Commencement OF the Co
Is Iumbia Athenaeunn. = n
Last Friday evening closed the exer.
cises of tho Atheneum for the past ses-
sion. Like the Jews on the wedding
Occasion. the best wine was saved for the
last hour. A pretty little Die Vernon,
Miss Jenny w. Long, of Jackson, Tenn,
read the Salutatory, which was chaste
and beautiful in expression, and appro-
nriately read. Miss Sarah T. Brown, Of
this city. was to have delivered an adj
dress to the Alumn8, in the forenoon,
but it was deferred urt til in the after
noon. 1t was full OF fine thought, deep
affection, and rich imagination. The
Valedictory is always looked to with
much pleasure, as. it is considered post
of honor, only to be filled by one of the
cleyerest young ladies of the school. In
the present instance they were not dis
appointed. Miss Matte o. Clampit, OF
Arkansas, read the Valedictory, and did
ample Justice to subject which is brim-
full of sentiments that never fail to
stir the heart to its Utmost depths. The
following young ladies received prizes
General Prize in Deportment-Miss
Alice McGaw, city.
Prize for Department in the Boarding
Family-Miss Melvina Scott, county.
Prize in French-Miss Bette Num-,
Sylvarina, Miss. .
Prizes in Elementary French-Miss
Ella Vernon, city; Miss Viola Alexan-
der, city; Miss Matte Bunch, city.
Prize in English Composition-Aliss
Mary L. Walker, city.
Hon. James III. Thomas, President OF
the Board of Trustees, after short
speech in which he said The Athen9um
L., Gpllvnrad
to the Young ladies Diplomas conferred
upon them by the Board of Trustees, the
Board of Examiners, and the Principal
and teachers of the Athen9um, for good
deportment and efficient scholarship.
We append the names of the graduates
Miss Laura Andrews, Miss Leanna Dem
nom, Miss Matte Engle, Miss Lauretta
Gill. Miss Sarah HaddoX, Miss Sue
Hickey. Miss Mary NIayberry, Miss
Mamie McClanahan, Miss Isabella Rut-
tie, Miss Malvina Scott, Miss Mary e.
Walker, Miss Jenny w. Long, Miss Mat
tie o. Clampit.
Mr.. Thomas also announced that the
Trustees of the Athen9um, by the au-
thority vested in the charter OF the insti-
tuition, had conferred the honorable de-
gree of Master of Arts upon WIN. "A.
Smith, Mr.. w. A. Smith is graduate
of the University of Virginia. Rev. s.
G. CarutEers, Pastor of the Cumberland
PRESBYTERIAN Church in this city, was
introduced, and delivered an address,
which, for profound thought, beautiful
and striking imagery, and good advice,
was fully worthy of the occasion. DIR.
ID. C, Kelly, of Lebanon, Tenn, was also
introduced. and talked for about thirty
five minutes, and although the densely
crowded and intensely warm audience
was tired from sitting in one position for
several hours, they remained cheerfully
and listened eagerly to his piquant and
pointed remarks. During the war Dr.
Kelly was a Colonel under Forrest, and
was known as the fighting preacher
His speech Old this occasion was not UNI
worthy of his sObriq,tet. 1t literally glis-
tened with bayonet-edged words. II
was pointed with original thoughts. He
said woman was not mans equal, and
vet she was not his inferior. He gave
instances of woman winning from man
the prize for which he had labored with
energy. In England, prize for the
best Essay was won by woman
although the prejudice of the English
would not award it to her. The man
next succeeding her had sufficient chiv-
alry to decline the doubtful honor, and
it was given to a creature called a man,
the third best. In New York me tical
college, crowded with male students, a
prize was awarded 20 a woman for the
most succinct and desirable treatise on
difficult medical subject. These lnstan-
ces proyed that woman was not inferior
to man. Woman has the intellectual
powers and capacities of man, but they
are at mans disposal and use; his to de-
yelop or repress. The worlds approval
can make man perform great deeds, but
woman needs only the approving smile
and loving care of one man to cause her
to exert her powers and cultivate her fac
ulties. Thespeaker thought man should
not abuse this his great power over the
destiny of woman. We will let DIR. *
speak for himself, however. The adj
dress of the Principal was what we ex-
pected to hear from noble woman who
has devoted her fine talents to the edu-
cation of girls,--whose true womaniy
nature makes her a mother to each one
given into her charge. Ii was beautiful,
and more than beautiful, it was deeply
affecting. We will not attempt to give
her words; without her voice and man.
ner they would be Goals from which the
fire had departed. The browning of the
graduates was a beautiful spectacle. A
teacher accompanied each young lady to
the front of the stage, and pronounced
her, when the graduate kneeled on a
cushioned stool, and received the crown
on her brow from the hands of the Prin-
cipal. During this beautiful ceremony
very affecting scene took place. One
of the young ladies who had been espe-
cially favored with the tender care of the
Principal during her school life, burst
into tears as the crown was about being
placed on her head tears also prevented
the Principal from pronouncing the
blessing, but the fearful silence was in
deed golden-more eloquent than words.