The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1871-09-02
Address Of Edgar Fleming
to the Pupils and Patrons
OF Cottage Grove In
80 stitlte," 2Sth of
July, 1871.

tprorince Ia attempt, in an imper.
tect way, she fulfillment of the
momentOus duty assigned us in
bidding alden, as it were, to the
.lSbors of the past FIVE months.
Feeling. cur Incompetence, we
would faiHlGlesire that some other
more capable of filing the posi-,
'tieu, should take our place, but
thinking as the dying Lawrence
said, that "lGvery man must do his
duty we snail only ask that you
pardon the many imperfections
with which our attempt at public
speaking must be so replete. We
close eo-Gay the five months term
(which we agreed to teach at this
'Paace, Sad when we look back
over the iHcessant labor under
gone, the Observation-Disclosures
aand guardianship we have exer
FGlsed -oyer those you were kind
enough to cntrust TO our care ::
we retire fiom the work with the
welcome Consciousness OF having
*done all that human energy could
do to advance the interests of the
yeatse.of CHS riciRity, and feel
assured that, with enc voice, YOU
are prepared to say,"Nell done.
good and faithful servant On
AN occasion like this, the pupils
and teacher on the eve of separa-
stion, after having been associated
together for several months, in
'ciese CON partnership, must have,
.asas natural TO youthful minds,
many sad thoughts awakened.
izningled With pleasing recollec
tlons of thu past crowding them.
We should then ask ourselves:
-"What lis to be eur future! Is
,there not some one in this little
band, who may be distinguished
in after years and stand foremost
ameug Grrth's master spirits I!
Perhance there is. No man
knows hGs own destiny. Writ
has said, and very truly, that
Livery man is the architect of his
own fortuge;r but do not under
stand us TO say that every man is
a Cesar in arms, or IL Demos
themes in Oratory, but that their
equals hare lived aud died in oh-
security will never be doubted by
any one. Pehaps, in this little
circle, there is mind capable of
rivalling a Bonaparte in arms, or
"A Cicero in Oratory. Do You de
. sire posthumous fame? 1t is nat
ural TO many; read the history of
the worbs, array in enc grand
'eataaogW. earth's true nobility,
and ask yourselves, each and
every one, ''isit my wish, that like
AN Alexander, a Lord Chatham.
or q Henry, ms name shall be hon
-ored centuries after my very rest
ing place is forgotten, or the mar.
bic slab Ut tombstone shall have
-crumele'l and been scattered to
the four winds of Heaven, As
American youths, animated by
the ambition so natural to all Of
Tas, you instinctiveIy answer by
@ yeur vesy looks. 1t You would be
great, then yoS must labor. Store
yeur mn dis with knowledge, ard,
when you think that you have
almost fuished the course ofstuIy
and rea ding, look around; see
what Others have done. and what
remains to be done, and, then in
deed, yeu will feel as the great
Newton once said, "Like a child
on the sea shore gathering peb-
-bles, ami what little you gathered,
would hardly make a ripple, if
east again into the great and
unknown ocean of science and
Rncwle6 ge.n
But doyou need objects of en-
ulatien; gou have only to look
-afouad n'your own land, and you
see q Webster, Clay, a Calhoun,
a Ssonewall Jackson and many
Others, Who stand out in bold re
lief to iinimate and excite to emu
lation, The youths of ali coming
generations.
We must part at least for a time;
emust part from these pleasant
sGssoeia ions; these scenes of real
eRioymeat; in other words, we
mast part from each other. The
ties of friendship so early formed
can nevw be severed, and though
distance may throw its chilling
links lsetween us, and distant
lands be our home, still this will
ever be a spot fresh and green in
our memories, which time nor dis
Gance eau never obliterate.
To express ourselves indivtdu-
ally, va would say,
"Wher sver roam, whatever realms /