, 1874-06-12
C0MMENCEMENT-DAY.

C0MMENGEMENT-DAY.
Tlorc Is a stir and bl,Btlo In oil the univer-
eltlos, cologos ucminarloa. aud boarltng-sohoo1a
Of tho land, just ut prcaent, for Commencement
Day Is at hand, and from now until the middle |
Of July tho papers will bo filled with tho dongs |
Of this red-lottor day In tho educational caleu-
tlar. Alma Mator is putting on hor best gown |
and cup to welcome tho coming strangers and |
bid dol-speed to hor departing Bons, whom Bhe !
sonda out into tho world supplied NTH abundnut |
atoro Of knowledge and armed with ahoop-skln |
shield to fight tho battles Of llfo. Now tho
Senior ,mpatiently prepares hls trunks, for
aweara late hours and fluid compounds, assumes
IN air Of worldly dignity, throws out vague hints
concerning that wonderful oratlon. and seorotly
wishes that he woro not 80 aoon
to leave his cloister. Now tho callow
Freshman soon to bo impreaHos tho rural house,
hold with his sudden importance, and towers
nbove Tho younger brothers 30 prodigiously TINT
thoy hagin to regard him with q fooling Of rov-
orontial awe, knowing not tho doubts md mis-
giyings whicl, fill Ills mind % he contomplates
thodraadGul possibilities Of matrioulation and the
atil moro dreadful possibilities Of initiation into
tho mystorios Of college life by means Of smoke
and water aud tho furious rush. Now the budding
young woman, about to stop from tho restraints
Of achoollife into tho freedom Of society md tho
chase for matrimony, weopH In secret aud col
lectb locks Of hair and autographs and photo
graphs, and inditos narrowing notoa to
tho numerous friends Of hor bosom OK
prossiyo Of tho grief and anguish Of
separation from hor companions. III I'LL this
turmoil Of Commencement thoro is something
very touching. very pretty, aud worry comical.
aftor all, engender a loye and venoration for
the Alma Mater which man never loses alt
gethor, but which aro apt to grow stronger and
stronger the farther down the hin ho eots; and
In this there is something touching. 1t il TINT
little bit OF eontimentality which every nun car
riea about with him, oven though he bo ayorae
to showing It. Circumstances, howoyer. now
and tlen, bring 1t out, as when, d few weoks
ago. very staid and bald-leaded citizens and
| s,lndzy proper and domuro gontlemen Of tho
! cloth found themselves, before they know 1t, ap-
plauding most Justify tho vigorous, It not artas-
tic, songs Of college gleo club in this city. 1t
Is pretty aight, this gathering sogather Of all
tho collegiate crafts for tho launch-out into the
troubled aoas, aomo Of which will sail bravely on
| to fnme and fortune, and sotne Of which will GO
down with all aaila set or run into tho breakers
And, withal, thoro is touch OF humor aud com.
icality also In Commenoement-Day. Hundreds
| II not thousands, of young Cicoros and Demos
tlonoseB, between now and tho middle
! Of July, will PROFOUND and discuss nj
tim great questions which have both
| cred tho world for ages, and will settls
thom-to their own satisfaction and the RmuBe
mant Of tho old hoads in tho auditoriumB VIII
gave up tho conundrums years ago. Philosophy
politics, metaphysics. poetry, scionco, theology
and the arts will DO we'll shakon up during th'
noxt four weeks, but will settle down afterward
none tho worso for tho shaking. And th'
world viii have just aa many problems to solv
as eyor. Tho elders will listen with respnctfu
docorum or quietly dozo, rathor impationt 10
the rhotorja to cease aud for the Commencement
dinner to begin. In tho boarding-schoolB mn
sominarios tho Gracos and MUSES. will have t.
suffer for month to como at the Aands Of th
fair young oratoresaes. Sentiment viii boboate
down thin as gold-leaf. Rhetoric will run rio
through tho wastes Of plntitu1a, and all tho VII
tuaa aud ologaucles will be canonizod afresl
hung with wsoaths and snaothered with flower
by gushing young creatures III white aud pinl
Out Of MI this touching, and pretty, and com
doubtodly come many diauppointmenta. Youn
Brown, who delivers the maatorly and inoyitabl
grafton on "Tho American statesman" may nj
turn out to be statesman at all, but shrlvel nh
dry up in country school-houso, or do in
ditch from his unfortunate aoquaintans
with too many flowing bowls, while youn
Jouos, tho dulieat aud thickaat-hsadu
loon in tho class, will keep p!odair
along until he plodR into CongreHs. NJ
into fortune. Young Aramiuta, who discourse
20 Bwcetly md plaintivoy about 1oye-lorn nigh
:, ingalos, silver moons, and tho tics which IiE
soul to soul, may turn out to bo q very vu1g
and Yituperatiyo Xantippe, while plain Hannal
tho rod-Aeaded girl in calico, may yot woar aat
. aud DO the idol Of society.
And got, with all it's unoortaintioB and dim
pointmonts, its pathos aud ita humor, Its dl
tresslng rhetoric and gushing oloquence, Cor
moucomout-Day ia ono OF tho few days VIC cal
not spare, and many au old aud white-haif'
y pilgrim, who long ago Realised tho truth
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