, 1875-06-27


who it was that pierced the heart Of the Con-
federacy. As well undertake to diTest Ma
po1Eoa Of his military 1aurels.
---~
coMMENCEMENEDAY.
Vacation time has come, The little people
have lashed their books together and taken
them home, a7d now they swarm off into tho
country to enjoy q rest from sohool-room du-
ties, recruit their health in the pure air, and
get into trim for study again in autumn The
older scholars have hidden goodbye to Sc DOL
days forever. The <*sweet girl graduates
have fluttered their little moment Of excite
ment and fame upon the stage in white aud
pink. have been smotherad with flowers by
their youthful admirers, have read their cal
low essays and sung their pretty songs, aud
enjoyed their first draught Of the cup Of
fame, and been chrouicled in the gazettes,
and now they separate-this one to her flirt-
ing and coqueting, this one to hax marry
ing and housekeeping md future diff
culties with servant-g;r3s and children, this
one to her teaching Or shop work,
perhaps; souae 10 lives Of happiness, and
some tolives Of vretchedaess, but all looking
forward into future whose pathways are
paved With roses, and whose skies ere flushed
with gold and crimson The young man IN
cup and gown have addressed their seniors
With the wisest Of platitudes, and en1mciated
es new truths to gray heads old-time facts
worn threadbare long ago in their wrlnlled
experiences, and the gray heads hays sat and
%c
ture, art, science, politics, theology, and
craftsmanship, With quiet smile aa they
recalled the days when they also had
downy cheeks and lusty lungs, and
stood upon tho stage and explained
the world to taeir seniors, who had
squeezed it dry years before- They have
spoken their piece, recaiyed their degrees,
sung their last rolIcling songs, planted their
elrus and ivies, and have passed the thresa-
old Of Alnsa Hater for the last time as STU
dents. They will NOW prepare themselves
to fill the places OF their elders upon the ros-
trum, in the pulpit and the sick-room, and
behind the o6ca-deak- Some of them viii
be pioneers Of progress; some OF them slug
gartla, who viii fall by the wayside. Some
OF them will 60 to Congress, aud some of
them to the State Prisons Some Of them
will make great name and SUCCESS, and
some will make failure; but all set out with
brave hearts and hopeful soula, after the rnan~
ner Of youth,
It is an old, old story this story of Com
nencement-Day, with its white~muslined d.
whites and black- -gowned heroes, an starting
off il the grand race OF life, with it's flags and
banners and flourish OF trumpets, but it is
story which is ever fresh and new, and it
would seem as if it had never been 80 fresh
or 50 new as this year. The press hns been
filed to overdowing with the details Of Com
mencementa in seminariee, colleges, and uni
varaities, and OF the exhibitions OF schools.
Never before have they been reported mora
fully OF carefully, aud never have they been
mora interesting. In Chicago, this has
been specially true. The graduation ex-
ercisas Of the High School on Friday
last we're attended by Al immense
audience in the largest hall Of the city. Time
was when the school-building was large
enough to hold the crowd Then small
church suffced. Last year McVicker's Thea
TIE had to be used, and this year McCormick'a
Hall, with its great seatng capacity. The
young ladies' and gentlemen acquitted them
selves with great credit, and they made their
dabuts upon the stage Of life with degree Of
success which deserved the flowers aud ova-
lions Of applause which greeted them. In
reading the report, however, ono is struck
With singular discrepancy between the grnd~
uations and the admissions. The graduating
class numbered some eighty members, but
the list Of admissions rs published numbers
about 500 In the ordinary courss Of things
this should be nearly the number Of
graduations at the end Of their school-days;
but the old rule will hold true, <+ Many ere
called but few are chosen" The long list
viii melt away. Some viii move from the
city. Many will drop out into business, and
some Of the girls will get married. The num-
ber Will steadily diminish from various causes,
until but Is or 20 per cent will remain to
graduate. The List, however, and the grading
Of the pupils in it, speak well for the ea6cien-
cy Of cur grammar schools. In al this thara
is great hope for the future of the city. So
long O. our schools maintain their standard
and the list Of scholars increases, and 80 long
as the public throngs these graduations every
year in increasing numbers, the prospect is
an encouraging ona. What il tzue Of Chics-
go il true If tho whnls country. Every
where tho graduating exercises aee1a to
have been unusually successful, and
soms Of them were attended by In
teresting spisodes, O. at vaasar College,
for instance, where - young ladies had quail
lied thernaelvas to reoeive the somewhat
anomalous degree OF Bachelor Of Art
Though We may seem to be going to the bad
in soma respects, &nd corruption and genera
zascalty m4y appear to bs On the increase,
tas oureution win srentuAl1J coma Through
shs nahum II ozr anhonls md uufTdzhAat,