The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1877-07-18
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
a CosnpOsiiion Read at the Closing Ex-
ereiscS Of LSnnlRni Institute,
June 5th, 1877.
ny MISS LIZZIE WALKER.

Respected audience, II may be that see
ing my subject on the programme YOU
have imagined that am going TO pro-
nonnce some eulogy upon the patriots,
that, reused by their wrongs and sense
Of injustice proclaimed on the Fourth Of
July, l7I6, the famous Declaration of In
dependence. But you are mistaken. /
speak tonight in my own behalf, and
in behalf of the class which | represent
| will, however. quote few of their
words, rs | cannot find any that better
express my feelings: when in the
course of human events it becomes nee
essary for one people to dissolve the
bonds which have connected them with
another, decent respect Of the opinions
of mankind requires that they should
declare the course which impel them to
the separation"
decent respect to the opinion Of man
kind. OF course everything should be
done decsntly, and that is the reason that
|, modest as | am, come before you to-
night.
/ Well, these great men went on to say,
and every body believes that they spoke
the truth. We hold these truths to be
seIfcvideut Chat 10 pretty strong isn't i)
that all men are created equal, that they
are endowed with certain inalienable
rights, among which are life, liberty and
the pursuit OF happiness. If all have a
right to liberty and the pursuit of hap
piness, then why IL it that the large and
respectable class of the community called
'school girls" should be oppressed, per-
picked and borne down by rules and
regulations, till neither their feet, their
hands, their tongues, nor even their hearts
are left at liberty to act voluntarily.
Poor miserable unfortunates, doomed
to pass the halcyon days of youth within
the narrow limits OF the college walls,
under the supervision of lynxedNsyed
teachers, and deprived Of the exercise Of
our wills.
Here We spend, what ought to be our
happiest day, trying to comprehend the
dull pages Of some mystical science, such
as philosophy, Chemistry, Logic, or pour
ing over the History of events that hap
pened so long ago that they are entirely
out of date, or, what Is worse, seeking to
solve some proposition in Mathematics,
which lie nearly meaningless, to the be-
wildered mind, and, after all the solving,
don't seem to be so very much. Some of
us are compelled to study French or Latin
as though there was any better language
than the good old English.
Variety is said to be the spice Of life,
but precious little is the spice that the
school girl gets. Why, Saturdays and
Sundays are the only days that pretend to
have any difference, and that is not much.
Let me depict the annoyances of one
bright day;
First, then, before it is time for fash
ionable people. or people ofany leisure to
have their morning dreams disturbed
our sweetest slumbers broken BY the ring
ing of the rising bell. No matter what
our dreamy fancies may he; whether Of
the mystical future, the buried past, or
the busy present, all the same we are rung
up. Or, five happen, by some mistake,
not to hear the bell, or, half hearing 1t, |
fail to heed and hug the pillow just
minute longer to get our eyes open good,
there is a tap tap at the door, asking if |
all are up Then, of course, we must do |
something. Some suggest sleep on. Yes,
that would be very nice indeed, for the !
breakfast-bell would ring just as you are
about half ready, and you are tardy at
the table. But what does that matter |
asks one. oh, nothing much, only a /
few dement's. Well, doL't you go down at
all; play sick, says another, and have
your breakfast sent to your room. That
would be very pleasant indeed, but there
is mo rose without thorn" Tor the school
girl. OF course our teacher must come to /
see what there is in her matsri4 pleiica /
that would answer for us, and, after long
deiberalion. feeling OF our pulse, giving
much advise, &c. she comes to the very |
wise conclusion that paper pill or two
would be beneficial OF course it is pre-
sented at once and we have to swallow it. |
What freedom, | would respectfully |
ask, is there in such position. But |
must hasten. Let me say, however, that
whenever We do get up promptly, some-
thing gets out of order in the kitshen, or |
somewhere below, and we worry and fret |
ourselves until we are as hungry a.
wolves At last the bell ring. Oh, that