Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-07-04

The High school Commencement.


The High school Cemmsnoement.
On Friday evening, Jones' Hall VA
filled with listeners to the exercises o.
the "class Of 70" from our high school
But before we make any comments upon
the exercises it may be well to descant 8
little upon the ordinary newspaper crit
icism upon homo talent. q" ''-
It is the almost universal custom 70,
country sheets to indiscriminately praise
every participant in = performance Of this
kind, no matter whether deserving Of
praise or censure. This Is an injustice ia
the really meritorious ones-who surely
of the two should have justice done
them-for when you praise all alike, you
lower the good performance to level
with the poor or bad.
Again, it detracts from the influence of
the paper and brands the editor 40 q fool
or liar, for either he can't tell good
from poor performance, or else he de-
ceives when he speaks in equal terms
of all. For this reason We propose to
speak As we think, Of all entertainments
in Austin, disclaiming any desire Of
seeming harsh, but always aiming to
be just, and knowing full! well, that we,
AS others, are liable to mistake.
Again, two heads are better than one IL
one is a sleeps head, and little honest
criticism may furnish that power Ito see
oursels as ithers see U.S." and may do
good. There is moral to the "beam and
the mote' story which is not often
thought of and which might be called
the "beam end" of the tale, aud that is,
that though it would have been unques-
tionably better for the man with power.
full "perceptives," to have relieved him.
self of the splinter in his optic. yet the
the Scriptures no where deny that the
other fellow HAD an almighty "mote,"
nor do they suggest that the "beam" man
had any trouble to see 1t "clearly."
This prepares US to notice the pro-
gramme which began with an anthem,
very we'll rendered. As to the prayer,
very good one in itself, we have to say;
at prayer meeting or gathering Of any
kind where worship is the purpose and
the intent, long prayer is all right.
But where the audience is composed of
one sect, and another sect, and no sect at
all, on q hot night and in crowded hall,
with children in waiting, and pro.
gramme Of purely secular character, a
prayer that lasts over two minutes, is
wearisome to the most devout. DR..
James B. Walker, author of the Plan of
prayer. He asked that the exercises
might he pleasant and profitable, that the
class might do honor to themselves and
their friends, and especially that the
young ladies might be given strength of
voice to be heard all over the house;
Amen" And his prayer was answered.
adaptation" by Miss Ritter, called our
attention to the adaptability of the diff:
ferent parts of the body to one another,
the wonderful fitness of things in nature
for mans use, and finally the necessity
of proper choice and selection Of the
psth in life adapted to our natures. Miss
Ritter should speak slower and louder.
"Why" furnished q starting word for
rather discursive and desultory, though
quite interesting essay, by Miss Lulthlen.
The subject allowed considerable free
dom of range, for questions and answers,
which were pleasantly given. A little
louder tone of voice was needed here also.
"Peter the Great" by Willie Richardson.
was an interesting and instructive synop-
sis Of the most marked events In the life
of Russia's greatest monarch, with lessons
and deductions therefrom. Gestures are
seldom needed in a recitat;ve production
of this kind, and his excess Of gesture,
showed faulty training, for we really be-
l,eve, that had the young man been left
to himself he would have introduced far
fewer. All know, that gesture, to be
easy, must be felt, must be spontaneous,
and selfinvented. A gesture forced upon
a speaker, always bears marks of the pro-
cess. His performance was perhaps the
most instructive of any as 1t recalled and
frightened up our history.
There were some sweet strains in
speed my bark, oh gently speed thee,"
duet by Misses Maggie Shaw and Mel
lie Sterling.
1t Is mistaken idea that every gradu
ating class should have a poet, and the
student that takes this position too often
does himself an injustice and sacrifices
himself for the good of the cause. Our
poet probably worked harder than any
other member of her class, but yet there
were faults of meter and rythm, which an
older head could scarce have summed;
we know from the fair success of her
poem, that Miss Lambert would have
done better had the same amount Of labor
been expended on an ordinary essay.
She has pleasant voice, and her reading
was good.
Mas Ellis read of the silent forces of
nature, as the most powerful, and passed
from this to the power of love and of the
emotions Of the soul in leading one, in
forming character, and determining ones
conduct. Miss Ellis spoke slowly and
distinctly, and made the audience under
stand just what she meant Her elocu.
ton was natural, and therefore good. :.
Frank Day gave us an earnest, manly,