The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-05-14

tach to your fine of life. There is III
perioG after thai time when our facul
ties have sufficiently developed to al
low us to reason intelligently, to know
right from wrong, good from evil, tia
we can hope to escape responsibility
for our actions. Yonr duties may no
be so vari, d new as my own, but the!
are none the less real, none the less &c
tnal. 1t is your duty in the school
house to strive diligently to improve
your present opportunities, for yol
will not always possess them. 1t i
your duty in the house circle to show
your parents, Ivy yonr lore and obcdi
ence, that sou appreciate their .devo
tion and care, for yoa know not whe'
you may 10 deprived Of these, you
best friende, and your opportunity vii
be gone forever, and you will vainly
regret So many of your past actions
committed towards them. But how.
ever we may regret the past, 1t car
never he lived aver again. Inst tint
is never regained, lost opportunities
never present themselves more.
All! how ofteft have wished that
could live over my life--but it cannot
be-, All that remains is to strive to d,
better in tile future to strive tt draw
lessons from the past, aud to waru
others, in the hope that they may per
chance profit, hy my experience: "a
hope nearly always fousid fallac,oas,
since We are prone to IuRderate the
expcriencesof others, aud to pro6tenly
by their own.
Let me cxliort yon to lie diligen. in
yourstnlies, for as this is Yonrsfrst 90
is il Your best chance. Be c9nscien-
lions and learn thoroughly. Do not
bet content to master your tasks just
suficiently to get tllrouglitwith6ut re-
proof. knowledge TINS acquired fades
quickly from the mind. The habit Of
learning super6ciahy grows npon US.
aud is destructive to the acquisition 0i
true and solid learning. 1t is, far bet
ter to know a little well than to know
much slightly. But 60 On diligently,
adding little.by little to Jour store Of
knowledge, and in the end the aggre-
gate will amount to vast and solid
pilesa IT, is7 only in this way that the
stateliestp .edifces are built. First,
piece by piece we lay the Foundation.
Then brick upon brick, Or timber upor
tiasbAF, we Cruise the suPerstructure,
until the building stands complete.
Remember, as in the words of your
nursery rhy mss, that it IS 's3
dssThe little drops Of water, g s
s.nt And the little grains of sand,
That makes the bpundless ocean,
49, And he'pleasant LAM" 'if a@is.'5
And you will find that each step
now properly taken,in, the. prosecution
Of your studies will .relder successive
steps more easy. The possession 81
learning creates the desire for more Of
it's fruits, for ."tIse, loye Of knowledge
grows by what It feeds npon,n and
the love Of ID once acquired, viii ac-
lyon through life,l aud be "a
never, falling fonptg Of pleasure il after
years. Education will open to you the
road TO success i,f ali the higher walks
of life, and even in otl.af, sthans these,
it will lend to life an added charm. -
May you obtain knowledge aud the
wisd0w to use ait-for "wisdom holds
in her right hand riches, aud in her
left long life and happiness" But re
member also the other words Of the
of the sentence have Just ono
ted, he who was the wisest OF all the
men OF earth, the man of tile deepest,
broadcast, broadcast, most varied expe-
rience, "The fear Of the Lord is tho
beginning of Wisdom
Let me then exlort you again to
strive to gather the pearls Of learning,
which now lie strewn so thickly along
your path. Never afterwards will you
hare such ample opportunity never
again will you have so much leisure in
which tSdeive into the mind Of kuowl-
Bdge, and bring her hidden gems to
light. Do not be discouraged because
you have not the talent to acquire 80
Dasily pSfhdps rs some Of yonr fellows.
II H. the ipersevering man who sue
seeds in, life, and he Of only moderate
Intellect, Who is possessed Of tile quail
ties of application and endurance, will
,ften soar ~ heights from which the
most brilliant genius uuaccompanied
by these qualities, will drop back with
bad1ed aud broken wings. sai 80 q
You Of this generation in tour Sec
lion, possess advantages ia the way Of
obtaining education which were de:
MED to the generation which.preceded
you, and Of which I AN, a representa-,
i've. I aiiude to the common school
system, now in successful operation at
,yer the land. Under its6 benifceDt
the blessings OF learning
are within the reach of all. They can
be- obtained by tho children Of tie
poor, as we'll as the children of the
rich. f, ~. :n ~ .,.,,a.
And, while on this subject would
not think my duty properly dischar.
yed if, in these remarks, I failed to pay
! tribute Of respect to. the memory Of
the honored dead whosS name is borne
By yonr school, and to whose genuine
philanthropy is due the fact that the
children Of the Alexandria common
schools are enabled to ! contiue their
studies to-day, when, owing TO tile
embarrassed state Of our public fnan
ces, every other school in the Parish oil
Rapides las been forced to temporarily
suspend. Great riches were commit-
ted TO his care, but be wisely receg-
niEed the fact that tie was but a stew
ard into whose hands they had been
committed. He recognized the fac,
that j was his duty to, 80 Distribute bis
surplus wealth as to ameliorate the
condition OF ills race Aud lie did se