Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-05-31
BrOadhurst Institute.

This excellent school is first in the field
this season with its commencement exer-
cises. These have consisted of a night with
the Rising Star Society on Tuesday, one
with the Excelsior on Wednesday and the
regular graduating exercises on Thursday
night Besides these we attended occasion
ally at the examinations which were carried
on during the day. These latter evinced n
high degree of proficiency in the scholars
especially in arithmetic and algebra, in
which department some very difficult ques-
lions tested the ability OF the scholars. Some
of these were sent in by citizens for solution,
and they were not in all cases fairquestions.
some of them being really incapable OF n
definite solution. All, however, which were
soluble were solved, and the insoluble ones
well tried at. In Latin and Greek, while
the average was good we would venture to
suggest that too much anxiety has been
shown to get over much ground in short
space of time; if less had been done during
the session that little would have been better
done. This, however, is an error which is
almost universal in schools of the present
day, and is in a large degree the fault of
ill-iudging parents who like TO think that
their children are getting on fast. The ex-
aminations in chemistry we we're unable to
attend, but understand that they were
highly creditable.
In mathematics, so far as we could Judge,
Mr.. Ed. Turnkey was fdciIe princepS; nothing
daUnted him.
OF the two societies, the Rising Star COM
prises the little people and the Excelsior
those Of larger growth. The exercises of the
former consisted mainly of Rotations
songs, etc., winding up with a pretty chill
drenS edHtdta, the quarrel of the Flowers"
all of which was executed by the children
in manner highly ereditable to their
teachers, and in which the charm of art
lessness GiSarms criticism.
The exercises of the ExcelsiOrs demand
more extensive and detailed notice; more
extensive, in fact, than we are able to devote
to them, as they were quite numerous and
our space is limited. We must mention in
general terms the fine singing of Misses Set
tie and Fowlkes the wit and personal at
fractions of Miss Lena Dale, the elocution of
Miss BillingSley, Miss Jessie Fowlkes, Miss
Belle Lieber, Miss Norah Baker and Miss
Jennie Keesee; some good piano playing by
several of the scholars; an excellent cha
rade, the solution of which we did not ascer-
tain, but which was capital fun in'the play
ing; and finally the jovial humOr of our
editor of the Excelsior Banner.
We must make separate mention, how
ever, of a lovely duet most delightfully."- sung
by Misses Settle and Fowlkes, entitled 1--WE
Come from Fairy Bowers and we take the
occasion TO congratulate our fair friend
Beulah on the complete recovery of her
voice, which was decidedly under a cloud
when we last heard it.
ft1l1
tious paper by Miss Lena Dale entitled a
Horoscope of GAINESVILLE" in which she
ventured to forecast the status of her friends
some ten years hence.
Master Willie Fits, whose great elocutory
powers we have frequently noticed, dis
tinguished himself by the delivery of a pa
per entitled "Retibutive Justice" written,
we believe, by Bayard Taylor.
And lastly Jimmie Hamlet, though now
over sixteen years old, still retains his pure,
clear soprano voice, which he used to capt.
tai effect in Polly, the Cows are in the
Corn" The precision of his information is
really extraordinary in a boy who has had
no special vocal training.
The graduating exercises were the pro-
gTamme for Thursday evening. Miss Kate
Biningsley and Miss Lena Dale were the
two "girl graduates" and two more attract
i've young ladies could not have been found
| to grace such an occasion. Their respective
essays were most agreeably cOutrasted, rep
resenting by their contrast the varied shades
of character Of the two fair authoresses.
That of Miss BiIlingsley sparEled with dia-
mond points of epigram throughout while
| Miss Dale's effnsion scared to the ampyFean
regions of the sublime. "HypOtheses in
/ Real Life" was the title OF Miss BIS essay,
and it was occupied with a RECITATION OF the
| common error that any persons life can be
/ laid down beforehand with mathematical
precision by providing few preliminary
| conditions. This mistake she refuted on the
/ principle that such a problem involved too
many unknown quantities without sutfi-
cient number of fixed equations for their
( solution, a point which demonstrates not
/ ouly a shrewd insight into her subject, but a
| profitable nse made Of her mathematical
studies. Miss Dale's effusion on "Immor-
tality" was full OF the nohlest aspirations
towards that higher life on earth which Il at
once the means and the fOretaste OF thai
highest life which expands beyond the
grave.
I The Baccalaureate address of the Rev. a
d. SEARS described graphically the boastful
and Superficial character of the present age
as compared with the more leisurely pro.
gress Of former days, which gave time for 9