The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-06-18
THE HERALDAND COMMERCIAL
SWEET GIRL GRADUATES.
Continued from eighth page.

same hearts that went out there in Joy ant
gladness to the ovation Of friends in tn,
times long past and gone, are hele to-nigh
to revive those sweet old memories, to bea
responsive to the echo of our voices, and to
treat with loving and tender kindness the
efforts upon our part to interest and please
you.
There are also friends here tonight whom
we gladly welcome; who have gazed perhaps
upon grander scenes than this, upon long
lines of infantry with bayonets and sabres
flashing back the sunshine Of heaven; with
silken banners woven by the fair hands OF
Southern women waving over them; with the
blow Of bugles and the roll ofdrums making
martial music in their ears. There are those
here tonight who have listened with hearts
beating high with hopes of victory, to
grander music and wilder anthems than those
to which we Welcome you this evening.
You have heard the fierce music of the
bursting shell and crashing cannon, and after
all this you have lived on to listen to the
voices of Sweet girl graduates in peaceful,
pleasant times"
And of all these scenes in which, doubt
less, there are those present who have been
distinguished participants, there are
none, perhaps, of more significance than
that presented here tonight. For here is
embodied ut to your consderate criticism
the result Of the greatest effort of the human
mind; an effort to cultivate and enlarge hui
man thought, human knowledge and human
civilization.
Wepresent to you grander victories than
war ever has or ever can achieve. We pre-
sent to you the result of patient, diligent and
hopeful effort to Develop, i'm
prove and ennoble the hearts and
minds of the generation who are soon to
WELD the destinies of this mighty common
wealth.
This scene to which / am instructed to
give you hearty welcome is more pro-
found one than we can imagine. 1t is
significant Of an intenser culture, purer
life, holier and higher future for men and
women. 1t means peace and prosperity for
our peoples it means higher aspirations for
freedom, for truth, for people enfranchised
and disenthralled.
You may say that this is
an unattainable and ideal excellence of
which we boast, and cynics may urge that
these assertions are but fanciful prophesies of
aesthetic minds unacquainted as yet with the
stern realities of life.
1t is true that Tho ideal hoped for is u
grand one it is true that we are imperfect in
our efforts to attain it; it is true that it may
elude our grasp; yet Just SO certain
rs we stand in the dawn of
a new century opening out for us the
mighty energies of great civilization, will
We live to attain amid peace, amid Il generous
and earnest people, amid scenes just like
thls--that glorious ideal which | so family
and imperfectly picture to you.
The dawn may not be breaking just yet
or us, but
y Ills always morning somewhere, and along ,
The awakening continents from shore ~ shore, !
somewhere the birds are singing evermore,"
And !: sooner or later, with patience .
md trustfulness, will the songs and bright /. !
less come to us.
Dear friends and patrons, let us then well
'ome you gladly to these dear old college '.
walls, without even an effort to depreciate J
'our criticism. We will do our best to please !
'ou, to deserve your encomiums and to re- y
lect credit upon our school. Whether we do :
o or not, our hopes shall be consoled with .
no verse of Addison: J
We may not he able to command success,
But we I'll do more: We'll deserve 1t. :"
Your presence will stir us to higher efforts; :,
our approving smiles will give us keenest "
leasure and the confidence we feel that this :,
,hool and its scholars have aplace near your :.
cart of hearts, will support us in any ordeal 6
nd under any criticism through which We h
law pass.