Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-06-05

woman. we consider this essay TO
bean excellent specimen Of an allie
CORY well worked out.
Miss Willie May Ligon, of Clarks-
vile. Eubject-"Up-hilI." A we'll
thought-out moral essay, contrasting
the arduous self-denying path OF
duty with the down-hiIl tracks of
pleasure, strewn with flowers and
easy to find. The true rewards of
life were justly assigned to the faith
ful follower of the way which led
per GrCtst1 al alta.
Miss Matte Irwin, of GAINESVILLE.
Subject-"Oaly Once" Miss Mat
tie also seemed to be under the
apprehension that some one was
going to object 10 her essay, and
apologized for it on the ground that
it came only once in her life. A
better apology was the very inter-
esting essay itself, to which we are
quite sure that no one in the room
objected.
Miss Ludie r. Gerhart, of Clarks-
vile. Subject-'sThe Future" Miss
g. approved of the tendency in
youth to look at the bright side of
everything in anticipating the fu-
ture; and looks upon dark days as
necessary foil for enhancing the
brightness Of the happier ones. We
cordially approve the practice and
envy the faculty OF keeping it up.
Miss Mary d. Meriwether, of
GAINESVILLE. Subject ''The Happy
Valley" The essay commenced
with a long quotation from Johnson's
g Rasselas." Her Interpretation of
the allegory was that everyone de-
sires to escape from the controlling
circumstances which environ him,
and to enjoy freer and self-chOsen
mode of life, and that too many
long in vain to return 10 the happy |
valley from which they were SO
eager to escape. Miss NJ. read a
second quotation from Moore at the
of her essay. Both pas
sages were beautifully read.
Miss Maggie Rudolph, of Mont
gOmery county. Subject-"Life's
Links" A happy resume of all the
stages in life, from infancy to old
age, each graphically and thought
fully treated.
Miss Addie Wilson, of GAINESVILLE.
Dream" Miss Wilson
with some very unnee-
essary apologies for what was to us
4 very interesting essay. Weshould
be very much in favor Of dreaming
If we could enjoy such dreams as
hover over the slumbers of young
ladies, but, alas! ours a.e of the sort
which are dictated by late suppers
and other questionable sindulgences;
and we could get along much better
them.
Miss Kate Plummer, of Clarks-
vile. Subject-"What will the
years bring?" Anticipations of the
tissue of joy and sorrow,
orange blossoms and funeral cypress
which is to constitute the staple of
life; nnquestioning Submission to
the will of providence, and mu-
tual help and sympathy proposed
IS the best means of alternating the
more painful experiences.
THE REV. p. A. Fits ADDRESS.
Theexercises were concluded with
he address to the graduates by the
Rev. p. A. Fits. We certainly
heard nothing during this week of
Intellectual efforts which went be-
1ond this of Mr.. Fits in elevation
Of sentiment. His whole discourse
'elated to the bearing of feminine
purity upon national well-being.
rhe address commenced with an
to the republican conven-
ion now in sitting at Chicago, des-
lined, as some think, to issue in a
built on the ruins of our
-epublic. He declined to enter upon
hat question, but said he addressed
/ body OF hearers who were to be-
,Ome a dynasty Of sovereigns in a
more complete than any
which, at the worst, Grant could
the rulers Of the realm of /
nome. On that throne woman had
sxerted a benefcent sway for centu-
les. So long as the Vestal fame
1urnt brightin Rome, so long as her
cOnfOrmed to the type Of
JOrneIia, the mother of the Gracchi,
md that Portia who was Brutus'
wife and Cato's daughter, Rome
vas mistress of the world; and it
vas only when the corruption of the
alter empire penetrated to the
homes of its people that its decline
So also the conquered south, when
t had nothing left it but its unpol-
uted homes, built its reviving pros
Derity upon them as a foundation.
This closed the academy COM