The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1880-06-30
80.
ANNUAL EXERCISES.
Large Audience, Showers of Bou-
quets and q pleasant time.

4 Large Audience, Showers Of Bou-
quets and q pleasant time.
Any one visiting the region of the
Universalist church Friday evening
would have certainly decided tha,
the interest in the graduating exer,
cises had by no means lessened.. AT
half past six the open space in front
of the church was filled with people
and long line extended down the
walk, all waiting patiently for the
doors to open. When this was
done there was rush, and Mr.
i Palmer had to interpose to prevent
undue erowdlng OF the eager throng.
The building was soon filled and
many had to leave, failing to even
secure standing room. -sro,sa, &
| AT, eight O'Clock the class filed
QUITO the platform, accompanied by
Prof. Tower and Miss Ingersoll
clergymen add school board. Mr..
Spoor stepped forward and hush
fell on the crowd, the only sound
audible asideo from the tones Of
prayer being the waving of hundreds
of fans, which tho imaginative might
have tancied sounded like angels
wings. The petition was direct
common sense and to the point ask
ing that the young graduates nigh,
press on to yet higher excellence in
mental culture, and that our CITY
might likewise remember the neoes
sity of mental drill and discipline,
The class, assisted by Prof. Tower,
then gave .---t
| GREETING SONG 54r..a.
which differed from most Of these
productions in being qnite well rem
dered. Miss Grace Gustin now came
forward with her salntatory essay,
ITALY LIES OVER THE ALPS.
Among the first indications OF in
telligence shown by the child is the
longing for the future, TO be q "bie
hoy" to reach manhood's estate
Ever longing for the beyond, for the
tutuie, for ",he land that is fairel
than this for the "Italy over the
Alps" Many had pressed on, ira
lversed the weary journey and reach
ed the destination. But from the
time ambition had burst the gates o.
paradise, the unrest of lite and sur
roundings had ever filled the human
heart. The pilgrim ever was long
ling for the Jerusalem of promise
ever saw the goal beyond, ever hoped
from the next hilltop to catch 6
glimse of the golden summer land
the Italy of bis desire. But the
practical worker after all was the
one that grasped the golden threads
that, woven together, made even the
dreary Alps surmountable. AND
though the owl may boot his deri
sion from the ruined temples left by
mans ambition, and though the
ioftiest towers and minarets may
rise to heaven to satisfy the longing
still it is the beyond, hills peep over
hills, Alps DER Alps arise. Beauty
wealth. fame, all fail of giving perfect
rest, all fail Of filling that picture il
the human mind, that land of golden
summer days, the mystic beautifn
Italy just over the Alps. Then class
mates, let us put on the armOr of am
bition and press forward, never
wearying in the race, press forward
with determination until sour Italy
is won.
| After q beautiful song by the
QUARTET, MIR. Homer Nash presented
his views on
| HAPPINESS.
Happiness is mans being, end and
aim. Among the first things def
ned by the young mind is happiness
aud misery, and although both may
be relative, they are none the less
real for that. This world is mar.
row neck between two seas, on the
one side lies the past, on the other
1.-The to come, the one is a picture o.
memory, the other a beautiful hope
But the present, the now, is no idle
phantom. The waves OF the sea OIL
life bear the active man on their
bosom but bury the sluggard in their
depths. To act is to succeed, to be
idle is to fail. The foundation for 8
happy life must be laid in youth
i The truly wise and happy generally
owe the fact to good parents
Wise men generally owe their
powers to the influence of pure
mother, whose forgetfalness Of sell
binds the youth to her in chains soft
as silk but strong as brass gives
But, to attain happiness, man. must
not live ter self alone. This defeats
the very object hoped for. Habit
rules majority of lives. The habits
contracted 10 youth generally attend
Us to the grave and make or mar oul
happiness. As the needle is evel
true to the magnet, 20 should oul
affections point to harbor of happi
ness. Yet one must learn to pre-
eeive, weigh and discriminate. He
must not follow all, or reject all
There is some good in all however
debased, some redeeming spark. Il
may be like the pnre white lilly OF
the breast of some foul stream, blu,
: all the sweeter by the contrast, and
as the lilly collects only purity from
It's base surroundings, so should mar
collect the sweetness and perfume o.
life, store Up happiness by living q
fife at harmony with self and ma
lures laws. Nature is to man a re-
Election of himself. IF he be pure, he
sees only harmony in nature, if Ire be
impure he sees only discord. Yes
life is what we make it. 1t may be