Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-06-30
SWEET GIRL GRADUATES.
THE WESLEfIN COMMENCEME EN7
THI RSD1Y EVENING.
An Excellent Entertainment OF the
kfnd-The Girls Talk OF LaudabIc G
Aims and Bright Hopes.

The audience, the flower besprinkled
stage and the girl graduates and pupils.
looking their best in their white robes
made very pretty scene at the Opera
House Thursday night. From the opening
of the doors until after the exercises had
actually begun stream of people poured
IN, hlling all the seats and Overlooking
nto the aisles until the building was
more completely filled than the proysrbial
omnibus, where there is always room for
one more.
Among the distinguished guests who
graced the entertainment with their
presence were Senator Bayard, judge
Wales, Mayor Almond, George H. Bates,
Esd, and many others.
The present President, the Rsv. J. NJ.
Williams presided, assisted by Miss
Pearne at the organ and an able choir led
by Mr.. G. B. Rhoads.
The first piece on the programme was
an'instrumental duet by Misses Belt and
Mcgee, which was followed by prayer by
the Rev. J. II. Caldwell.
Miss Susie Powell Fisher, of uillsboro'
Nd, delivered the salutatory essay. She
spoke of the courage to do right, under
any and all circumstances, to face and
night down the evil in our path, and rise
victorious at last in the triumph of the
good and the true. She pictured the
bravery of the battle hero, the dauntless
patriotism of the Maid Of Orleans, the un-
wavering boldness of Luther the single
man who dared defy the Pope, and the
hero OF the Swiss, William Tell. But
there is another kind of bravery, the
herolsm OF woman when pestilenee stalks
abroad or when misfortune spreads its
black wings over the domestic circle. A
belief in heroism makes heroes. Let Ms
he true to ourselves, true to those around
us and true to God and departing we will
need no memorial but that of world
made better by our lives.
The glee class then sang peacefully
Slumber."
Miss Ella Wakeman Mccullough OF
Rowlandsville, Md, spoke of "Devotior
to Purpose" She pictured gallant
ship, setting forth on tempestuous
voyage without a iudicious commander
and wrecked in mid-ocean, while the sea
BIRDS sing her requiem. Such is life
without an aim, wrecked at last on the
shoals of eternity. All writers cannot he
Shakespeares, all painters cannot b,
Michael Angeles, but steady devotion
to purpose sustained by an unfalterine
will, will make the world a debter to the
individual at the close of life well
spent. 1t was such devotion to pur.
pose that guided Columbus to the shores
OF America and gave a new world tt
humanity. Great results cannot bt
achieved by all, but it may happen that
acts deemed by us of slight moment may
benefit some one else as well as ourselves
Conscientious attention to our every day
duties will not go unrewarded. nobl,
aim never lost sight of makes life some
thing more than pilgrimage.
"The Influence of the Press" was tn,
subject chosen by Miss Margaret Emmi
Durham. mightier power has sup
planted the orators of past centuries ; tn,
press speaks to audiences of hundreds o
thousands and its influence does much I,
mould onr lives for good or for evil. Tn,
American newspaper holds high place
but its power is unfortunately not uni
forinly welded for right.
Miss Emily Frances YOder, of MahanOy
City, Pa, chose for her theme "Circum
stances Alter Cases" This she illus
trated in variety OF ways, one of th'
happiest and most practical of which wa.
that the boy OF to-day, crawling on all
iOurs under the canvas OF circus tent
may nave WITHIN him the germ OF :
olahespeare' whleil laVorihg clrcum
stances OF VIII which conquers clrcum
stances may YET rlpeh INTO iull iruitloh
| lie eonge,, piano solo, was thei
rendered ny Miss Bray
MISS hafrlett fehhawell BELT, oil wa
mlhStoh, was the next speaker. He
essay, win the rather poeucal ute o
| illgrihs III lhought-land, bristled
| WIN SOUND common sense Ideas ana Nus
tratlohs' uhwrltteh, slle read, are tll'
llves oil many VINO nave been as powerful
Tor progress as any OF those who hav
achieved lame ana renoWn' Every hatiOi
is what II Is, because OF the many genera
tlOhs OF thlhklhB ana working men wh
have punt 1t up each patient lahore
contributes MS quota TO the grand result
AS INSTANCES OF men VINO iived much II
thought-iahd and ilVed to real purposes ,sh
cited ueorge stevenson, the iather oil ran
ways Bernard P0llssy, whose ornaments
aud araDesques are among the most beau
tilul OF the Renaissance dalileo, tn
perseVerlhg astronomer FRANCIS bacon
Locke, ualvanl, Franklin anu others
men whose observation grasped matter
regarded by others as trivial and de
veloped them INTO grand engines Tor tn
welfare and enlightenment OF those VIII
lived after them. Human knowledge
made up oil llttle iacts elected ny earnes
study. The tools do not make the WORK
man, but are themselves made by his ow
skill and perseverance.
POISON Is Often Drunk From Golde
Chalice," by Miss Mary Louise Mcgee,
Milton, Del, was one OF the best essay
of the evening. After saying that til
strongest affection is often shaken by tn
discovery of an undercurrent of hypocris
and that "a more deadly poison new,
tipped an arrow in Indian warfare tha
that which lies in the words of secr'
i foe" She turned her attention to VIII
she depicted as the alluring but pc
nicious habit of promiscuous novel reat
ing, the tendency of which is to destro
taste for that which upbuilC
character and strengthens the intellec
But, AS the bee finds honey in Il
noxious flower, so may We learn to owe
rule evil for good and thus to extra
virtue even from the poisoned chalice.
"Down in the Dewy Dell' was vel
prettily sung by a trio of young ladie
the Misses Mccullough, Caldwell al
Yoder, and the audience clamored for q
encore which, however, was not given.
Miss Pearne then rendered 'Tannha'
ser" ON the piano in a manner tn
ELECTED another burst of applause.
Rev. Alfred 7. Scott then called up IL
members of the graduating class,