Daily Republican., 1881-06-24
ON LIES THRESHOLD.
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES OF
TnE WESLEYAN COLLEGE.
A Class Of Seven GSRduates-
saeeessfaI Closing Exercises
Last Evening.

wesleyan Female COllege laSb nlGnG
The commencement exercises in tht
Opera House were Of a nature, the eX
tent and completeness of which have
never been equalled in this city. Alto
gsther 10 WAS great success, and Presi
dent Williams had good reasons to fee
proud of the splendid class which
stepped from the confines of school int
lifes broader path and performed the
, closing exercises so creditably. The
gradua ting class numbering seven is as
follows:
Susie Powell Fisher-Hillshoro Md
Ella Wakeman NcCullough-Row-
landsville, Md.
Margaret Emma Durham-Yorklyn,
Del.
Emily Frances Yoder-Mahoney City,
Pa.
Harriet Penniwell Whining
ton, Del.
Mary Louise Megee--Milton, Del.
Mary Rebecca Caldwell-Dover, Del.
The audience was an exceeding large
and brilliant one. The immense audi
torium was densely packed and many
persons were unable to even get inside
the building. Upon the stage, in addi-
tion to the graduating class and the
scholars and faculty of the college, sat
the following well-known persons :
Hon. T. +. Bayard, Hon. l.. +. Wales,
Mayor j. p Almond, Rev. DR.. Frost,
George II. Bates, Esq, c. =. johnson,
VIM. M. Fields, &. W. Sparks, Rev. G.
w. Miller, Rev. G. f. Sheppard, Rev.
t. l.. Tonpkinson, Rev. p Ii. Rawlins
and Rev. J. II. Caldwell.
The exercises opened with an instru-
mental duett, "GEand Etude GaIop, !"
Qudart, by Misses Belt and Mcgee.
The playing was done with grace and
skill, and was warmly received by the
audience.
Rev. DIR. Caldwell followed with
prayer, which was a most earnest and
eloquent invocation Of the divine spirit
to bless the exercises of the evening and
to aid the school in the future and make
| it a great power for good,
The glee class sang the chorus Peace
fully Slumber' with beautiful eftect,a and
then the exercises of the graduating
class commenced.
Miss Fisher was the salutatOrian, and
the opening address was accompanied
by an essay, "Who are Brave" With
graceful bearinp, clear voice and choice
language she welcomed the friends OF
the graduating class TO the exercises,
and said, aptly enough, that what
might appear old to many present would
not seem so to the graduates, who were
young yet They must, however, press
on in learning and experience TO gain
the desired goal. "ro this end let us be
brave, read the young salutatorian,a ,and
from this point she took up the subject
OF the essay and followed it out with
singular success. She said that there
were two forces all through lite-one
good, the other bad. Many and great
are the conflicts between them. 1t was
courage that overcame the bad influence
and arose in the world to be great and
good. 1t was only brave hearts that
sustained great minds and shaped
them for good in the world. There was
a courage coming from fame, but
that is not the bravery of true nobility,
but the soul that binds itself to truth
and virtue, what shall its reward be ?
The young essayist compared Napoleon
with Martin Luther, 'the monk, the re.
former, the martyr and the saint. His
was true bravery, and in his breast was
u spirit that detied Popes in its every |
throb for right and worked out % revo- |
luton that was great and grand To |
more clearly show true bravery, hero |
ism in times Of pestilenCe was cited. 1t |
is noble to be brave heroes on the bat
tle-iield. but more heaven reaching is |
the spirit that does not shrink in scenes
of agony and death. In closing she
lauded the granduer of great deeds, and /
said that 10 believe in heroes does much
toward making real heroes ofus.
Miss Mccullough followed with her
essay on "Devotion TO Purpose" q
carefully prepared and brilliant article.
She likened life to ship, which having
no fixed point in view, is sure TO be-
come wrecked. Our purposes may bear
lis in widely different directions, and in
the end may bring us fortune or fail
ure, gain or loss, according to our guild
ancc. We should sail ont into life's
broad stream with resolution and with
out fear, and there must be an absorb
ing devotion to some single purpose fix
ed in our mind. If our aim be high the
attainment will bring happiness even
though the success be not altogether
complete. Florence Nightengale has
shown hat lofty purposes woman may
be capable of it she will only hold firm
ly to q wisely and well-selected pur-
pose. By great deeds men make the
world their debtor. But in doing our
best, let us understand what the best
Is. That which seems smallest is often
the most important. Let US doit well and !
with care. When we do this and at last
attain the light we thought inaccessible,
and looking back see that its secret of
was in keeping before our !
eyes or our purpose. Miss McCullough's '
,ssay was an exceedingly fine compost
ion and it was well delivered and ex-
well received.
Miss Durham came next, her essay
,eing upon "The influence fthe Press.
& was well written and contained many y
fright things and numerous good ideas
# what was wise and unwise, proper y
md improper in journalism. She rap y
div sketched the influence of orators in .,
Id times upon the masses and OF the "
advancement of the art of printing. o
The glory of oratory fell when the o. o.
printing press arose." The press sup u: II
lies the orators place and speaks to 81 81
thousands when he could only speak to II
undreds, and it speaks every hour, and
yer and over again. American papers
ccupy in the present day y
Ugh position, but there was dark el
ide, and all was not good and noble 1t
,as wrong to use the press as an en- G
inc to crafty persona, spite, and when u
newspaper descends to this its value ct
nd importance is inquired. While she N
,as willing 10 ascribe credit to the press A
)r much good in the world the reader tr
ather directed her attention to those dl
nings which in newspapers were harm A
al and which tended to do injury to k,
ne public mind. Mss Durham deliv- m
red her essay with much care, and M
race Of manner. M
Miss Yoler chose for her subject, A
Circumstances Alter Gases" The
-. ry,f fl.AI