, 1882-06-10
The Sent:meataksms Of Graduating
Days.

Nothing is mora Conspicuous during
the graduation exercises at colleges and
schools than sentimentalism less con-
spicuous where i, is most expected -
among the graduates and scholars-than
among the gentlemen invited TO address
those about TO step across the threshold
of life's real and best opportunities 1t Is
surprising. 20 say the least, TO hear
gentlemen accredited with being apt
teachers Of mental and moral science,
making scattered presentations, which
are appearances without form, and upon
the wings Of t-anscendentalism of form
and speech, sending them into cloud land
III the presence Of the young. From
both theoretical and practical point OF
view, this is all WRONG, and there is no
end to the aSsurdlties which may grow
ont thence. Sentimentalism is luxury
which most men who are over thirty
ought TO be able to do without, and Of
al men who should do without it, are
they who are called upon to address
Young beginners in zeal life. Men. knock
ing about as they do from boyhood, get
their fine CORNERS rubbed off, and
when they essay to advise the young,
they shoald portray life as it really Is.
These men understand well enough when
they elided out from the safe anchorage
of youth, and the vague dreams with
which they started grew into earnest
realities, they found their enthusiasm
and buoyancy going with the fading OF
their feverish dream, of the beginning.
They know well enough that they come
face to face with angular practicaEties
which tested the judgment OF their hearts
rather than the egotism Of their heads
and all the clcuJ-eities they had builded
and peopled, drifted away and lett them
nothing but an ideal remembrance.
Knowing this, the burden OF addresses
TO the young ought to be to teach them
to get clear OF dreamy yearnings and poet
icil broodings, because they viii be con
startly meeting things and people, which
have tendency to knock them INTO frag-
ments-prismatc fragments, it may be
but fragments for all that. The youth
or maiden who goes along the streets
dreaming over thestory Of Hero aud Lean
der and all unsconsciously stretches his OF
her arms to initiate the action of the wave
worn lover, and rudely touches some
practical man or women who ret0rts IN
language more forcible than polite, has
practical lesson on the contrast between
dreaming and working. He or she may
not altogether lose the dream OF mythoi-
ogy and the Hellespont and become prac-
tically fond of dollars and cents, or there
may evolve desperate cynlc, with
frayed intellect The path is long for
the boy or pirl who is not at the start,
graduating days. disillusioned by those
who advise him and her for the future.
At such a time as this, sentimentaIlsm.
is cut of place ii is simply high treason
against the kiugliness OF the capacities of
these scholars to tell them that lie is
either a vale of tears or an idle dream,
that they can lie lazily upon soft cushions
in the barge of life and d,ift unimpeded
to the end of the stream.
The men who deal out this sentimental
ism are simply hypocrites, mere sophis;i-
cal jugsiers Of words, and out o5 the IN
tellectual field they should be weeded.
The very excellent and practical ad-
dress of Rev. DR.. Lalhrcp, delivered de-
fore the graduates of st. Paul's school
last evening, was so much in contrast
with that style We have referred to in this
article. that We very much regret our pre-
sent inability 10 publish il in full.