The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-06-14

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showing high culture of an analyti,
Cal mind. We regret that space for
bids us printing the essays entirely
us they were worthy of anyone's
peruSal. The valedictory was de
livered by Miss Lulie Huey, and We
give it below:
VALEDICTORY.
Respected Audience;
To those of you who have measured
strength with the stern realities and
deep experiences of life we fear d
school girls valedictory will seem
but tame. Nay, more, your verdict
has already been rendered
There are stories once pleasing too many
There are beauties once charming too fear
| fully old,
Or voices you've heard till you know them SO
| well,
Though they'd talk for an hour, they've moth.
| ing to tell! "
We do not hope to find ground over
which you have not travelled, nor
rhetorical flowers that you have not
plucked, yet, we would gladly be IN
sympathy with all to-day, for it is a
memorable occasion, IA day to be
marked by a white stone in our young
lives.
We cannot go up to you; for 10! a
strange and untried distance lies be-
tween us, which we cannot pass at a
single bound. We must travel for
many weary days, as you too well
know, to reach the heights at
tanned by you; and these stages
must be made by slow de-
grees. Expanded thought, deep
feeling, subdued hope and steady
purpose are the outgrowth only of
years and experience. But you may
come back to us. Memory with cleo
trio plnions may bring you back to
our plane
ITO the shining days when life was new
And all was bright with morning dew
To these hallowed associations we
beg you revert, and to this unison of
feeling we would invite you to-day;
to-day when all nature seems to be in
| love with herself and her works.
She sings in her balmy breezes, and
smiles in her sunlit meadows. The
great universal law Of harmony OBJ
tains in earth and air. Though I'M
known to many of you, your faces
have so familiar grown to me that
can almost call you friends. | have
enjoyed your beautiful Austin so
long, have been taught by your
teachers, | have worshiped at your
alters, until ahomelike tenderness for
you and yours has taken root in my
heart. came saddened by the pros
pect of remaining; l go saddened at
the thought of leaving. Since came
to your city, five years ago, many i'm
provements have been made, while
some grand enterprises have been in
augurated. May they go on to COM
pletion before the decade is rounded
out. Surely the prospects of Austin
were never brighter and the future
promises to add to her prestige May
the "City of the Hills" grow famous
for her learning as she now is for
her natural beauty and moral worth.
And to you, respected audience, al
low me to wish
| Strength to your hours OF noble toll:
Peace to your starlit dreams,
Sweet smiles to keep forever bright
| The sunshine of your lips,
| And faith that sees ring of light
Round natures last eclipse
Dear schoolmates, five beautiful
/ years have swept into the great ocean
| of time since l came to make one of
your number. 1t was gloomy day
in October; how well remember it,
the purple hills with a softened splen-
dor slept in the golden haze Of an
autumnal noon. The Colorado, wind
ing in and out, interlacing
the hills with a silver band
added to the beauty of the
scene; but this charming picture had
no beauty for me. L was homesick
and sad. The five years before me
doomed up to my childish mind, d
grand cycle of time, far-reaching
illimitable future. l had heard that
in the quaint old towns of England,
the sundial which for centuries had
silently marked the flight of time.
bear these pathetic and suggestive
notices: "Carpe diem," Snatch the
day." "Tempus liable" SLIPPERY
time;" then, too, the school girls
wrote upon the blackboards: "Tem-
pus fugit," "Time flies" but with all
possible reminders, l could not real
! lie the value of time or the rapidity
of its flight. In my isolation it
seemed but unfeeling mockery. But
as the days Jagged slowly by, new
hopes. new attachments, new aspira-
tions began to engage my thoughts.
A change came over my feelings, and,
as one borne rapidly on
ward, sees all things NOV
ing by him, so /, changing in
feeling, saw all things change around
me. Time began to move, then to
hasten and then to fly OF late, the
present has seemed an inappreciable
point, scarcely known before it is
gone, mere outlet, through which
the illimitable future may flow, while
the past seems to grow larger the
further it flies back. But 1 must not
moraliZe to-day, nor linger upon the
parting scene. In our school life we
have all learned that there is much to
forget and much to remember Then
we ask you in this sacred hour, to
s'Forget the bitter brOoding thought,
The word too harshly said.
Remember all that time has brought
The starry hope on high,
4 The strength attained, the courage gained
The love that cannot die"
Teachers, loved and reYerenced
a few moments more and our rela.
ton as teacher and pupil ceases for.
lever. These moments stand as mar.
row neck of time between two vast
seas. On the one side, rolls the past
bearing rich argoSieS of instruction
for us to study, apply, and profit by
on the other. the future with its white
winged crafts, its dancing waters, and
the sunlight of hope playing brightly
over the scene. Hitherto resting il
: the quiet harbor of our school CIR,
home. we have often listened to the
q far off surging of the :. sea OF life
Its murmurs soft and pleasing as the
:. chimes of distant bells, seemed but I
/ prophecy of q Joys to come.