Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-06-23
THE GRADUATES OF 1888
ANNUAL COMMENCEMENT OF
THE HIGH SCHOOLS.

ANNUAL COMMENCEMENT OF
THE HIGH SCHOOLS.
The Exercises at Masonic Tempie-An-
nfxersary of the Arnold SOciety-The
FssavS. OratiOns and Glass HonOrs-
The Annual Acknowledgements OF
Diplomas.
The thirteenth annual commencement
of the City High Schools took place yes
terdav in Masonic Temple, which was
crowded from $50 O'Clock until the close
of the exercises with an intelligent and
brilliant audience, comprising the rela-
tives and friends of the graduates and
leading citizens. The members of the
schools occupied chairs reserved for them
in front of the audience. The graduating
classes were seated upon the stage.
CAPTAIN George A. Mercer, President of
the Board Of Education, presided with
his usual dignity. There were also upon
the stage Mayor Lester, Rev. g. q. \. Mac
Donell' pastor of the Wesley Monumental
Church. Rev. j. f. L. Holmes, pastor OF
the Baptist Church, Rev. DR.. L. ;. h.
Arson. pastor of Independent Presbyte-
rian Church. Col. ". s. Basinger, Capt.
Robert Falligant, Hon. j. o. Ferrill, SUI
perintendent Baker, Principal W. 5. Bo-
CART and Principal H. F. Train, members
of the Board of Education and other gen.
tlemen.
The young ladies and gentlemen COM
prising the graduates were the cynosure
OF the critical audience, and sustained
the distinction to which they had been
honOrably advanced to the apparent entire
satisfaction of their friends.
The exercises were opened with prayer
bv Rev. G. G.. y. MacDOnell, who fer
venrly invoked the divine blessing
upon the pupils who had finished their
course of school studies and were about
TO enter upon the rugged path OF lie;
upon the teachers under whose direction
their steps were guided; upon the Super
intandent and members of the Board of
Education, whose efforts had secured to
them the advantages and opportunities
for study and instruction, and upon the
audience which had assembled to witness
the exercises of the day.
The opening hymn, 1.-The SplendOr OF
the Morning. was admirably sung by the
school.
THE SALUTATORY.
The salutatory honor, awarded to Miss
Willie Nina Swoll, daughter OF Captain
VIM. SwOll, was an exceedingly we'll
written production, and its delivery was
accomplished in very acceptable and
creditable manner:
exercises like ours to extend glad welcome
to those who honor us with their presence.
Even were such welcome not hallOWed GUS
tom, il would be fitting ceremony to-day, IN
the presence of such an audience, and before
your sympathZing faces and your encourag-
ing smiles. Surely none but feelings OF inter-
est ard sympathy have brought you TO anOther
graduation day; and J am proud ana happy
to have assigned the pleasing duty OF extend
ing To you all the cordial greetings OF myself
and my sister graduates,
1t is with mingled feelings of JOY and regret
that we come before you TO take part IN the
closing scenes of our schOOl-life. Henceforth
our names. as pupils OF the Girls Hlgh school,
will be erased from the roll to when we nave
for four years daily responded; and we shall
now endeaYOr to assume the role OF young laqy-
hood. with its unknown yet coveted joys, but
yet the release from which Ut has come TO my
ears, as the experience of others, Tor OF course
we can know nothing about it, we VIII nan
with as much delight as the entrance now
upon it affords.
ed President, who has worked so Zealously for
these public schools: you, esteemed members
of the Board, whose wise counsels nave zone
so much for the advancement oil our euuca-
ton: You. our worthy Superintendent, our
hOnOred Principal, our faithful teachers,
whose interest, care and instruction nave I'M
posed upon us q recognized debt OF gratitude.
You. dear classmates and schOolmates, most
of whom we shall leave behind TO occupy our
places: and you. ladies and gentlemen, pa
rents, visitors, friends, all, welcome mere on
our graduation day.
A thrill of pleasure fills our hearts, as we
/ look in YOUR faces and feel the inspiration OF
| YOUR presence. Your gathering nereSlhGlles
1 within us a new ambition to acquit ourselves
I creditably. The feeling that our school du-
I ties are now ended seems like a dream. and
memory goes back few short years, when,
with wistful ewes and anxious thoughts, we
were building s'air-castles," bu0yant with
{ hope and laden with promises of future good
( and as we we're ambitious to take our parts IN
the great drama OF life; With all the changes
I that are numbered with the things that were,
! how much OF good and evil, how much OF JOY
\ and sorrow has Time borne away on Us wing
I ed flight Joys have been found and lost,
/ some of us have had their sweetest dreams
/ rudeIy Weakened, others hGye enjoyed the full
/ fruitiOn Of their cherished hopes.
Ii can not be otherwise. In youth the mind
I i filed with romantic visions. and
the future appears all aglOw with enjoyment.
| Old age through the light of experience,
/ sees the folly of all these expectations: yet,
/ even the aged sometimes are found to indulge
\ in this wild form of happiness.
As we recall the scenes and events of our
/ school life, alas! how many lost opportunities
I sends pang of regret to our hearts. Stand
/ ing uDOn the threshold of the future, each one
/ can count the measure of her good or i'll, and
to each comes the echo OF these INES
ssFINIs CORONAT OPUS"
The end doth crown the work.
The retrospect, however, is not wholly
gloomy. Humbly we recognize our errors,
gladly we see traces Of some good sdeefis, OF
s,little words in kindness spoken (which have
filled. perhaps. one heart with sunshine May
our record have been 50 written that when the
bright pages are laid open our lives may De
I a beautiful contamination OF happiness.
Yet dear friends, do not imagine that II Is
( with tears and sObs we sever our school ties,
I we cannot but appreciate the dehghtInl
I thought that the task of learning those long
and perplexing lessons is e$eF;. fhat We are
now released from text hooks. from compul-
sorry hours Of school attendance ana from
forced restraint upon our time, our pleasure
and our will. These are pleasant changes,
and know you will congratulate us on secur-
ing fber'. -. al,
Z Is simply TO thank you foF FO,r presence ana
bespeak your kind attention to what my sis
| Ter graduates viii have 10 say. Hernaps II
will NOT he q ssfeast Of reason and now OF
/ sOul,'' but yonr indulgence viii forgive an
faults and compensate all deiieleaeifs. Let
me close, therefore, with the renewed saihta-
I ton: Welcome! thrice welcome, to one and
I ~
THE 0E.GINAL ESSAYS.
PRINCIPAL Bogart then saao.IEced the
/ essavists. The first of the series was
I read bv Miss Grace McGlashan, upon the
/ subject, sWoman's Influence" and was
! followed by Miss gabIn2 Gertrude Fitz-
/ gerald upon Memory" Both essays
/ were well written and well read. Ehe
audience was then given a scientific
/ calculation of the origin and nature OF
/ LIGHT i'm an ESSAY upon 1.-The SUM-" by
/ Henry Manning Ward. Master Edwin
I knsley Richmond noted the march Of
/ civilization and improvement IN well
| handled production upon ZINE Etogress
\ of Man." Miss Emily Marie Ryan very
I distinctly and clearly developed the char
! acter OF 7.Dame Rumor," and unfolded a
/ fun chapter OF lie life of that no.
/ tOrious fictional parsonage. fhe galue
/ of time, in its rapid flight, was
/ f0rcibiy impressed upon the audience
/ by Miss Lille HnnleF IL an essay upon
/ ssi.ost Moments.n Master Isaaore E1aer,
/ in his Treatment of the subject, ''Work
and Play brought ont some excellent
/ ideas. This series OF essays gag closed
| by Miss Mary Genevieve Doyle with all
/ account of ''The Man in the Moon" All
/ of the productions showed thought and
eateGgl study in their preparation, and
! were FeGeiy ed with enthusiastic and
merited applause bY toe delighted audi
ence.
After the singing of the song ''Chiming
I Bells" Principal BOgart announced that
/ inc Eext feature of the exercises would be
] the thirteenth anaiyersary meeting OF
THE ARNOLD SGCIgTy:
The President. Miss Bina Adams, took
/ the chair and called the society to order.
! In accordance with custom the reading
/ Of The minutes of the last monthly meet
/ ing was dispeaEed with.
The reports of ofacers we're called for.
! In absence OF the Corresponding Secre-