The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-07-11
commencement Exercises at the
OrauQeyiIIe Academy.

the best colleges. The girls read German
instead of Greek There were three grad
uated this year Miss Aggie NJ. Melick,
Miss Gertie Il. Stewart, and Mr.. j. j. III.
Hamilton. The speeches and essays COM
pare very favorably with all productions
on like occasions, that have ever heard.
Rev. G. X. Garfield filed place on the
He spoke on the Educated
Conscience. He was listened to with
much interest and displayed wit and
gentle humor of which no one supposed
him such master. will omit the order
of exercises and give few brief extracts
from the compositions of the graduates.
What to select is difficult, for all is worthy
Of publication. The extracts here given
are different from those published in the
other papers Of the county. Miss Mellck
had for her subject "The Crown after
the Victory: perhaps there is no pros
pect, which Imagination can present, SO
alluring to the mind of a young man as
public life. The mere fact Of being q
theme of public interest seems to be the
greatest boon for which some of the men
to-day are striving. We, in our short ex-
perience, can already see that places and
greatness, though fair without, are full of
temptation within. Often on election day
when l see men collecting together, all ex-
cited, l have asked my self what is there in
office for which men are thus so eagerly
striving? What is that highest price of
contention in the pursuit of which happi-
ness is accounted nothing and merit is
pitted against hypocrisy and intrigue9 Is
it power? Is this the crown for which
they arc striving? We must
fight if we would reign. We must win the
crown we would wear-and just here let
us ask what crown are we striving for
Let us strive not so much for power as for
usefulness. Our times demand this. To
day little occupies general attention that
does not return some answer to the ques-
ton, 'Of What Use is ItT What advan-
tage arises from it? The wild visions con-
jured up by the heated imagination of
other times are all viewed through this
medium and stripped of all their gaudy
and deceptive colors and are stamped only
with that value to which their usefulness
entitled them. The lance of chivalry
rusts in obscurity, while the plow-share is
bright with honorable use."
Miss Stewart had for her subject, "Silent
Forces" "Of love as a silent force" she
said, "perhaps the greatest of all silent
forces is the force of love. Where all ef-
forts accompanied by the usual din of hu-
man undertakings have failed, love has
most gloriously conquered. The love of
mother for her child impels her to endure
the greatest suffering, misery and danger
for that child. There is perhaps no power
besides love that could do this. Napoleon
with his army overran all of Europe like
tornado, visiting all places with destruction
and death. Kings and potentates were de-
throned and their governments overturned.
Alexander conquered the world with the
clash of arms Caesar destroyed a million
lives in his compassionate names live
only in history, their empires were of short
duration. Christ, the humble son of the
humble carpenter of Nazareth, came upon
the earth to conquer with love. His king
dom now includes all of the civilized
world, and that love which he has i'm
planted in the bosom of his followers is
reaching. out, civilizing and bringing into
his kingdom the deluded and degraded
heather of every land. This is truly a
great victory for love-" She spoke of the
force of literary productions: "The fruits
of the reformation were nourished by the
printing press. That strange superstition,
that dark and impenetrable ignorance of
the middle ages was swept away by the
printing press. All the armies of the world
could not have effected these results. A
few great papers in this country shape the
mind and feeling of this country in relig-
ion, politics and law. In the heated and
noisy discussions on Slavery nothing else
produced the effect of Uncle Toms Cabin.
The pen is truly 'mightier than the sword
The force of the latter can be of only shor,
duration, while the victories won by the
pen are abiding. The strength of Napo.
Icons army was in Napoleon, but the
strength Of Uncle Toms Cabin is within
| itself"
Mr.. Hamilton, the valedctorian of hi.
class, had for his subject, 'The Ministry
| of Tears: "What is tear? The grand
est definition l have ever heard or read i.
| by that prince of American preachers, DR.
Talmage; he says; "A chemist will tel
you that it is made up Of salt and lime anG
other component parts; but he misses tho
chief ingredients-th acid of soured lite
the viperan sting of bitter memory, the
fragments of a broken heart. / will tel
you what tear is; it is agony in solution.
But if you still ask what a tear is, my an
swer is, it is the overaowing of hear
that's full, the gurgling forth of feelings
that cannot be restrained or controlled.
is grief and sorrow rolling down thu
cheeks in liquid form, the breaking
heart standing in the eyes in briny
drops, the hope and happiness of ,
wrecked or blasted life poured forth, aye
more-the tribute to the dead" OF tear
of sorrow he spoke as clears that burr
their way down the cheeks and leav,
traces that cannot be blotted out, tears
that bring on premature old age. Tears
each one drop of life blood; each one
fragment of broken heart" In closinl
he said: "But we ourselves, my class
mates, go forth now in different paths
each of us to fight our own battles; eacl
of us to conquer or suffer defeat as W
ourselves deserve. Each one must deserv
his own fate, be that grand and noble or b
that base. Let us then keep brave hearts
and let us be always armed and ready TO
the conflict, remembering that 'he con
quers who endures.' We met as strangers
but we part as friends, part with the hop
to meet again il not on earth, in Heave
around the great white throne of God
Friends, all Friendship, that mystic ii
that binds the human hearts as one
Ladies and gentlemen, kind friends, dea
teachers, all farewell. What does
mean? Goodbye is simply asking God t
bless. 1t is prayer, benediction fror
lips sincere, With all the meaning of tn
| word and from Our hearts we saw again [