Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1885-06-19
PUBLISHED BY REQUEST.
Address of Col. VIM. Kilgour Before the
Young Ladies of Briarley Hall, Mont
gomery county, June 18th. 1885.
Young Ladies' of Brar1ey Hall

x
Ladies and Gentlemen !:
Time and again 1t has been my privilege,
as it has been my pleasure, to perform
duty similar in character 10 the one assigned
me by the presiding lady of this honored
institution upon the present occasion, and
beg to assure you that its execution comes
TO me as the fragrance of some newly gath
cred flowers from choice and elegant par
terres. With, however, much of difiidence
may approach the delicate task, am proud
Of the opportunity afforded me in gratifying
cherished sentiment OF my mind and heart
that beats in sympathy with you in so inter-
esting period OF your lives, and beg 70
tender my Acknowledgements
This bright and animated picture, so
rich, yet so tastily framed, is well calculated
TO touch the finer feelings of the heart and
call forth the noblest sentiments of the mind.
CHANGING over this intelligent assemblage,
behold sprightly youth, roseate beauty and
graceful gallantry, triple diadem GROWING
the radiant brow of education on "com-
mencement day" at Briarley Hall-a day
around which, as it approaches, cluster
many dazzling and innocent hopes, and to
which, when it has passed away, cling many
joyous, happy, sunny memories
To the ambitious young lady, who, In a
spirit of commendable emulation, strives to
excel, a day, scene like this, causes SEN
sation of delight somewhat akin to that
which the tempest-tossed mariner expert
ences when in the midst OF oceans waste he
describes some green and beautiful iset on
which he may feast the wearied eye, where
he may Stake his thirst in pure and spark
ling streams, OF fppesse his hunger -w'.l;
luscious fruits pendent from the awxGg
+ branches that erifbower his pathway -lllsh
cooling shade. But this smile would be
incomplete if did not remark that each
one OF you, young ladies, have all along, as
yet, been borne in barks Respondent with
paternal care and love. Precious odors have
perfumed the refreshing breeze which swell
ed the silken sails, and the strokes of the row
ers as they glided through the waters kept
| time to instruments Of music. The stream
Is usually calm and unruffled under the
bright and cheerful fires of youth, but 1t is
certain to stretch out its arms and become
more or less maddened and boisterous as
you draw near the great shore of eternity
Each one of you, l repeat, if you keep your
minds and hearts well influenced by that
sound christian, intellectual and physical
education which you received at your re-
spective homes, and which has been invig-
GRATED and enlarged whilst within these
|
lv fair skies and pleasant breezes. You
will meet with many bright and refresh
ing islet of thought--islets adorned with
lofty trees of knowledge and beautiful with
the sweet flowers of sentiment from which
you may pluck the brightest blossoms and
the sweetest fruits--islets irrigated by pure
and limpid streams flowing onward with
lnexhaustible supply and endless beau
ty, rejecting the glorles of the earth and
imaging the splendors of the heavens
Thoughts like these will spring up when
contemplating beauteous scene like this
sentiments like these will find expression
on such occasions, for they come bubbline
up like silvery sands from the pure well o
thought. | seize them as they pass upward
and onward through the dazzling realms OF
Imagination and scatter them here that they
may make healthy and durable impress
sion. Let not, therefore, the austere critic, il
there be one present, adiudge too harshly
the task which | assume He and think
not, speak not in revision. ! speak to you
the language of the heart, words of love and
tenderness, words of kindness and affection
words Of hope and encouragement.
You have, young ladies, or at least somt
OF you, arrived at that period when grea
emergencies lie shrouded in every swiftly
|
ever small, stand in the passages of ever,
days life, and great dangers lie hidden il
the by-paths of life's great highway. IL il
that period when the rosy dreams of earl,
womanhood begin to cluster and open thei
delicately perfumed petalsin every blushnI
morn us II grows into royal beauty throw
ing out its splintered bars Of gold across the
landscape as softly and sweetly as the smil,
of an infant in its sleep. Ii is that period
when you act from impulse, not motiye-
from feeling, not reflection. Age, with ii,
shrewd calculations, its subdued feelings, its
quiet enjoyments and steady purposes have
not yet come to curb your impetuosities-
Youth lives in the present, age calculates fol
the future and reflects on the past. "Youtl
is the poet, age is the philosopher, the on
sings, the other reflects" the one flushei
with ardor, the other grows pale with re
search. God has given you existence will
full power and opportunity TO improve i
and be happy He has given you like powe
to despise the gift and be wretehed. Wha
will yon do, Is the grand problem which
is TO be solved by your choice and conduct
Every thought of your intellect, every emo
ton OF your breast, every word of you
tongue, every principle you adopt, every &C
you perform will have their effect on YOU
little caprice, neglect the further culture o
your intellect, forget the training and admo
nitions you have received at home ant
whilst here, encourage habits of idlenes
and what harvest OF unhappiness you will
eventually reap, or 1t may be, as that wretch
ed and deeply SHINING poet, Byron, who
wrote from the black depth his tormenied
spirit
"Year by year alone
Sit brooding in the ruins of a life,
Nightmare of youth, the spectre of yourself
Ii, on the other hand, you learn to con
1 quer your inclinations, establish iondness
for that intellectual culture which has
tendency 10 regulate and refine the charac
ter, mould the habits, sdorn and enrich the
mind and heart, you will be able to assist in
increasing the volume of woman's influence
in society for good and be the better pre-
pared yourselves TO meet whatever of emer
gencies may overtake you in life. Undel
the constant guardianship and care of thos,
in charge of this institution your minds and
hearts have been directed TO such influences
Here your honorable ambition has beer
stimulated, the feelings have been diseip
lined, pure and worthy motives have beer
instilled, whilst the teachings received a
your hearthstones have been kept warm
Ii then, young ladies, you aspire, az every
young lady should, 10 an honorable recogi
milton in the walks of life, il you fully APP
preciate as you should, the high and en-
nobling character Of true womanhood and
her influence over oil the relations Of life
cultivate, beseech you, the bright and beau
tiinl flowers which bloom in the ganien ol
the mind and the pure and soothing feelings
which adorn the heart Learn to study well
and perseveringly, so that when you walk
abroad you may not only see but under
stand something Of the sublime works oil
science, the beautiful creations of art, so that
when you look 10 the star, gemmed forma.
ment above you and behold the myriads ol
worlds that roll in perpetual splendor around
the throne OF Omnipotencc, you may know
something of their nature and of their move
ments. So that when the electric messenger
comes freighted with the news of the world
and scatters IL abroad like snow flakes from
a winters storm over the land, you may
know how it was chained TO the wires and
taught TO do the bidding of man. SO that
when you gaze upon the photograph aud
! Il q