The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-06-05

" Life PoemS was MISS ousie u. ioo'
erts subject. The is no life without poetry
Each life is poem, and each greA, poem Is
a life. We admire and are stirred by the great
epics of literature; the songs OF brave deeds
thrill US. There are poems for the gay, the
sad, youth, manhood, and a hymn for old
age Poety touches every fibre of our lives
bu. after all the poems sweetest and dearest
to us are those Of
some humble poet,
Whose songs gushed from his heart,
As showers from the clouds of summer,
Or tears from the eye lids start.
Such songs have the power to quiet.
The restless pulse of care,
And come like the benediction
That follows after prayer.
As interesting an effort as any Of the even
ing, was the "Class History" given by
Joseph J. Killelea, who like Silas Wegg'
dropped into poetry" He traced in rhyme
the trials and tribulations Of the class OF 50
from the day they entered room Ne. 4, as
freshmen, up through the whole course, I'M
til they reached their graduating day, recit-
ing some very interesting incidents Of their
school life and making some very good hits
which were highly appreciated
When the applause at Mr.. Killeleas effort
had died away, Miss Lorena Jessup took her
place before the audience told, in very pleas
ing manner, what she thought of "Some
objectionable Vices being none other than
"parting the hair in the middle" smoking
cigarettes" riding bycicle," and "carry
ing a cane" Miss Jess6p treated the sub
ject IN hand from purely sarcastic stand
point, and when she stated that persisting!y
INDUCED in the grave offences named would
lead to sure destruction, there was general
applause.
1t was uit nine O'Clock and ten minutes
when the first half of the evening exercises
were over and the curtain dropped to allow
the young ladies sitting in the rear seats TO
change with those in front, that all might
see how prettly all the young ladies were
dressed. During the time that this change
overture bearing the title, Diamond Arrow
At its conclusion the curtain was again
run up, and Victor Harmon stepped to the
front and announced as the subject of his
grafton the words made famous by Scipio
Africanus twenty centuries ago, Carthage
Delenda Est" From the watch cry of the
great Roman warrior he drew the lesson
that to succeed in life there must be fixed
purpose. No wavering; no lack of energy;
no want Of enthusiasm. He cited the de-
structiOn of slavery as the result Of a fixed
purpose. He believed that ifthere was united
to this fixed purpose perseverance and char
ter success was assured, and that the person
possessing them was inyiucible
Miss Aida Hamilton was next after Mr.
Aammon, and in glowing colors portrayed a
pretty word picture Of Golden Days" -
days which she said came to everyone, made
up Of the morning of memory, Of the noon
of spendor and the evening Of quiet rest
That in youth they were days of joyousness,
big with hope; in manhood and womanhood
they became days of action, and in the even
ing time of life they often were Swallowed
with darkness. They were always days
filled with opportunities which should not
be allowed to 60 by unnoticed,
1.-The Crucial Moment was the theme by
Thomas J, Young, who described, with much
of enthusiasm, battle scene-the necessity
of being on the watch OF bearing one part
when the time for action came. He looked
upon life as a great battle field, and when
engaged in lifes battle there was q supreme
moment in every ones life when a choice
must be made that would insure either sue
cess or failure. This was 'the crucial mo-
ment," and his earnest hope was that when
it came there would be no failing on the part
Of those of the class who were about to leave
the school to choose that which would en-.
able him or her to succeed
The Prophecy" which is always a
charming feature Of commencement day of
interest to the class who figure in it and to
the audience who listened, was told by Miss
Nadge A. Agard. She did not claim tho
responsibility of the prophecy, but charged
it to sbyl whom she met in the wood, who,
after leading into fairy resort, told her
that the members of the class of Sc would
in the future follow vast number of call.
ings. There would be labor agitation, aa
authress, kindergarten teacher, woman.
president, socialist, a painter, an inventor,
an astronomer, and so on until she had
named all of the thirty-three.
When Miss Agard had disposed Of the
future Of all her class mates, Prof Tufts
arose and with him the class. After he had
spoken some words of good wishes to them,
lie presented them to Hon. E. c. Lewis, who
had been selected to present their diplomas
to them. Before doing so, Mr.. Lewis read
from manuscript an address of kindly ad.
monition and of hopes for their future He
spoke in commentator Of the school, and
s..f-. IL r