San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-08-15
Reported for the rIss Pass.
AN ADDRESS TO THE CLASS OF 80.
Read Before the c. L. 8. c. OF San
Marcos, by Mrs. vredcnburgh,
OF Austin.

Every Chautauquan, graduate and I'M
der graduate, win seize every opportunity
TO extend the knowledge Of the benefit 10
be derived from the O. L. S. @. readings.
l esteem II privilege to be permitted to
do so on this pleasant occasion, and I al
dress especially my own sex-more especi-
ally the buay housekeepers, the tired, over
worked mothers.
Our men IRE out in tho world and come
In contact daily with superior minds; they
read the daily papers they hear tho ques-
tons Of tho day discussed with mors or
less accuracyi they learn to argue, reason,
and weigh questions that we women, occu.
pied with our mnltitudinous household du-
ties, with oil It's rather beliitleing drudgery.
its petty annoyances, its carking cares,
scarcely even think about.
Our men grow-we stand still, and the
slow strangulation of all that makes life
worth living, goes on day by day, and year
by year. We grow listloss, apathetic, and
rusty.
The school advantages Of the present
almost begin where we left off. and our
children outgrow MS. One of the saddest
experiences Of life, one that cuts to the
heart and leaves an incurable wound, is to
learn that our children are half ashamed Of
us-of our uncouth. ungrammatical Ian
guage, our solecisms, our ignorance Of the
pressing vital questions of the day, They
seek the companionship, the happy COM
radeship they do not find in US, away from
us and the home.
With many Of us the horizon Of life ex-
tends no farther than our own doorstep,
outside of that is almost an unknown world.
We grow narrow, warped and pessimistic.
We seldom rise to higher platform to
take more extended view of life, never
learn the possibilities it contains never see
our opportunities until they are almost or
quite beyond our reach.
I wish it wore possible for me to impress
upon your minds, that while the g. L. s.
G. is n benefit 10 all, old and young rich
and poor, it is especially blessing and has
already proved so to thousands of busy
housekeepers, tired mothers. toiling, over
worked women.
It will lift you above the level that has
hitherto bounded q narrow life, ennobling
and enriching what has heretofore been
dull and monotonous, as life with all its re-
sponsibilities and duties, assumes new fea-
lures.
The pleasure derived from the course,
when it is steadily pursued, is possession
forever. gliding oil the moments with
lustre that brightens the darkest hours, in
the dreariest lot in life.
One of the pleasant things connected
with the G. L. s. G. is that here youth,
manhood, and age, oil meet on equal
ground, all have one feeling in common.
Youth learns to respect and reverence age
Us never before, and the aged grow young
again, and the long distance that intervenes
between their youth and the p resent grows
perceptibly less, as once again they feel the
youthful aspirations, the bright hopes, the
possible happiness of coming days they
once felt, ere the way grew long and weary
All honor then to the founders of the G. |
l.. S. G. movement for opening way in
which all can keep abreast with the times,
while continuing to discharge their daily |
duties.
While all cannot seek for themselves the
best knowledge that is in the world, they
have brought the best in it to our very
doors.
need not apologize for not combining
myself to the subject selected for me.
Each and every Chautauquan will join
heartily in the attempt-weak though it
be---to urge others to pursue the course and
share the benefits that have proved SO
SO uplifting to ourselves.
And now, with the class of 's9, let us
ook back on the past four years that look
I'd so long in prospective, but seems SO
short in retrospect.
All along the way we can discern the
hand of the Father that has guided, help
I'd, and encouraged us, and may we'll take
renewed courage and hope for the days
hat are to come.
The course is marked with heroic self
lenial, incessant labor, indomitable will
md perseverance, and determination to
overcome each and every obstacle that lies
IN the path that leads, as Carlyle says,
from the lowliest depths to the loftiest
heights"
"The tendency to persevere," says Car
yle, ito persist in spite of hindrances,
and impossibilities,-it is
his that in oil things distinguishes the
strong soul from the weak"
Many of the weak souls have fallen by
he way and dropped out, but the strong
,nes remain, and are numbered by the
thousands and are scattered all over this
broad land to-day, from Maine.to Texas,
rom Washington to Florida.
Who can foresee the fruit that will mo-
ure and ripen from the Geed planted four
ears ago7
How have the readings been accomplish
ID?
One member tells me she read many Of
he books held in one hand, while the other
Welded the dash that churned the cream.
Another kept her books by her on the
ewing machine, and reading page at
ime-the machine flew faster and with less
reariness for the inspiring thoughts and