Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-05-30
4 Handsome Chassis the One Of
49,
Many Beautiful Flowers and
Costly Gifts Find Their
Way to the Blushing
Girl and Modest
Boy Graduate.
Motto-"Turn Your Own Grindstone. {"


the audience room during commencement exercises.
II this be true, the thrice beautiful city of Napoleon
may well put forward as criterion the immense
concourse of people that filed the Rink Opera
House Thursday evening, May 93rd-;he event Of
the Thirteenth Annual Commencement OF the Napo
leon High School. Nor was the appreciative audi
ence made up wholly OF home lovers of educa ton,
for many friends OF the Pierean Spring from the
suburbs, wauseon, aolgate, Defiance, Deshler,
Liberty Center and other places were present.
The stage was beautifully decorated. To the
front, right, and left were two knolls built from
rare and costly flowers. In an oblique line from
the one were the board of education and superin-
tendent. Behind the other and slightly to the left
was the piano and musical talent. In the center
were the graduates the TO whom the intelligent
assembly did honor by Its presence to enable them
| to do themselves honor, which they without ex-
ception did-as fine appearing half dozen as ever
graced platform.
The first on the programme was music-"Softy
now the Light of Day" by the quartet. This COM
bination Of rare mutica. talent consisted Of Miss
Marie Humphrey soprano, supported by Mrs. Dora
Miller alto, Mr. W. W. Campbell tenor, and DR.. A.
E. H. Maerker bass. The first selection as with
| the two following, were chosen with the greatest
care and the quality of rendition moved in perfect
harmony with the high reputation of the singers.
After prayer by Rev. spreng the quartet again
highly pleased it's hearers by singing '0h, Italia,
Italia, Beloved, 4" song designed as 1t was sung to
awaken many aesthetic emotions so seldom reached.
This was followed by grafton on "TOmorrow's
Phases,"by
BURTON J. LONG.
"Burt'' treated his listeners to discussion Of all
the phases of this sort of interesting lecture
on evolution. From his "Al the world is a mighty
drama and the people its actors" he took prat-
ting infant and traced it in all the vicissitudes Of
oJhood and youth to manhood "when the pitfall
appears" Then he followed the diversified chan
nels through which human nature will propel man,
to the grave 1t an able effort and at the close
he was roundly applauded besides receiving many
tokens Of appreciation from admiring friends.
| It may be remarked here that the word education
means much more than the mere gathering of
knowledge from many hooks. Instead, 1t means
that person has not only studied but has learned
appropriated, digested and assimilated the wisdom
thus acquired To wear ugly garments or even an
un suitable dress when better raiment is possible
coucusively proves that has not been thoroughly
educated. True, there are many examples Of women
Of wonderful intellectual attainments who appear in
fghtful gowns untasteful hats and shapeless shoes
and many educated men who wear soiled linen,
unkempt hair and generally have an uncouth and
slouchy appearance; but this very disregard oi
the proprieties of attire In the man sh ows him to
possess an utter lack of culture and refinement;
and the female students, wise scholars though they
| ho bayo mn hran nch
in the feminine curriculum in fact have not we'll
balanced education. Therefore it is pleasure to
note that when the class made its appearance on
the stage, 1t was perfectly apparent that this por-
tion of their course was not lacking, and that the
girl graduate had acquired a clear and quick per
cepton OF fitness in dress and proper regard for it.
| MAY AUGUSTA RICHARDS
wore an Empire costume of Burnt Rose India Silk
with garnitures of figured te-dec0llette-cor-
sage boquet of MdrechGt Neil roses. Her essay was
an analysis Of the two opposites pleasure and mis-
cry, and came under the head of Earthly Hsppi-
ness" She showed how closely these extremes
are connected and how much easier and more bene-
fetal for mankind to follow the former, not as the
word pleasure is generally understood by the
world but, taking delight in seeing something com
mendable in every act for good. She says, "They
who go in darkness and misery all the way, harbor
ing the impression that all is vanity and 'Thia
world is but ee'ing show like those travellers
who grumble and sneer at everything along their
route making the country around them not the less
pleasing but themselves less happy. In language
that evinced thorough knowledge of rhetoric st.
tenton was called to the many gifts of nature and
how contrary to the law of nature is the position as
sumcd by the cynic. The audience showed its appre.
citation by many flowers and gifts. After Miss
Richards essay Miss Lulu Higgins gave very fine
selection her VIOLIN to the delight Of her music
loving listeners. She was costumed in Bengaiine
silk decoltette.
/ FRANCIS ELIZABETH sHoSER .
was attred in an Ia Directoire costume Of rtsidd
India silk with corsage boauet of Bonsilene roses
undressed kids and Crepe fan. She deviated from
the custom of combining orations to the masuline
gender, and GRATED on 1.-THE Price of Success in
manner that at the conclusion brought forth spon
taneous bursts of applause and hosts Of boquets
and presents. Her essay was instructive and bean.
tifully worded, clearly defining what must be over
come before success is attained. Extracts-"Somt
think TO be industrious lie difficult thing, but when
It's met 1t develops the man." ''The orator who
pours his flashing thoughts with such apparent
ease upon the minds Of his hearers has achieved
this wonderful power by means Of patient and per
severDg labor mixed with bitter disappointments.'
''Tis very true that the commonest thing in th,
world is for nam to fail.' "The difference between
mon consists in great measure In the dieren ce Of
their observation" Her closing was-"If there b,
no enemy, no fight; II NO fight, no victory; If
victory, no crown ag a
| REGINA COOK CowDRICK.
Her costume was very becoming being composet
Of white cashmere and white Aorie silk-undresset
kids Crepe fan--corsage boquet Of white lineI
and hyacinths. She chose as the subj ect of her &C.
say "Our Two Selves" In IL, self was divided IL
two parts, viz: the self the world sees and the sci
we ourselves see. 1t was dem onstrated how per.
fecty We see the self from our own standpoint ant
what boon to mankind If, in the language o.
1 Burns, 4A A&ta@ Y
ooh wad' some power the giftie Rie us I %&
i To see ourselves as ithers see u.s." Il
Comparing Byron and Burns ahe found that both
possessed genius Of the highest order, but both
lacked In moral recHtude and critics disagree On
their merits. Then comparison Of these two poets
with Bryant and Longfellow produces great con-
tast. In the one, the selves are always antagonis.
tic In the other the real and ideal selves nearly
blend She held that the ideal self shoud always be
aimed at but never reached. Miss Cowd rick's eo.