The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-08-02
AT THE COMMENCEMENT.



My son, q few weeks since.I was
called out to the great state Of Illinois
to attend the commencement exercises
of the high school in Dwight, pretty |
little town in Livingston county. You
know about what high school COM
mencement is; there were orations by
the young gentlemen and ladies upon
1.-THE Golden Mean of MenHl, Moral
and Physical Power" From the
Morning to the Evening" Success,
"A Plea for the Boy of Today" "A
Plea for the Girl of Today" John A.
Logan" and might Brings Out the
Stars" you know about what il is.
Well, listened and grew interested
and learned something that should
have known hundred years ago and
was glad | went TO Dwight, Ills,
and attended high school commence
ment.
On my way back home talked it
all over with myself-you know l like
to talk with myself on the train much
better than | do with casual stran-
ger. Because when get tired | can
Shut myself up, whereas the commu-
NEGATIVE stranger who pulls his mouth
upon the defenseless traveller will
sometimes hold him up from Chicago
TO Brooklyn and tall; him clear into
the Eden of The Eagle office.
Thinking over what the graduates
of the high school had said in Grafton
and essay, began to wish that could
say the same things in the same way.
/ envied Louise De Clercq, and Nellie
Dougherty, and Frederick Smith. and
nd
Charles Vickery and Nellie Jeffrfes
their views of life. They had famil-
lar sound, too, but l didn't quite recol-
lect where heard them before. But
it dawned on me after awhile. In be-
gan to remember an essay on 1.-THE
Press and the Ballot Box" which, at
the time read it, | believed contained
the essence of all truth and philoso-
ply, and was a prophecy of what was
to be within a very few years from
the date of that mastery paper. And
bright, rosy tinted, glowing prophecy
it was.
/ said, you miserable old cynic"-
you see in these familiar conversations
which / hold with the best man on the
train, | sometimes take things from
myself that | wouldn't stand from n
smaller man-''you miserable old
cynic, [ know what is the matter with
you; you have lost enthusiasm; and
losing that you have lost all the soul
that man work has. You have lost
enthusiasm, and that makes you a
hireling; you have lost faith and that
shrivels your soul; you have lost your
'hurrah' and are of no earthly account
in u mass meeting; your waist has
grown faster titan your mind, and that
has made you lazy; you are too old for
tennis, too scant in the breath for base
ball, too active for cricket, too fond
of ease for society, and because none
| of these things are right in your line,
you say: All is vanity Everything
is vanity to useless man. Get back
| TO the starters scratch and begin over.
| Look at the world as do these young
sters and you'll believe more in your
fellowmen and more in yourself. You
| will correct certain mean tendencies
toward soothing and burlesquing every
| thing that doesn't please you"
| talked to myself like deacon all
the way across Ohio and Pennsyl-
vania Then, when came cast l at
tended college commencement. A
| great school; standard higher than
the mortgage on the Eiffel tower.
| covered in corner and was pounded
| into q condition of numbness with
| Greek orations and Latin essays. And
the English orations were marvels Of
elegant diction, smooth, well rounded
clothing the noblest sentiments, from
| ,.ol, 81 Il al,
wisdom fell upon the floor with dull,
sickening thud. 1t was grand, and
even the president nodded approval
and grave professors forgot their dig
nifty and applauded. And the presi-
dent made speech, and two or three
learned doctors of law and divinity
made eloquent and thoughtful adj
dresses. But wise and learned as it
all was I kept wondering where had
heard it all before-saving only the
Greek and Latin. All. yes; l had it.
At Dwight That's where heard it.
Sift the thought out of the language
of the high school out west and the
university down east and it was about
the same thing. Tho same generous,
manly, brave, hopeful way of looking
at things, the same earnestness, the
same enthusiasm that keeps the learned
doctors as young and brave as the boys
whom they teach, year after year; the
same sublime confidence in his own
ability to do little Better than any
other man in the vineyard, shaping
the thought and nerving mind and
body of the high school boy and the
college graduate; no wonder envied
them. | felt grateful to them. made
up-what for the sake of, brevity i
may be permitted to call my inind,
that would look at the world with
their eyes; that / would believe in
them; that would grumble less and
sing more; that would close out my
stock Of censure and put in full line
of praise; that l would sigh less fire.
quently and hurrah more loudly. and
upon slighter provocation.
l am going to every commencement
at Haverford, my boy, between now
and the year when you will cross the
threshold, and you look to it that when
you graduate your old father won't
| know nearly rs much rs Won do Rob