Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-08-20
ONE GRADUATING DAY.
A HoMELY SUBJECT THAT At
TRkcTED MOST ATTENTION.

"Wel, / don't care If them other girls
are going to write about Thought and
The Marble STAINS Waitin',' n Genius
and all them other things. Mebbe my
M'randy can't say much that's edifyin'
on them subjects, tho it's my opinion
she could if she tried. But she can make
beautiful riz bread, and she's goin' to
tell them how to do it."
With this expression of faith in
"Mrandy's" powers, Mrs. McGillicuddy
gave an emphatic twist to the garment
she was wringing out of the suds.
The subject first under discussion was
of no small Importance in the village
for it related to the graduating exercises
at the village high school
With but one exception, the boys and
girls in the class sought topics that would
"sound well" and make a good show in
the daintily printed programmes.
One of the young ladies began to write
on "Twilight Thoughts" another chose
as her subject "Destiny;" another wrote
at the head Of the first page every
Cloud Has Its Silver Lining"
Of course each one soon learned what
subjects had been chosen by the other
members of the class, and loud were the
complaints when it was known what Mi
randa McGillicuddy proposed to write
about. 1t was agreed that the class
would go down into history forever dis
graced.
"But you see," said Miranda, ~ don't
know anything at all about these high
toned subjects that the rest Of you have.
/ couldn't say one word about them that
would be worth hearing, but I think l
do know how to make bread, and I'm
sure that many in the audience will be
interested to know some of the quirks
and the twists that turn out handsome
loaf"
"Well," said another, II envy you the
abundance of things you can say about
it, but it's so awfully commonplace;
why, it's-it's as commonplace as-eat-
ing!"
AN INTERESTING ESSAY.
Graduating day at last arrived, with
its futter Of excitement, its flowers, its
DlOuu 1dGuCAS CllO lAOUuCl5 anu b1 Ill
thizing friends and its somewhat envious
lower classes.
First came the salutatory, which was
listened to with marked attention, as
would be the case even with thought
full paper on the identify of Identity
and Nonidentity"-if it came first on
the programme.
Then came an grafton on "Greece,"
by boy, followed by an essay on "Phi-
losophy."
By this time there were signs of rest
lessness, and some quiet whispering 60
ing on among such as were not carefully
polite. Fortunately music came in at
this point, after which the audience
was invited to listen to some Twilight
Thoughts. " Then appeared the ''Cloud"
that was supposed to have "Silver
Lining" but which certainly cast no
CLEAN over the audience. ....
This condition, strange to say, seemed
to be intensified when Hope" appeared.
At this point the presiding officer an
nounced an essay on "Raised Bread" by
Miss Miranda McGillicuddy.
The eager interest that came into ev-
cry face in the audience was quite hui
initiating to those who had already ap-
peared on the stage, and still more hui
: initiating was the close attention that
was suddenly paid to every word that
was said.
The essay discussed the Importance Of
good bread in hygienic point of view
the effect which ''fat" biscuit fre-
quently has upon the disposition of the
eater, as well as upon his stomach; the
nutritious and nonnutritious qualities
of various kinds of -four, and the whole
method Of procedure, from the making
of yeast, through the successive stages of
mixing, working, raising, reworking,
molding and baking till that consum-
mate flower of good housekeeping ap-
peared-a light, nutritious and delicious
loaf of bread.
THE JUDGES REMARKS.
Not one word was lost by the audience
from beginning to end. The ladies were
chiefly interested, perhaps, but men lis
tened very attentively too. When the
reading was finished the essay was given
the heartiest applause of The evening.
After the programme had been finished
and the audience was preparing to de-
part, Judge Gildersleeve, chairman of
the school committee and the most i'm
portant citizen of the town, rose to make
a few remarks, and this was what he
said:
Before the audience diperses, have
o suggestion to make, chiefly for the
benefit of those who may belong to the
graduating classes of the future. If you
wish, in preparing a graduating essay OF
oration, to interest your audience-and
it is needless to say that you do-let
your remarks apply to period not later
at least than hundred years ago, and
better still if they apply to time not
later than hundred days ago. And let
them be on subject in which you are
interested, and in which your audience
is interested, however homely it may ap.
pear.
"It is not necessary that it should be
on the proper way to bake bread, like
the very interesting, practical and well
written paper to which we have just lis.
tened, or on the right way to make {
& bed, which would be another good sub
ject; but it would far better be on these
subjects, if you know what you are
writing about, than upon Time, Geniu.
or The Ideal even thouph Won treat