The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-06-24
Commencement Exercises OF the Y. w. A
of Troy, N. Y.

of Troy, NY.
Mrs. Lewis E. Gurley made an
address, during which she said: 81 am
glad to be here tonight and have been
pleased with the very pleasant music and
other exercises, l want to say few
things to you girls. am glad the girls
come here to learn, because in doing
these things you are laying the aim high
and that's right. If you do not aim
high you will never get high. When you
learn to write you must copy good
writing. If you write after poor hand
you will soon get so that you will write
in exactly the same way. So you must
aim high if you would be good, pure
women. They tell us that the best work
of God is a perfect woman; then the
next best work of God must be a good,
perfect woman. You are all soon to be
women; then learn the best, the MODEST
things now that you can. Try and know
the best women. Watch your lady
manager. You like some one of them
she is so good. Then try to find out
what makes her so good and beautiful,
and see if you cannot be something like
her. Do the same things that make her
high.
ITO aim high in womanhood is to be
the kndest, the best woman you know
of. All of you have homes and are
daughters and have mothers and sisters
and brothers. Try to be the best
daughter, try to bring in the most sweet
ness, kindness and love in the home that
you can. You may get married some
day, and if you do remember to be
good loving wife. Now, want to tell
you that the wife makes the home Not
that the men do not have their share of
it. If you are sweet and pure you will
be able to WELD mighty influence for
good. Do not sit down to supper with
the same dress on that you have been
doing your homework in, and take pains
to look just as nice when you are ex-
pecting your husband as when you were
expecting your beaux. Another thing
wish to say. Be brave.
''Now l know it has cost you some
thing to come here and study every night
when you could be out on the streets
and have a good time. Every one of you
l think work all day and hope you do,
mean by that, that do not believe the
Lord ever meant any man or woman to
live that did not work. (applause), am
glad you cheered that because it is the
right sentiment and then we like to have
you think as we do. want you to be
brave and industrious and come here
when it costs you a struggle, for do you
know that we grow better just accord
ing to the struggles we go through and
conquer in? No deed, no work is of
much credit to you when its performance
costs you no struggle. You may feel
that your life is peculiarly hard, too hard
to be good. Be hopeful, dark hours will
come to you; you all must always re-
member that there is life beyond to
those who trust in God and persevere.
Ny last injunction to you is be faithful;
you may think that l should have said
this first. But no. You always begin
an enterprise with spirit and stir and en-
thusiasm, but as you go on with it you
will come across difficulties which will
require faith to overcome. So be faith
full.
"If there is one good quality over
another which would have my friends
possess 1t is faith. 1t means that when
working for your employees you do your
work with thoroughness and dispatch.
1t is to learn your lessons because it is
right, whether anybody praises you or
not. l wish you would remember this.
If you are trusted with anything in your
hands, do it we'll whether anyone sees
you or not And the remembering this
is going to make sweet, pure women of
you. In womanhood you will find that
some of your youth and energy is gone,
and then think of my words"
Mrs. Gu-ley's words were enthusiast
cally received"