Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-06-24
NORTH STREET
COMMENCEMENT.
First Class Day Exercises
or Miss Sowyer's Private SchooI---TNvo
Inspiring Addresses, and Pleasing
Class Program.

or Miss SNwyer's Private SchooI---TNvo
Inspiring Addresses, and u Pleasing
Class Program.
Last Sunday evening found the Unitarian
| church crowded to the doors, chairs carried
in, and many people going away for lack
of room. The occasion was the opening
exercise in the commencement week pro-
! gram of Miss Sawyer's North street school
the sermon before the graduating class
| delivered by Rev. f. l.. Phalen. Mr.. Phal-
ems subject was Education: what is it?"
His text was from the Goth Psalm, 18th
verse: $50 teach us to number our days
that we may apply our hearts unto wis
DOM" In developing his theme the speak
er first showed that the common idea of
education as mere mental training is an in
adequate idea. The requirement of knowl-
edge is only part of education. The true
function of education, in the words of
Herbert Spencer, is to fit men for complete
living, and complete living includes the
symmetrical development of the physical,
the intellectual and the moral nature. Our
chief business in the world is not to know
or to think, but to live perfect human
life, and human life is not an isolated ex-
istence but a career involving personal,
spiritual relations. Hence body as well as
mind, and soul as well as brain, must be
thoroughly developed if we are to be fitted
for lfe-that is, completely educated. Any
ideal of education which stops short of
this is imperfect. Pato's motto was "a
sound mind in sound body" Let us
labor for this and not rest satisfied till we
obtain the best and only the best.
Admonishing the graduates to remember
that education can never be complete while
life lasts and encouraging them to strive
in every way for perfection, the sermon
was brought to close by an appeal to
young and old to remember that this world
is Gods fitting school for higher and
diyincr destiny.
On Monday afternoon came the class
day exercises at the school on North street.
y the friends assembled they were given
seats on the pleasant lawn at the east side
OF the house, under the shade OF spreading
trees and facing The veranda, where seats
were placed for the class. The railing in
front was Il solid mass of green. and the
class coloGs of pink and white appeared i'm
the laurel which Wrcathed the posts Ii
was pleasant thing to sit there in the
open air and watch the bright young faces,
full OF hope and anticipation of the future,
and listen to the record Of past accomplish
ments and the plans and aspirations for
the coming years.
As the hour came for The exercises to
open the class of six members, with Miss
Ethel Bruce, Miss Nina Miller and Mr. f..
II. Miller, passed across the lawn to their
seats. 4 cornet solo by Miss Miller opened
the exercises, Clayton Hackley of the class
of '93, whose name appeared on the printed
program, being prevented by illness from
taking part. The Grafton upon the class
MOTTO "Step 10y step we gain the heights"
was delivered by Guy c. Lamson. The
common practice of nations, principalities
and individuals in choosing motto to be
their guide or inspiration or incentive to
noble and true activity was alluded to.
some of the most noted of these being
quoted. Then the noble motto of the class
of % was considered. the heights TO be
reached glowingly set forth. the aims, the
hopes, the aspirations, but along with
that the slow but certain process by which
their attainment might be assured, the
plodding, step-by-Step progress, which new
ertheless at the end proves to have been
the sWflest after all. Glorious examples
of the truth of the motto in every land
might be found. but the prominent one
was to be found in the life of Jesus Christ.
who from the lowest station in life rose to
he King OF Kings, trcading every round of
lfe's ladder The Grafton closed with an
address to the classmates and an eloquent
apostrophe to the Future-as vet hidden
but believed to be fun of good things.
Miss Della Joslin, as class historian,
expressed her approval of the course of
Columbus in deciding to discover America
hot 4, q 81,
North street class of ~, and with him
as a prototype portrayed the voyage of dis
covery on which the eight members of said
class had set sail to have come at last to
the discovery of their world. The account
of the various events during the voyage.
the losing of two members, the haps and
mishaps of the way, all of which had ended
prosperously, was brightly given. with
many happy hits. 1t was especially inter
estng as the account of the first class of
the institution to make a public gradua-
ton, although for several years the school
has been III prosperous and growing con-
dltion, turning out pupils well equipped
either for entrance to higher institutions or
for the work of every day life. At this
point Mr. Miller sang in his usual finished
style, 1.-THE lark now leaves his wat nv
nest"
Merton c. Robbins, the class president.
was the next speaker, delivering the ad-
dress to the juniors. He spoke of the
school, at first a mere handful, looked down
upon and sneered at, but now standing
independently upon its merits and chai-
longing the respect and admiration of the
townspeOple, misrepresentation in eight
different colleges and having won the rep
utation of turning out thoroughly trained
and well-itted aspirants for entrance to in
stitutiOns of higher education. His school
mates were urged to keep up the reputation
and good name of the school, to perpetuate
those features of the school, the debating
society, the class organizations, the school
periodical the base ball nine, which had
proven such sources of profit or pleasure to
those who had now finished their course.
Appreciation of the efforts of the faculty
in their behalf was expressed and of the
pleasant relations which have always eN-
listed between the members of different
classes, and best wishes for the future of
the pupils WHO were to fill the places now
occupied by them were heartily spoken.
The response to this was briefly made by
Harold A. BOynton of the class of '93, ap-
preciatively recognizing the good wishes
and advice given, and in turn rendering
the congratulations of their successors upon
the creditable conclusion of the school
course which the graduates had made, and
assuring them of the sincere regard and
interest which would follow them as they
went out from their alma mater.
After another song by Mr.. Miller, Miss
Ethel Nj. Gushing, as class prophet, set
forth the bright future of the different
members OF the class, as revealed to her in