Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1893-06-01
THEY ARE GRADUATED.
School Into the Battle of
Active Life.


School Into the Battle of
Active Life.
The persons who arranged the orna-
mentatiOn of the stage at Commence
ment exercises of the High School
Wednesday night of last week, had the
instincts of artists. The old scenery of
impossible cliffs and lakes and petritied
forests wasludiciously.covered; pictures
were hung On the walls; an abundance of
blooming flowers were tastefully ar
ranged at each side, and beautiful ban
ner hung over all. Pretty as the scene
was, its beauty was found to be only fit
ting when the class filed in and took
their places The class motto, "We pass
this way but once" seemed to have been
the reflection of each member. for each
one of the seven young ladies and three
young men seemed resolved that every
demand Of the occasion should be met in
full. The young ladies were variously
attired. but each one represented all that
is implied in the term, sweet girl gradu-
ate." Essays and the rendition of them
were much above the average. Indeed
this feature calls for remark, as showing
the progress which each year is made,
and the greater and greater dexterity
with which each succeeding class handles
difficult subjects and the increasing ease
with which the subject matter is present
ed to large audiences.
Miss Blanche Hoffner's subject was
Success in Life" and her essay abound
ed in much new matter on an old sub
ject. She made it clear that there is ap-
parently right and wrong kind of
success, but there is really only one; that
we are all striving after this thing in life
and that it is right that we should, al
though worship of the objects of sue
cess is cowardly and unworthy.
Clarence B. McKelyey spoke on the
taking subject, "What we Don't Know"
He was quite at home on the stage. He
sketched the limitations of knowledge,
instancing those sciences which seem yet
in infancy, and touched briefly on the
dense mystery of life and the denser and
deeper one of death; and showing his
audience how human knowledgeis like
candle set in the darkness-the larger
the circle of light grows, by so much
grows the circle of surrounding night
and mystery.
Miss Jennie Tallman's essay, Names"
while showing well whats in name"
was Married with many touches of hu-
NOR She said that names usually indi-
cate something, originating in some Pc
of person, location or occupa-
tion. The hyphenated name she justly
branded as an affectation. She spoke
of the often inappropriatenessof names
as when some small and modest person
is compelled to drag high title through
life. She told too, among others, the sto-
ry of the logical youth who named his
"girl" Revenge" because she was sweet
Under the title Progress of Woman"
MissJeannette B. Kidd presented an excel
lent resume of what woman's position has
been and is. Only a few years ago women
were regarded as toys, as pretty play
things, and their only occupation was
marriage. Now all professions are open
to her. She is gradually gaining place
beside man, and is recognized as his
equal if not his superior. Miss Kidd ad
vised young women not to waste time in
the frivolities of society, but to go out
into real life and beautify and purify it.
"The Years Roll On" was the subject
of Miss Dora A. Hartley's entertaining
essay. She showed how the rolling years
swallow up in their voracious throat all
that man has done on the earth; how they
seem to ripen great achievements but to
destroy them. She gave running sketch
of history from its beginnings down
to the greatness of America, and said
that although time felled human monu-
ments, it could not efface knowledge and
humanity, and that the world constantly
gains in genius and morality.
Charles ID. Darrah delivered in an i'm
pressive way an Grafton on "Trifies Light
as Air" He told how small acts of
history had been freighted with vast and
tremendous consequences; what trivial
incidents led to the discovery of Ameri-
ca, to our great War. to the achievements
of steam and electricity; and, applying
the principle to individual life showed
that no great life can succeed without
attending strictly to the mastering of
dry and innumerable details, whether in
business or art.
"The Teachings of Night" was sub
ject on which Miss Maud Ferrell pro-
duced many new ideas. She pictured the
starred skies of winter and summer,
showed what uses the stars are put to
in science, and SAID that the skies are
beauteous open page from which men
may gather thoughts of grandeur and
infinity. She told of the consultations
and the myths which gave them names,
and certainly gave her hearers new cause
for study into the spangled marvel that
nightly roofs the universe.
"Imperishable Monuments" was the
subject of Miss Emma B. Rennard, who
told first of the great architectural won
ders which man has built and which
have crumbled to dust. But, she said,
the imperishable monuments are lives,
and they have been builded high and
mighty-both good and bad, and she
spoke of Nero and JeZebel, of Columbus,
Bunyan, Newton and Francis Willard,
and of the differing influences of their
lives.
John M. Citizens grafton on evils of
War" gave graphic picture of the hor
rors of what the speaker called "recipro-
cal murder" and was a strong arraipn-