Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1893-06-13
Charlie Town AcademY.


The Charles Town Male Academy
held its closing exercises last
Wednesday evening. The interest
manifested in the exercises and the
large crowd that assembled on the
occasion, showed that the unfaggfng
and highly successful services of
DIR. Meade and his assistant, Mr..
Denny, during the last year are
highly appreciated throughout the
community. The school this year
has been quite large and the distinc-
ton attained by so many of the
scholars attests the fidelity of the
teachers. Mr.. Joseph TrapnelI, Mr..
CleOn Moore and Mr.. David Howell,
of the board of trustees of the acad-
envy, were on the platform. Mr..
James NJ. Mason, Jr., opened the
exercises of the evening by an adj
dress. After few introductory re-
marks, Mr.. Mason struck the key
note of of his address as follows:
The successful painter, before the
canvass is placed on his easel, the
sculptor, before his chisel touches
the marble, has distinctly and clear
~ printed upon his mind the picture
he is to paint or the statute he is to
carve, and the genius of the painter
or sculptor is to be guaged by the
vividness with which he beholds the
image his hand is TO create. The
successful man or boy, like the ar
tist, must sooner or later have clear
~ and deeply imprinted upon his
mind and mis- heart the ideal of man
hood to which he aspires, and the
success he attains in life will be
largely if not totally measured by
the distinctnes with which he beholds,
and the terncity with which he clings
to that ideal.
''But if it is important to have clear
cut and well defined ideals, it is
still more important that those ideals
should be lofty, elevated, exalted and
eXalting. Again, 1 remember as
little boy TO have seen in n "Chatter-
box" a picture of some little children
sitting in wagon attempting TO
drive a stubborn old donkey, but
dispite all manner of alternated
coaxing and beating he was immova-
BILE. Finally bright-eyed little fell
low tied on the end of pole a bunch
of hay aud held it over the donkey's
head, few feet in front of his nose,
and the donkey moved along serene
ly. Whether he ever caught up with
that bundle of hay or not, the Gill
dren had their ride. The same prin-
ciple that urged that donkey is deep
ly implanted in our own lazy natures.
With us as with that donkey, with a
definite end in view, q goal to be
reached, tasks that are wearying,
efforts that are irksome oftentimes
become easy and pleasant.
II have thought, then, that I could
not no better on an occasion like this.
when of course my remarks are to be
addressed to the hoys and young men
of this school, than to make short
study of the life of true gentleman,
4 noble man, and heroic soul, and
for my subject 1 have chosen the life
of Father Damien, the hero of Molo-
kali
Mr.. Mason then delivered a lee
ture on Father Damien. whom the
S"HAAS WI III VIII IGcHll rs Tie 0ODle |
missionary who died few years ago
after laboring for tile best years of
his life among the foul lepers on one
of the Sandwich Islands. He closed |
with tribute to the unselfishness,
the nohleness and the heroism of his
life, offering ii as an "ideaI TO be fol-
lowed, exalting in its example, in
spring on its unseltishness. sublime
in its humility, grand in its force and
glorious in ali things"
Following Mr.. Mason's well
prepared and instructive address,
DR.. Meade. assisted by Prof. Denny,
awarded certificates and distinctions |
10 the many deserving scholars, amid
loud rounds or applause. and after
pleasant evening the gratified pa
Irons and friends dispersed.