The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-06-19
GRAZ UATING EXERCISES

vi Nv Souht1
School-With Flowers, Music and in
the Presence of Admitting Friends,
the Graduate Receive Diplomas-A
Large and Enthusiastic Audience
Present.
In the presence OF an audience that filled
the spacious opera house to the OVERT wv
point, the graduating exercises of the class
Of 1895 of the Washington County Grammar
School were held last Friday evening. 1t
was the eighty-second anniversary of this
institution, and the class was the largest for
the past twelve years. The class-roll and
courses completed are as follows: English
Course-Mary Ball Carleton, James Henry
K~elleher, William Napoleon Theriault;
Latin. English Course-Carrie Edua Viii.
circuit, Ralph Wright Putnam, Gertrude
May Leland, Edith Maude Crossett; Glass.
ical Course-George Douglass Osgood.
The undergraduates had trimmed the
stage very prettily. Over the center the
class motto, Studemus Pro Vitam 1--WE study
board of school commissioners, and gradu.
ates, occupied seats on the stage, and
excellent music was furnished by the Mont
pelier orchestra. The theses of the gradu.
ates showed careful and thoughtful prepare
ton, n no serious halt or break marred
the delivery of any one. TIL programme
was unusually long, but the large audience
did not appear to be weary until the closing
number was reached.
After two selections from the orchestra,
and prayer by Rev. DIR. Norman Seaver,
came the salutatory, with Grafton, on
"Some Results Of the French Revolution"
by George Osgood. After happily chosen
words of salutation, Mr.. Osgood spoke of
the condition of France before the revolu-
ton in 1889. The results of that revolution
nave not yet ceased to be felt. Among
these are equal rights, social, religious and
no1itioQ1 HhprtU SaVarql striking pXQmnlpa
of the beneficial effects OF that revolution
were also cited. Had this young mans
voice been strong enough 30 that he could
easily have been heard in the rear of the
hall, his production would have been be.
yond criticism.
In a perfectly self. possessed manner, and
with a voice that could easily be heard on
the back seats in the gallery, Miss Maud
Crossett read an interesting essay on " Our
Language" She showed that the English
Is made up of every other language In the
world, and yet it is the simplest. 1t is the
same to-day as was spoken by the English
in the thirteenth century. A humorous
description of the derivation Of new words
now in use was given. The essayist said
our language will keep on growing as the
people become more and more civilized.
She predicted that in one thousand years
from now it will be grown beyond us of the
present day, and that dictionaries then will
be 80 large thai separate rooms will have to
be built for them.
"Some Causes OF Poverty" was the
theme of a fnely.written and forcibly-deliv-
cred Grafton by Willie Terrio. Among the
causes enumerated for the evils of poverty
were small compensation for wages, stock
gambling, etc. The speaker urged hat
labor has little or no choice at present, and
that the laboring men ought to have a voice
in the standard Of comfort that BELTS him.
A bright essay from a very bright Yer
mont girl was 1.-THE Touch Of Midas" by
Miss Mary Carleton. This touch Of Midas
had the power to turn everything into gold.
Some people have the faculty OF turning the
dark side of life into sunshine. Examples
were cited of some Of our best men who had
this faculty, and Of others who were devoid
of cheerfulne ss. Cheerful people are a Joy
to the selves and their friends. Cheerful
ness Is to man what perfume Is to the rose.
This world is full of Gaze and trouble. and
thrice blessed is he who, with the Midas
touch Of cheerfulness, makes dull things
bright and sad things happy.
Any attempted abstract OF the essay,
MY Friend Is Reminiscent" by Carrie
Wiley, would fail to catch the charm Of
the production, or tell of the interest it
awakened. 1t was a story of a call on an
aged lady who lived in Montpelier a half
century or more ago, and was a graphic
pen-picture OF some OF the people and Incl
dents OF that time.
The essay Was 1t a Dream" by Fanny
Osgood, that followed, was one OF the finest
OF the evening, and it was unfortunate that
the young lady's voice could not be heard
except by those on the front seats. In
choice d%iction, Miss Osgood pictured a
dream in which her ~favorite authors and
their characters visited her. 1t was q paper
that would have done credit to some OF the
authors who visited her in dreamland.
The audience lost not a word of the ora
ton on John Boyle O'Reilly, " by James
Kelleher. With graceful gestures and
raunnant UniAA NJ HnIIa- a-AIxA -
O'Reilly as an ideal patriot, a lover and
champion Of oppressed humanity. A brief
analysis OF his character was given, a sketch
Of his life, and a reference to his struggles