Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1895-05-09
SALUTATORY.
BY MARTIN II. LONG.

10 the trustees OF this academy we
extend cordial welcome. We have in
one sense Of the word been under your
supervision and care from the time we
entered the academy, and we gladly
welcome you to the exercises OF our
graduation.
We welcome our teachers who have
instructed us through this four years.
course. We know that it is your wish
that We may do well. You have in
structed us in the paths of right as far as
your power and ability extended, and we
hope that our acts may do you credit.
To our schoolmates we extend a cordial
welcome. We have associated with you
during our course at the academy and are
glad to have you witness the exercises of
our departure from it.
To our many friends and we'll wishers
we are glad that you manifest enough
interest i'll us to attend our graduating
exercises. We hope that they will be
pleasing to you, and that you may never
regret having come to listen to them.
We We're required to take a four-years'
course OF study before we could graduate
from this academy. We We're not re-
CURED to attend four years, but we were
required to take all of the studies con-
tanned in the four-years course. We
have done SO, and are now taking leave Of
the academy and our schoolmates.
When we first entered it seemed to US
| that graduation was long, long time in
the future. Four years seemed to US to
be very long period OF time indeed, but
now the situation is reversed and it
seems but short period. We remember
condolences that occurred during our
first years as if they had taken place only
so many mont hs ago, instead of so many
years. When we were studying arith-
metic and geography, we wanted to study
philosophy, physical geography, latin or
algebra, and when we took these, we de-
sired to study chemistry, astronomy,
civil government or geometry, and when
We enjoyed the privilege of studying
these, we wished to study political econ
omy, natural history, general history,
English literature and other studies of
the senior year.
Finally, we became seniors, and had the
pleasure of taking those branches which
we had wished so much to study during
the Junior year We have now COM
pleted these and many others a bout which
we had a desire to learn.
When We We're of the under classes and
witnessed the graduation of other classes
from the school, we wondered il we
should ever do the same, but when we
became seniors, we knew that only three
terms lay between us and graduation.
When the spring term arrived we be-
gan to lament that we had to leave the
academy where we had assent led every
morning for the past three or four years.
When we first entered the most desirable
end in our eyes was graduation, but
when the last term arrived and we real
lied that probably we should never again
have such happy days as we had had
while attending the academy we felt
depressing sense of sorrow. We knew
that after graduating we would be COM
PEELED to take up sterner duties, and al
though we resolved to undertake and ac-
complish such duties to the best of our
ability, we were sad because we had heard
many a person remark that his school
days were the happiest days of his life.
As the term advanced we commenced
to prepare our essays, knowing that the
sooner they were completed the better
prepared would we be to deliver them.
The long looked for day has arrived, and
we hope our essays will be pleasing to
our auditors. We have spent consider
able time in preparing them, and we do
wish To no diGnleaSa6
our efforts.
The knowledge we have acquired at the
academy will enable us to cope with
much stronger tasks than we could with
out it. 1t has been said that one of the
chief ends of education is to teach men to
think, and surely we can think much
better than when we entered. Such
studies as algebra and geometry, which
we took during the sophomore and
junior years, are of great value in de-
veloping the mental faculties.
While pursuing the course of study
prescribed at the academy, there have
been some studies which we have liked
better than others, and some which we
have not liked so well, but there was
some benefit derived from them because,
had they not been beneficial in some
respects they would not have been placed
in the course.
To those studies which we liked we
devoted more of our time, and con-
sequently have a greater amount of
knowledge in regard to them. Some of
US have liked one study the best, some
another-"Each man according to his
liking"
Many of the members of previous
classes who have graduated from this
school are attending colleges and pre-
paratory schools, and doing great credit
both to themselves and their teachers,
and number who are not attending are
at work earning money for the purpose