Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1895-05-09
Phi Sigma Anniversary,

Last Friday was a gala day
for the University of Mississip.
pi. \ large and appreciative
audience consisting of the Uni
versity Faculty and student
body and of many of the best
citizens Of Oxford gathered in
the University chapel hall in
commemoratiOn of the 18th an
uiversary ofthe Phi Sigma Lite
rary Society.
The day was beautiful, the
chapel ~tastefully decorated. and
the people in their best clothing
and manners Everything and
everybody seemed prepared for
a treat. The subject of the ora
ton, The Closing Century,
stood out ia tasteful evergreen,
upon the background, among
the decorations. and when
George Thompson Mitchell, the
son OF that well known Missis-
sippian, Hon. Chas. Is. Mitchell
Of POntotOc, faced the audience
as the orator of the day. the
subject, the anniversary. the au-
dience and the orator blended
and fitted as if taii0r-made for
the occasion. Everything was
a bright and glowing guaranty
of a beautiful day-beautifui TO
the eye, the ear, the head, the
heart, the hope.
With an artists brush and
with skilled and delicate touch
the young orator painted the
Past, the Present, and the Flu
ture, and hung the three pic
lures, in frames of silver and
gold. by silken cords, in the
very presence of his audience,
while to their delight he deity
turned upon the appropriate
features of each the light of his
tory, biography, scientific dis
covery and progress, patriotism,
Journalism, poetry and christi
anity, las much GOOD as thirty
minutes could contain. as little
BAD a. with the all good can
remain.
Chaste in his language, ele-
CANT in his expression, graceful
in his manner, at all times in
terested and interesting. the
young optimist orator so car
ried his audience with his mat
ter and manner that they easily
saw only what was a glorious
past, an Astounding present. and
hopeful future, all Of which
they greeted with fervent and
hearty applause, and many iOw
ers found their way from many
bands to bear sweet witness to
his personal popularity.
The subject vas a broad one
and the treatment OF It pictu-
rescue and general. Such a day
il not adapted to scientific
specialization Or to street topical
analysis. and no one with his
wits about him would think of
celebrating such a day in such
a way. The people went to be
pleased rather than to be efu-
Gated and they came away with
a keen sense of having had their
antieipations more than realized
IN the preparation and presen-
tatiOn of the address. to remem-
Der With pride the 10th Phi
Sigma anniversary and the ora
tor.
The whole address richly de
serves publication. for which
there Il now neither time nor
space, 50, after extending the
hearty congratulations of the
EAGLE and the town to the Phi
Sigma Society and Ia him who
saw his opportunity and i'm
proved it, and after expressing
the hopeful wish to the society
and Its worthy representative
that the success of their
10th anniversary may be but the
bright promise of "A still more
delightful future, We must be
content with eomplimenting our
readers IN saying farewell to
George Thompson Mitchell in
the ctrssrc sentences OF his own
p~eroratIOn: 1--WE are the heirs
of all the ages and stand to-
DAY facing the dawn of a future
far grander than that evoked for
imagination by the spirit of
golden dreams. Our lOins are
grit for a new race. beneath our
feet We feel the restless stir
rings of a marvellous life. We
have trrumphed over the pas
sions of the past, and standing
upon the quarter deck of vieto-
tory, Az giving To humanity all
that Is noblest and best in its
history.
Freed from the chain of an
cient saperstititions, blessed
with a priceless legacy of intel
leetual wealth, man is radiant in
the lengthening twilight of the
closing century, and, a. il sinks
with the storm-swept past, he
renews hrs hope and buiday
faces the East, so soon to be
agl0w with the golden dawning
of the twentieth century. The
darkness and discouragement of
one days work but prophesies
the fuller and richer life which
grows strong and deep through
conflict, sets itself IN harmony
with the noblest aims and ends.
aDi Is finally crowned with hon
or and renown; and. from the
bright promises of a future.
sparkling with the glory of God.
red0lent with the incense of uni
yersal praise, We confidently ex-