Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-06-25

The stage at the Opera House, Fri
day night, looked very pretty in It's
decorations of blue and white being the
class colors of the class Of '96. Beauti
ful plants and flowers also adorned the
rostrum. THE seed is sown, what shall
the harvest be?,, was the motto over the
stage which greeted the eye of the
audience, in prominent letters.
The large hall was not adequate to
hold the people who desired to witness
the exercises and many were turned
away. The graduates six in number
repeated psalm and Rev. w. l.. Nun
ger offered an invocation which was
followed by chorus of fifty voices
under direction of Mrs. H. A. Lamb
The selections by the graduates We're
indeed interesting, each were loudly
applauded and at the close were re-
cipients Of flowers in abundance from
their many friends.
Miss Lena Leonard who is home from
Oliyet sang "Violets" in most charm
ing manner, her voice is wonderfully
sweet. The courtship of Miles Stan
dish given bv Ellis Ranney as Captain
Miles Standish, Clarence Golden as
John Alden and Pearl Roosevelt rs
Priscilla, in costume, and with the old
time spinning wheel, was an enjoyable
feature.
Mr.. Claude Menkee, Mr.. Chas. Wag-
ner, Mr.. Geo. Holmes and Miss Jennie
Wagner composed the orchestra.
PRESIDENTS ADDRESS MISS PEARL
ROOSEVELT.
This is II wonderful age! A glorious
age! A critical age! Yet, who does not
prefer TO walk abreast with this age?
This is an epoch in the history of the
world, an epoch enlightened by such
lights as a Gladstone, a Bismark, n
Grover Cleveland, VIM. Mckinley,
and the class which you see before you
tonight. This is the greatest time the
world has ever, seen aud no whore is its
greatness more evident than in our
own nation. Civilization has advanced
by strides and this by no means the
zenith of its glory.
Our advancement has been so great
that we dare beard the British lions
name and even tie blue ribbon on his
tail after we have twisted it,
We speak and sing and play the
music of the big brass band by the aid
Of electricity. Next Sunday morning
Mrs. Blank of Fifth avenue, should she
not feel disposed To take the crimpers
from her hair and put the kalsomine
on her face, may lie at ease upon her
couch OF down and hear her beloved
pastor pour forth his soul in unequaled
eloquence, and all this by the aid of
electricity in the phonograph.
We Americans ride on the cow
catcher of advancement's train. Every
city has its electric railway. Even
Belding, glorious Belding. has one,
though at present the cars are ofl.their
trolley.
Who can say we are not living in a
great age2 An age of the reform also.
Just think, we not only still sell the
right to send souls to misery's darkest
shades by the whiskey route, but sell
two licenses for one price because of a
connecting archway between.
Our institutions have been carried
to the farthest verge of the land and
lighted IL up with the lights of religion,
liberty, science and education-lights
which shall shine across the broad
ocean and illuminate the dark recesses
OF benighted Asia.
No age was ever SO brilliant, no gen
Grafton was ever given the opportun-
tiles the present receives. Yet, as
students working together with a
common aim, we feel we have not al
ways improved the opportunities given
us to the lustre and glory, to the ebb-
ing OF this nineteenth century tide.
Tonight we are supposed to have
learned all this school could teach.
Supposed, | repeat, for few or none
have absorbed all the grand truths
taught from day to day. Tonight is
but the beginning Of the end OF our
education. Tomorrow, aye! even now,
we are entering that grandest of all
places of learning the school of life.
The one comprehensive end of educa-
tion is to prepare man to fulfill the
purposes OF human existence, and
woman to be his main support and
mouthpiece. This purpose includes
the preparation OF mans nature for his
highest well being and happiness and
his preparation for the right discharge
Of all the duties and obligations which
spring from his relation to his fellows,
to society, TO the state and To his God.
IL implies therefore both the accumu-
lation Of information and the training
OF the faculties.
There Is cry going up all over our