Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-06-04
ANNUAL COMMENCEMENT
OF THE NAPOLEON HIGH
SCHOOL AT THE RINK
OPERA HOUSE.
a Magnificent Audience-Beau-
tiful Decorations.

ing the class of '9G by hearing it do
itself honor. Proud and loving rela-
tives, together with hosts of admiring
friends, listened to the eight orations
with pleasure and satisfaction.
The motto of the class Non Con-
ceptunl, Sed Laceptunt''-not finished,
but begun-demonstrates that the
members fully realize that commence
ment is but the end of the path where
the pupil quits the guiding hand of
his teacher and enters upon a road
where experience becomes the pre-
ceptor.
The stage was tastefully though
not gorgeously decorated, both sides
being banked with the choicest
flowers. The graduates were seated
at the rear-the chairs arranged in q
semi-circle. A quintette composed
of Messrs Campbell, Barnes, Maerker,
Hall and Evers, furnished two vocal
and Miss johnson render
ed beautiful vocal solo. The other
music was furnished by G. w. Jack
sons orchestra.
Prayer and the benediction were
said by Rev. J. Williams.
"The End to be Attained was the
subject for the first oration delivered
by Francis j. Shaft. 1t was well
written and delivered discussion of
the destiny of the human race. Man
should forget his own self-interest
and look forward to the time when
he may enter unto another stage Of
society; one that is pure and faultless,
unto the Kingdom of the Almighty.
The speaker went on in this vein,
dwelling chiefly on the characteristics
of and differences between religion
and society. The Grafton closed with
q few words to the class. Mr.. Schaff
spoke to his classmates of the work
they had done during their school
life, and earnestly hoped that their
different paths from now on might
all meet at the close of this earthly
career and that they would again be-
come united as faithful followers OF
Christ in the future world.
Following came Miss Annetta Louise
Koch with her grafton, I'VE Build
Our Own Monuments. Whatever
may be mans position in life, what,
ever his field of labor may be, he is
building for himself monument
which will never decay. Some gain
fame by war, some by treachery, and
some by wealth, but there are many
paths which lead to the high pinnacle
of fame that are unsullied and undy
ing. We can build our pillar of sue
cess by seizing every honorable op
portunity.
Build it we'll whate'er we do,
Build it straight and strong and true;
Build it clean and high and broad,
Build it for the eye of God"
Miss Helen Luella Hartman with
her subject "Knots" deviated from
the time honored custom that at com
mencement everything should bt
serious, and in her usual n0ive ant
charming manner delivered an ora
tion that won for her a warm place
in the hearts of the audience. Sht
spoke first of friendship knots, ant
how they sometimes are sprinklet
with love drops, shrink and becom
a complicated, unfastenable lover
knot; these then in many cases ripel
into q hymeneal knot. She dwelt OIL
the ecclesiastical and political knots
and passed from the hangman's kno
into a humorous discourse on tn
hickory knot and the Psyche knot
The grafton was brought to a clos
with the forget-me-not. The speake
made an elegant appeal to the audi
ence in behalf of the class of '96, tina
they (the audience) should bear il
mind the plural of forget-me-not in
confined sense, forget-us-not.
Miss Nellie Love Cowdrick in choos
ing as the subject for oratiou They
aye stan thegither, Montrose WI
Montrose," picked one upon whicl
many an essay might be written, bu
still each one have q different vein 0
thought. Miss Cowdrick chose 70
the corner stone of her Grafton tn
seal that should seal all true friend
ship--fdelity. Man is not happ
alone; he needs companionship. W
should regulate our every day live
SO as to gain friends. We lose man
q friend by being cold hearted. "See1
not to have a friend, but to be
friend.n The speaker went on in thi
spirit, pointing out the way in whic
friends are found and kept. Th
oration closed by Miss Cowdrick &C
dressing the members of the elias
who had been her companions an
friends for SO many years. Hence
forward they will turn into differer
paths. Hard struggles will be me
with, but the harder the struggle th
greater the victory. They bega
journeying happily together an
''They'll aye stan thegither," in tn
future.
After selection by the orchestr
Miss Marie Urban delivered her ore
ton with the subject "Oh Happiness
Our Beings End and Aim" Ho7
many have attempted to define 'Har
piness," to describe the emotion, bu
what a shadow are the empty def
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