Delaware gazette and state journal., 1897-06-24
FRIENDS SCHOOL EXERCISES
Three Young Women Cradu-
ated From That Institution.
COMMENCEMENT HELD ON FRIDAY
Large Attendance and Interest,"
ing Programme.
Diplomas Awarded to Misses Lille Donaid-
son. Helen A. Cranston and Elinor X.
McIntire of the Graduating Glass and
Miss Mabel Way of the kindergarten.


The commencement exercises of the
class of 1897 of the Friends School was
held on Friday afternoon in the Meet
ing House, Fourth and West streets, in
the presence of large audience. Three
young ladies received the diploma of
the school and one young lady the
diploma Of the kindergarten training
class. The address to the graduates of
the school was delivered by Prof. Marie
a. Is. Hondley of Swarthmore College
who emphasized the beneficial influence
of self forgetfulness upon one's charac.
ter
Daisies and gerapiums, ferns aud
palms decorated the platform OF the
meeting houss. The daisies adorned
the edge of the sounding board and the
middle partition and the graduates at
tired in orgaudie gowns trimmed with
ribbon sat behind row of plants. On
the platform were also Mrs. Mary b.
Pyle of the school committee, Prof.
Hoadley and Principal Isaac 4. johnson.
First the three graduates gave their
essays. Miss Lille Donaldson OF Chris
tiaDa whose essay bore the title:
"Pathos OF Dickens and Thackeray
Compared" spoke Interestingly Of some
OF the famous characters and the
authors methods of treatment.
Miss Helen A. Cranston of Newport
spoke of "Sonya Kovalevsky, ~ who
was one of the first to advocate the
higher education of women in Russia
and who was herself great mathe'
matician.
Miss Elinor r. McIntire ably dis
cussed "Clowns and Fools OF Shake.
speare, speaking entertainingly of
Toucbstone and Falstaf as we'll as some
| of the minor characters.
Following the essays, Principal John
son spoke briefly of the work of the
school and presented the diplomas
Miss MoIntire one of the graduates had
spent but one year at Friends. !.
having graduated from the High School
year ago. A diploma was presented
to Miss Mabel Way for having com
pleted the work of the kindergarten
training class.
| Mrs. Hoadley, in prefacing her ad'
dress, said that she would speak only
to the graduates, as the parents and
] friends would be interested in that.
She referred TO the eternal verify oi
things and proceeded to discuss the
thirst for happiness. But TO secure the
best happiness she held that we must
work. and shs compared happiness to
the surface of the sea in peace: it is
not motionless for every part is in
motion.
Referring TO the scriptural admonition
"He who would find his life must lose
| it," she added that he who would find
happiness must sometimes lose happi
ness. We must lose our lives in the
lives OF others. As recipe for true
happiness she advocated self forgotfu
service for others and faith to believe
that there is a wise and loving power
at the centre of the universe
Quoting the apborism that second
rate people are people who are satisfied
with second rate things she added
LET none of us be satisfied with
second rate things She held thai
young women may over estimate the
value Of professional training and uu
derestimate home training. She de
clared that two friends living together
may make a home, whereas a large
family may live together and not have
home. Superior intelligence may ado
to the worth of home but they arr
not the chief part of it and she com
mended the idea HI expressed in thi
words: She seeketh not her own bu
she seeketh tho happiness Of others. -
Prof. Hoadley paid tribute to thi
homemaker and referred to two girl
who went to boarding school where the
dormitory rooms were cheerless, and al
once proceeded to mother the dormi
tory, bringing cheerfulness to thei
school mates and winning happines
themselves. She gave another instanc
of the homemaking spirit in Pari
waif.
Speaking OF self culture she declared
that the highest self culture come
from the forgetfulness Of self. We mus
revolve around something outside o
ourselves to be truly happy. We nee'
TO avoid the temptation tn revolv
around ourselves. A woman who spend
her life attending TO the whims OF
dog ia happier than'the woman who at
tends only to herself.
As to the complaint made concernin,
limitations of Gne's life, she said tina
there are many unjust limitations, bu
some have been removed and she hon
ored this women who have worked fo
their removal; but she declared tha
there are limitations which ought t.
continue. Turning to the busines
world for a moment she said that sh
understood the ruling spirit of the bus
mess world 10 be competition, tryinl
to get ahead OF someone else, to outsel
or underbid someone else: self seeking
And she inquired If "In honor prefer
ring one another was followed in that
But in the homemaking life the limi
tatious are not of that kind, TO
although the domestic duties may b
irksome and firing, yet the homemade
seeks not her own, but the welfare o
others. 1t brings about the develop
ment of the best elements of her char
acter; ami the life that helps to attail
that is a life not irksome but happy
the speaker closed her practical ad
dress with the thought that it is a com
fort in life to know that We grow llk
our ideals.
At the conclusion Of the exercises tn
graduates were given an informal recep
tion and many of the friends inspected
the school building.
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