Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-06-30
The Parting Address.


William Henry Holmes Jr.. had been
Gs signed to deliver the parting address
ard when he was Introduced he was We'll
received and spoke as follows
Mr.. President. Classmates. Friends
In every parting there is n touch of
adness. Before tomorrow sun has set.
we, who for four years have .journeyed
together on the road 10 learning. shai
have parted. TO meet again but rarely,
rerhaps never. 10 you who have gath
red here TO bid us farewell we speak
these words in the hope that some OF
them may fall and spring UP as forget
Ine-nots in the garden OF your memory.
n ayr your words of counsel and your well
wishes so with US; for the benediction OF
friends will be to US our strongest fort
ress. These may well be called COM
Inencement days. They are for us the be-
ginnings of real life. Until now our lives
have been lives of preparation; hence
forth they must be lives of performance
or failure. Humbly. yet hopefully, we
stand at the entrance of this vast arena
where all must contend. We are IN the
morning of life, in the bloom OF young
manhood and young womanhood. We
have youth and enthusiasm in our favor.
but we lack that sage experience which
comes only after years Of toll ana trials
For four years we have had the oppor-
tunity to devote ourselves to make an ac-
duaintallce with all the treasures Of hui
man genius We have had the oppor-
tunity. The gates were open. Il we qua
not chose to enter we have lost that
which we can never regain. Like every
other period of life. college is an oppor-
tunity. 1t IS what you make IT, Inc
late. We can not enter now, is that of the
man, who, in our simple phrase. wasted
his college years. The echo of those sad
words. at might have been. rings in the
ears of many a man. Happy is he who
carly learns that these college years are
the golden keys which open the way 10
every realm of Knowledge. Happy is he,
who learning this glorious fact. applies
himself with diligence and zeal to his task.
We, who today. are about to set forth.
know whether we have grasped our OPP
portunities or not We know whether We
are well or i'll prepared. If We have
drunk only the bubbles which float on the
surface of the Pierian springs. we have
none to censure but ourselves. II We have
over the meadows of fancy, we must ac-
cept the decree of fortune. Woe unto
him who has not learned the great lesson
that he who wins must work and labor
long. No man ever leaped to success.
The conditions which make success pos
sible may be hidden from the common
uct of time and toll. John w. Goff. the
anti-Talnmany recorder of New York
city rose from obscurity into prominence
IN what seemed twinkling put john
w. Golf had been preparing for that very
rise from his boyhood. when, as clerk.
he sold goods over the counter OF a. y.
Stewards Wonderful store. Chauncey nj.
5Depew paved the way TO prominence BY
tliy.; afl nights of unceassng toll. Forty
ono Years ago he was graduated from
Yale college. His only fortune was his
education. Today he stands at the head
OF the greatest railway system in the
world Intelligence and determination
were his only servants. chauncey M.
Depew's fortune was his education. II IS
e,lilcation won him success. But knowl-
edge is by all means education. He who
has knowledge has the tools; he who
has education knows how to use them.
t,hauneey NJ Depew knew how TO use his
Lnowledge He had trained himself and
made himself wanted by the world.
Were is always a demand for men that
are trained: men who can see when they
look. men who know how aud love to do
their DUTY. The world wants workers.
E,nr shirkers aud idlers there is no de-
maud. No school CT college ever made
man The man must make himself. The
college may lselp to develop his facultie;s.
hurt il can help only 80 far as he himself
makes il possible. The world Is fl'led with
colleg,. graduates who scarcely can Keep
their heads above the waves Of failure.
In their college days some of them may
have been brilliant scholars; but the
clock struck II for them on commence
ment day. A man may have heatth.
scholarship, and character and still be a
failure We see many such men lawyers.
dnrstors. preachers. They have knowl-
edge. but they are not educated. Tney
have not the ability TO adapt means 10
ends. They never. accomplish what they
undertake. They lack 1.-THE highest the
rarest and the most form of human Ca
pacity,-the administrative power, the