The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-06-15
Montpelier High School.

| school Year.
In the presence of an audience that filed
| to overfiowing the aisles and lobby Of the
opera house the graduating exercises of the
class OF '98 from the Montpelier High
School were held last Friday evening. The
decorations were simple and appropriate
Over the center OF the stage, on the Ameri-
| can shield was worked the class mott },
| ZEN Avant," Go Forward. Pots contain.
ing daisies and ferns were wrapped in flags
| and bunting and at the left OF the stage was
| displayed life sized portrait OF the late
Prof. s. j. Blanpied.
The class numbered nineteen, a1d the
courses in which they graduated are as
follows; Classical course, John Lewis
Brooks, Walter Philip Smith; English
course, Alice Louise Callahan, George
Thomas Deavitt, Mary Cecilia Mahoney,
Robert Truman Phinney, Margaret sabin,
course, Lucia Matilda Bailey, Jane Emily
Bancroft, Alice Arabella Blanchard, Ina
| Sara Cummings, Lottie May Dodge, Mary
! Belle Malone, Mary Beckwith Mcdonald,
| Harry Barrows Moulton, Martin William
Peck, Eula Wright Putnam, Rebecca Whit
| ney Wright,
| Music was furnished by the Montpelier
orchestra, and Rev. Andrew Gillies offered
| prayer. The first essay, with salutatory,
was read BY Miss Alice Blanchard, her sub
| iect was ITO see ourselves as others see
| u.s." Miss Blanchard suggested the use Of
| magic mirrors and pictured our amszement
could we see and know what other people
| think OF us. Our pride would be humbled,
our oftentimes lofty opinions of ourselves
would be changed. illustrations that were
| easily recognized were framed by the essay
| est, and the thought was urged that IL we
| could know just what people say and think
| abont us, we would, more than ever, with
our friends
"Be to their virtues not unkind,
And to their faults a little blind"
date. al tha at.1Nf pfa ura11
delivered Grafton by W. Philip Smith. The
work Of this man Of destiny as orator, politi-
| cal economist and statesman was consider
| ed, as were the prominent reforms inaugur-
| ated by him in England He was man
who will live forever in the hearts of Eng
| lish speaking people.
| Miss Jane Bancroft next read carefully
prepared essay on "Crazes and Hobbies !"
! National, social and individual fads and
crazes were treated in an entertaining
manner and the young lady prophesied that
| the next craze would be collecting souven-
| ers OF the Cuban war.
In progress in Civilization" Miss Lottie
| Dodge compared the civilization Of to-day
with that OF our forefathers, pointing out
the changes in science, art. education, COM
vivacious young lady close her essay with
the thought that we ought to be thankful
| we live in an age when we can be bene-
| flied by the experience OF the past.
The Grafton Of Robert Phinney was on
| "Men of Vermont" In enforcing the
thought that Vermont holds first rank in
| literature, art, architecture, and science, the
| speaker referred to Hiram Powers, Larkin
G. Mead, T. W. Wood, Richard Morris
Hunt, Samuel Morey, DR.. Alonzo 7. jack
man and Admiral Dewey, Vermonters all,
who had shed imperishable renown upon
the state of their birth.
In an essay that sparkled with original
thought Miss Mary Mahony spoke OF PRO
fessions for Women" In olden days wo-
men were not allowed to work for wages.
house then bounded her occupations. Now
scarcely barrier excludes her from any
trade, business or profession, and in these
for which she has fitted herself she wins
success and happiness.
In we'll modulsted voice Miss Mary Nc
Donald read of "Naval Battles" At the
hands Of this young lady Admiral Dewey
received glowing tribute and his victory
at Manila was compared most favorably
with those OF ancient and modern times
Harry Moulton spoke intelligently and
we'll of american Inventions" showing a
thorough familiarity with his subject. The
inventions Of Benjamin Franklin, Robert
Fulton, Samuel f. B. Morse, Cyrus Field,
Edison and Bell, and what they have done
for the world formed the central thought Of
this excellent Grafton.
Gin olden Times was the subject of
Miss Ina Cummings paper 1t was a
charming and quickly recognized pen pic
ture of an old New England home, its in
mates, their work, customs and habits. No
one but wide awake New England girl,
who has been amid Just such scenes and
people, could have told the story so we'll.
With an easy stage presence, timely ges-
lures and clear voice George Deavitt spoke
OF "Vermont's Contribution to Litera-
ture." Among those who have brought
our literature up to where it is to-day were
Tra al
Tyler, Wilbur Fisk, DR.. William Hall.
Zadock Thompson, George P. Marsh, j. g.
SAKE, G. j. Eastman, Julia Q. r. Dorr, d.
P. Thompson and Rowland e. Robinson.
Louis Brooks next spoke Of "Our Ac-
QUESTIONS" 1t has not been the policy Of
quest, and is not to-day. The accessions by
purchase of Florida, California, Texas and
Alaska were referred to, and with Alaska
on the north, Hawaii on the west, the
Philippines on the east, and Cuba and Porto
Rico on the south, all practically ours, the
appearances are that the United States in
tends going into the real estate business on
q mammoth scale.
In an easy and entertaining way Miss Lu-
cha Bailey spoke OF Letter Writing" No
one knows who wrote the first letter but
whoever he was the world has long been
indebted to him. The individual lives in
his letters and a real letter is always worth
reading. Good letter writing is gift, 1t
cannot be acquired, but letters from friends.
whether written according to established
rules or not are always welcome.
"Poets Laureate" gave Miss Mary Malone
an opportunity to touch upon the work Of
Tennyson, which she did gracefully and in
choice dction. From Ben johnson to
Tennyson there were in England fourteen
poets laureate, but none, in the opinion of
| the essayist, who equaled the latter In
closing strong tribute to Tennyson Miss
Malone quoted from his works,
"However 1t be II seems to me
It's only noble to be good.
True hearts are more than coronets,
And simple faith than Norman blood"
Clarence Senter made decided hit in his
witty Grafton on "War Bulletins" The
daily press came in for caustic drubbing
| for the bulletins 1t has hung out since the
war with Spain was commenced. We
wonder at the exaggerated stories printed in
the Spanish newspapers but we forget how
ridiculous the vivid imaginations OF news
paper correspondents have made the war
bulletin boards during the past few weeks.
Perhaps the most profound essay Of the
evening was that Of Miss Alice Callahan on
"The Chemistry of School Days" In in
| genious phrases, she compared the science
OF chemistry with school days. Our hard
studies are the solids, our easy ones the
liquids, and our recreations the gases.
School work is only a chemical compound,