Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-13
INTERESTING ESSAYS,
DELIVERED BY HIGH SCHOOL.
GRADUATES LAST EVENING.

DELIVERED BY HIGH SCHOOL
GRADUATES LAST EVENING.
Three interesting essay were delivered
yesterday evening by Miss Annie Blanche
knowlton. Miss Alice Conway n Miss
Mary MacLane of the graduating class
Of the high school,. Miss Knowlton's
essay dealt with Italy's contribution to
civilization n literature; of Virgil and
Dante. Miss Conway spoke of the prog
ress of Germany in educational matters,
and Miss MacLane's subject was CHARLES
Dickens" in which she CAV an estimate
Of that writer's worth as a builder Of
| castles.
Miss Knowlton said in part: IL
"The peninsula Of Italy has given
much to civilization. events transpiring
within her borders have changed the
whole trend of European development.
Principles of government. Of art and of
literature, wrought out with patience and
suffering by her sons. have become the
basis upon which our systems have been
built. Her history is full of interest to
us. We thrill with delight at the stories
of Caesar and Pompey, of Cato, of the
Grachii, of Garibaldi. Victor Emanuel.
We are interested in the laws and
customs of her people; in the legends Of
their heroic deeds; in the traditions of the
early SnI1StldIl Cnufcu. anu llc Stullll
and strife of the middle ages.
Every nation has it's many writers
and only few geniuses who are able to
express the deepest feelings of humanity.
Such men as these produced the classics
which are destined to live for all times.
OF men of this class, Italy has given the
world ~two-Virgil and Dante.
Virgil lived when Rome was in her
greatest glory and her literature had
reached it's zenith. Virgil's works were
a %favorite study with his countrymen.
Within SO years after his death his best
productions We're admitted to the honor
they have since retained, of serving as
a textbook. The scholars of his time
We're severe in their criticisms of his
poems, on the ground that they contained
new words, used old ones with new
meanings, and initiated Homer too freely.
LAS Virgil was the bright star of his
age, so was Dante the central figure of
the thirteenth century,"
Speaking of Germany, Miss Conway
said:
'The world is the richer in art, sci
ence, literature, schools and religion be-
cause of the Germans. The colleges and
universities of Germany are surpassed
by none + education is the dra wing
out of and development Of all the human
faculties and the preparation of the man
or woman for the duties and responsible
tiles Of life.
"People educated highly in other coun-
tries go to Germany to complete their
education. The literature of Germany
will be known to the people of every ma
ton as long as the names of Goethe,
Schiller, Leasing and Heine survive. The
drama of Germany is dependent on the
names of Goethe, Schiller and Leasing
They fill all Germany, and indeed all Eu-
rope, with their tragic fame and then
names, posterity will rot willingly let
die
"The Germans stand for liberty, for
the noblest ambition of humanity, fol
peace throughout the world, and for the
who love liberty and equality, and CLAIM
the sheltering protection which they hav'
always given"
Speaking of the names in English liter
ature, Miss MacLane said:
But the best name among them is tina
of Charles Dickens, the writer for thf
multitudes. He has written for the PEG.
pie of their w lives. Of their own pas
sions; his soul has gone cut in love fol
them in his volumes: and more thar
these, he has portrayed the children OF
earth in the light of their own fair realm
that of the wise, the triumphant.
What peace must there have been fl
Charles Dickens when he knew that
through the children of his stories he
va
they will nave as their own. little Oliver
with his faith; little David with his sad
little story; poor little Joe, dead, but
never so happy; Tiny Tim with his infant
poesy; and the best of them all, littl,
Paul, with serious. longing eyes, asking;
What are the wild waves saying?'
"Charles Dickens used to sit and write
by an open window in the golden summer
time. The scenes that he looked upor
We're the influences and inspirations tina
guided him as he wrote. There was, it /
said, a steep hillside where often mer
ventured and where blaebells held sway
There was a placid river that flowed
along with golden tales and bits of sto,
ries, which were heard from the oper
window and told to us in chapters. There
We're the old-time English trees dropping
over to the dear earth-the lindens and
the quivering aspens M the elms. There
was the singing of the old-time English
birds in the branches-the larks, the rib
ms and the whippoorwills. There, more
over, were the old-time English flowers
the blue the harebell, the lark
spur, and there was the soft south wine
telling many another tale. If such is
earth, then what, pray, is paradise?
zone day he laid down his pen. He
pushed away his papers. He looked oui
upon the dear green earth for the last
time while he lived. He looked up at the
deep blue summer skies, but wrote by
them no more"