Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-06-15

The exercises of Glass day, the second
event in the High school commencement
week. we're held on the school lawn We'd
pesday afternoon, beginning at o'clock
and continuing about an hour and half.
.Iulius II. Parkess, the class president,
presided, announcing the program from a
blatform decorated with mountain laurel.
Directly in front of this platform were
seats occupied by the teachers and back
of them and to the left were friends of the
class and the school. The members of the
lass occupied seats to the right, the speak
srs mounting the platform as their names
we're called to give the addresses.
The first number was the class Grafton
av Charles +. Boyle, delivered with much
f5rce and dramatic effect. 1t was upon
the battle of Bennington, and the different
stages of that historic engagement were
pictured with great vividness. The char
stter and qualifications of Gen. Stark
were brought out in way which gave
added interest to the story of the fight,
and the speaker showed that through all
The battles of this country, whether in war
OF in the halls of legislation, the sturdy
sons of Vermont have never given cause
FOX shame on the part of the fathers who
oyercame Great Britain's best soldiers on
the hillsides of Bennington, but that they
have ever stood for the principles Of JUS
tlce and liberty.
The class poem was by Miss Pearl c.
Gibson. 1t was a pretty Indian legend
principally concerning brave warrior and
an Indian boy who wanted to be great, and
fl taught some beautiful lessons as to max
ing the most of ones opportunities and of
cooking for the best things in life. The
poem was admirably written, and its de-
livery commanded close attention.
An interesting feature of the program
vas the class history by George f. Adams.
The class was represented as one of four
tribes in a colony, the other tribes being
the other classes in the High school. He
followed the tribe from its admission to the
colony to the present time, when it had
come to be the admiration of all the
other tribesn There was a vein of humor
through it all, and sweet memories were
stirred as some of the school day events
we're brought up and the characteristics of
each member of the class were portrayed.
James F. Morse read the class prophecy.
Mr.. Morse went to Massachusetts, at the
invitation of a member of the class several
years after graduation, and while in that
state he visited the hotel of Charles Boyle
in Boston. Mr.. Boyle had kept record OF
The doings of his classmates since leaving
school, and the extracts from his journal
made some highly interesting reading.
Miss Mary Cundiff delivered the ivy
grafton, and the truthfulness of her re.
marks and the ease and grace with which
they were made were notable. "Senti
ment" was her subject, and she sought tC
show in a measure the incomprehensiblt
power Of sentiment and the part which il
plays in the affairs Of the world.
The ivy poem by Miss Gertrude w
Croker very appropriately followed the ivy
grafton. In a few short stanzas Miss Gro
ker had embodied beautiful sentiment
delightfully."- and skillfully. The poem wa:
followed by the planting of the ivy, anC
The exercises closed with the singing of the
class ode. The ode was written by FREQ
Z. Gilbert, and it was sung to the tune o.
Sweet Alton, all of the parts being used
which is unusual. 1t was as follows:
Ring gently hereafter, thou bell in the tower,
Ring gently, thy summons well answer no more
Tho others may haste in response to thy ring
No more will we follow, but praise to thee sing.
Thy farCalling chimes DER the Village are heard
The villagers hearts with sweet mem'ries ar
Ring gently, ring gently, disturb not the spell
That led them TO heed thee and love thee so well
How grandly the mountain, that echoes thy call
Stands lifting majestic its head over all;
And the river, how calmly il flows as from cholc
To catch the more surely thy signalling voice.
And lovely the view that lies close at thy feet
The fair arch of elms Ger the broad village street
The slope Of the lawn, all in living green dressed
Thy tower, and the wall by its ivy caressed -
And lberty's flag, floating near, is unfurled,
An emblem, as thou art, Of peace to the world
And now to the world, as our loved school day
cease,
We turn with thy teachings to further its peace.
But gently, ring gently; tho thoult soon forget
In memry thy ringing will follow us yet;
And the scenes round about thee that make the
more dear,
Will arise when in ry thy chimes reach tn
ear.