New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1900-06-09

on our path to knowledge, the first page o
our school history And tho its letters be
dim, and almost effaced, it pointed the
way clearly enough in those happy days.
Then, if ever, was life worth the living
An ounce of study, pound of play, were
the weights our time did weigh. We went
to school then, not so much for the months
of study, as for the hours of play; and with
our play houses under the big oak tree
and the boys with their ball none were SC
happy as we. But strange to say with sc
little work, we managed to move onward
and upward.
With the few exceptions of rapp on the
knuckles or thump on the head our lives
were as happy rs school children's usually
are. The two boys were always rather
good and we'll behaved, that is for boys,
and in thinking over the past, cannot re-
member a single timeDwhen they danced to
the doleful tune of go wont you be good -
But then when Ed stuck Charlie with a
pin, we thought his time had surely come
Charlie jumped, but it was too late, fol
boys trousers you know are thin. Every
thing must at some time reach an end, so
did our happy childhood. The time soon
came when we realized that life at school
was not alone for frolic and fun. There
was higher goal to reach, a longer race to
run.
can clearly depict the change wrought
in our lives as our eyes opened to the truth.
AS Charles and Ed s trousers grew longer,
they began to feel more like men, and that
there was work for them to do. And as we
girls placed our hair higher and higher on
our heads, our hopes and aspiration rose
in proportion. From innocent little lassies,
we developed into innocent little misses,
and studied the multiplication table.
Thro two and four plodded along,
| Sometimes right, more often wrong.
| The sevens and mines we never could get,
| So spent much time in vain regret
| That man, unhappily, was such fool,
| AS to institute thing like school.
The Rubicon was crossed at last and left
behind, while we drank deeper and deep
er of the Pierian spring.
We studied of lands far beyond the sea,
in Mitchell's worn out Geography.It was
filed with men and animals wild,
which if shown us when child, we
would have hid our faces on mothers arm,
as if to escape from bodily harm.
! Our sessions came, our summers passed.
ard year by year we rose from class to
class, till by hard work, and careful study,
we landed in the eighth grade. Our class
mates we left behind. Henceforth we
were to live in other lands, meath another
cline. Forgotten were our readers our
spoilers were laid away. Twas for others
more ignorant than we to locate towns and
cities in Mitchell Geography.
| Heuccforth we were to roam
Thro' the annals of Syria, Greece, and Rome.
| To fight again for the GODDESS liberty.
| Against oppression, misery and tyranny.
Twas here that we read of Washington,
Grant and Lee, and our innocent hearts
felt sudden thrill When we read how the
red coats stormed on Bunker Hill, we
heard again from Sumpter's guarded fort,
the call to arms, the cannon's loud report.
How our hearts blead and burned when
we read of those four years of war.
When brother turned from brother, and
father took up arms against the sons.
Those four years of sorrow, suffering, and
misery. How proud the boys felt of their
fathers deeds, and wished that God had
let them fight for that cause their father s
deemed to be right. And we girls would
have been only too glad to have lived in
our mothers time, that we might have
hoped and sendured and been patient.
With such thought and studies, we filed
the years ninety-six and seven and as
these closed, were told that we had pass
ed.
No longer a lad, no longer lass, we
were now Mrs and Misses of the Junior
Glass. During the next two years our
mettle was tried. Another hand, strong
| and faithful, was to lead us to victory;
! and though it bore heavily at times, though
| we fretted occasionally, and tried to escape
| from it's power twas masters hand that
guided US.
Now that the race is run, the battle over
and the song of victory on our lips, we
| realize that there is, or can be no truer,
manlier man than he whose strong but
gentle hand leads the mind in its up
ward flight, leads the way and leads it
right. If we borrowed Of times limited
store in the past we were now to return tt
with interest. This was the time when
our lights shone dim and weird at mid
night.
The days of A, B, c, were gone. We
had entered the period of X, Y, q. We
closed our eyes with Let x the no, and
opened them with X plus W. The
hare and the hound ran never ending
race through our tired and weary brain.
Our lives were bound with the bracket
and brace, and we always begged three
days of grace. Twas here that we learned
of the base and rate, of cube roots, square
roots and roots ad infnitum.
The amo, amas, amat, of school life de-
manded much of our attedtion. We dug
| in the soil of ancient Rome, and unearthed
the roots Of four conjugations and
| when they we're learned, and "conned
| by rote,' time after time, we turned a leaf
and read where Cesar crossed the Rhine.
Omia Gallia in tres parties divisa est, we
read with pride and freedom /; but ere
the immortal julius had bequeathed to
posterity, his veni vedi, vici, our ardor
had SO abated that we were almost glad
when he got mixed in fray, and departed
this life with his "Et tn Brute.
OF grammar and Rhetoric we took much
note,
And used many line to quote, from Mil
ton, Shakespeare, Byron, and Pope.
After two laborious years in the vineyard,
gathering the grapes, and drinking the
wine of knowledge, we five became the
dignifed seniors which you see tonight.
This last year is too full of pleasant
memories to dwell upon. They are sacredly
enshrined in our hearts. In after years,
we will open the casket of memory and
look over the withered leaves of this to us,
the most important year of our lives. So l
close the chronicles Of the past, and facing
the present, will try as far as in me lies
and as words can convey to express the
gratitude in our hearts to night.
You who are present tonight accept our
thanks and gratitude for such loving
kindness. The two boys will soon be Of
you and we hope with you fighting shoulder
to shoulder for higher ideals and broader
knowledge. We girls, can unless you give
us the ballot, only wish you Gods speed.
There is another body better known to
us, and who have exerted every effort in
our behalf. To them the state has given
in charge the schools Of this parish. You,
by word and example have encouraged us
to labor on, and above all, have seen to it
that our instructors have been of the best.
How can we thank you for such kindness.
Words1are too weak, so will not try.
Last, but not least, to our teachers we
turn with hearts sad and heavy. For years
some of you have been our leaders. What
our feelings are now that we are leaving
you, you can have little idea.
They are something like those of the old
soldier, worn and tired, battle stained and
weary, who takes last leave of his com
mander. They have faced shot and shell