Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-06-14
Commencement at the High School,

ReN. w. f.. Wnlte, pastor OF the
church, delivered the baccalaureate
sermon. Mr.. Whites subject was
pitching Lies Tent" and was taken
from Genesis Xiii:12. Mr.. White de-
tailed the history of Lot in connections
with Abraham, and showed that ever
after the division of the lands, Lot
pitched his tent toward Sodom. 1t is
of the utmost importance how one
pitches his tent. The class had up to
the present time been held by public
opinion, and by recognized authority.
They are emerging somewhat from the
control of parents and teachers, and
more and more must choose for them
selves. 1t is a critical time in their
lives and he pressed home the question
After Graduation, What?" They
could in the next four months form
associations which would make or ruin
them. They cannot spend time in
questionable places, and gain conf
dence. AS they had really but just
entered upon an educated life, he
urged them to pitch their tent right
intellectually.
The coming successful man must be
a strong man intellectually. How
shall the tent be pitched spiritually?
He plead that the manhood and wo-
manhood before him should not pitch
it away from religion, which is higher
than intellect. He said a vision of 20
years ahead seemed to show him the
class. grown strong in the best sense,
not one having ever begun to pitch
their tent toward SOdom. In closing
he gave one of the New Testament
meanings of sin, as missing the
mark and urged that they should
round and perfect their characters,
and never miss the mark" Mr..
White was assisted in the service by
Rev. e. j. Deane, pastor of the Metho-
dist church.
Tuesday afternoon at 3 o'clock
large concOurse of people assembled
on the High school lawn to witness
the class day exercises. Several Sc
lections were sung by the school, I'M
der the direction of Miss Leach. a
platform had been erected above
which on a background of green the
figures 1901 were prominent in pink.
Potted plants adorned the platform on
which Harry Jefferds, president of the
| day, was seated In an easy pleasant
manner Mr.. Jefferds welcomed the
people, and introduced the speakers.
The first to appear was Miss Dollie w.
| Dawson. class historian, who recount
| ed the happenings of the past four
| years in an humorous and captivating
way. Miss Eva c. Robertson gave an
| interesting address on the books we
read, especially dwelling upon stand
ard books of fiction and their authors.
Frank w. Jefferds took a prophetic
| peep into the future, and located all
| his classmates in the years to come.
~ u, D,1,x
| Burns as the subject for her interest
! ing essay. The class will was by Miss
| Meta o. Bailey, and was bright and
amusing, her gifts being aptly be
slowed. and creating much merriment.
Miss Bailey closed by presenting the
| school, in behalf of her class mates. a
fine bust of Sir Walter Scott. The
class yells closed the program. and
the events of very pleasant after
noon became school history.
The graduating exercises of the
class of 1901, Hinsdale High school
took place in the Congregational
church on Wednesday evening. The
flower decorations were especially
beautiful. The large organ was near
ly covered with tasteful arrangement
of ferns and flowers, while blooming
ported plants, palms, and ferns pro
| fusely adorned the platform. The eX-
| ercises opened by a selection by the
Iemple quartet of Boston, followed by
invocation by the pastor of the church,
Rev. w. f. White. The valedictory
address was by Walter Dunklee
Stearns, and was gracefully given.
Mr.. Stearns's essay What Shall We
Do Next" was of much merit, and
showed that he by no means thought
that In graduating from the High
school, they had reached the goal of
their ambition, but that there remain
ed much to learn, and heights to
reach. as yet only dreamed of. The
valedictorian of the class, James n
Mccormick, had as subject Our Pc
sition With the Philippines" 1t was
a scholarly production, showing that
Mr.. Mccormick had given the ques
tions relating to our added possessions
careful consideration. He closed with
the customary word of thanks to board
of education, teachers, etc. Prof. d
l.. Fisher then conferred the diplomas
upon the large class, consisting OF
the following: William Edward Belle
vile, Agnes Gertrude Detour, Flora
Aldina NORM, Eugene Leander NORM
James Nolan Mccormick, Walter Dun
|
Elizabeth Leonard Gray, Frank Yves
ley Jeffords, Meta o. Bailey, Roy Win
throp Dawson, Harry e. Jeffords, Mar!
Frances Redding, and Eva Caroline
, Robertson. Mr.. Fisher took occasion
during the evening to speak of thu
, complaints of parents, which occasion
? ally came to his ears, that the Higl
, school pupils were being worked to,
, hard. For this he. did not blanc
them, but when they considered tina
their diploma was the passport to an.
New England college, and that a fit
/ ting in any degree less, would deba
! them, he did not believe they woul
3 want the standard of the school low
! cred. The remainder of the evenin
| was occupied by the Temple quartet
= and was indeed a rare treat to tn
S large audience which packed tn
T. house.
f Hearty encoTes were given by tn
\ appreciative audience, and were cheer
{ fully responded to. Lovers of must
= were given a pleasure not often to b
: had without a journey to the large
r towns or cities. Miss Burnett tn
r reader, was also easily a favorite, cal
l. turing her audience with her first fe'
r words. Her delineations of charar
d ter, whether pathetic or grotesqu
y were wonderfully life like. This col
J. pled.with a pleasant voice, and attra
r tive personality made her charpin