The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-13
THEY GRADUATE.

Apart from the excitement of the
Woodman convention, this is a week OF
intellectual festivities. The various de-
partments of our public schools have
given to the world the finished product Of
their art large number of young per-
SONS have passed from the kindergarten
Of the school to the first primary of life
After years of labor and rest, hope and
disappointment. of love, jealousy and
hate. Of success and failure, they will
graduate into the unknown eternity-and
then?
The little child of six years who leaves
the guidarSce of the kindergarten 70: that
field of larger responsibility, the first
primary, is proud of the accomplishment.
Wonderful has been the mental progress
during these baby years. Many things
does this little mind know. Many and
important are the little thoughts 1t
thinks. The world of book knowledge
will soon open and then what u wonder
full field for the busy little brain. The
young persons In their early teens WHO
thus proved themselves fit to enter the
smaller but more exacting circle of the
high school, are also proud of their ac-
complishment, and it is we'll that thew
should be. The school education Of many
will stop here. The vast realm of science
philosophy, history and art will, without
doubt, be closed to the majority. unless
with unusual persistence they force cir
cumstances to obey the will of deter
mined ambition.
The senior classes of the hign schools
Of 1901 have finished their courses With
carefully prepared essays and orations
with hutter of white drapery, with
flushed cheeks and wildly beating hearts
they, too, come before the public to make
their bow, to say their say and t. pass
ON into the alumni association and the
great round world. Flowers and Gift
and good wishes of frends-a happy
triumph of which they, too, NAV lie
proud, Drink deep of this Wine OF youth
and smiling confidence; it may never
be presented to your lips again.
Until now you have been an integral
part of the family, the school, the class
Many sacrifices have been made for Won
that you might be a part of the brave
pageant of today. Tomorrow that is
done. New duties assert themselves. new
Obligations fall upon you The school
that has known you during these wears
OF physical and intellectual evolution will
know you no more. You will seek the
precincts OF the old school house as q
stranger; new forms will fill your ac-
customed seats, new faces will annear
at the windows. Some of you may go
on, seeking the higher paths of educa-
ton, but the majority will enter thA
vast ungraded school of labor: the
school where experience is the teacher
ana where punishment for infraction of
the rules comes sure and swift. We ex-
tend to you the right hand of fellowship
and welcome you to our fraternity. We
would congratulate you if we could do so
honestly, but that we can not do. Success
awaits you if you are on hand and
chance to recognize her. She may force
herself upon you-voluntarily Introduce
herself to you-she does that sometimes
But she is naturally coy and must be
courted night and day. Don't be disap-
pointed if you fail to find the pot of COLO
where the rainbow touches the ground
The castles in Spain which you erect
with much care you may never inhabft
and your ambitions will most likely come
home to roost. AT thirty you may sus
pect yourself failure, at forty YOU
will be convinced Of it. sDon't be dis
eouraged; that is the beginning of wis
dom. What you wish to be at eighteen,
at thirty-six you would not be if you
could. We might give you good advice,
but you would not profit by It. No, no!
You prefer living it out for yourselves
1t is best so. Welcome and good-bye!
We have for you both smiles and tears.
You have finished the first act of the
comedy of life. A comedy? Yes; some
times it ends in farce; sometimes in a.
tragedy.