Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1901-07-04

81 1901 salntes you In the name
= our principal, teachers and
t';noolmstes We bid you thrice vel
Come. The hours have seemed to
linger In bringing this happy, long
looked for day and now that it has
come at last, may your presence
here, like mercy, "biess both him
that gives and him that takes
You have thrown aside your own
cares and pleasures and have come
to rejoice with us and to wish as
God-speed in our sweet journey
home, and we come to meet you
with music and song and some
merry tales, trusting that you may
accept the amusement or diversion
OF the hour - some return for the
honor Of your presence.
You who are before "a with kind
ly faces Of smiling sympathy can
scarcely realize how, when our Ia
bors seemed as o mountain Of re-.
sistance, this days scene arose az q
vision Of hope before as, and was
the inspiration Of our motto "No
contest, no conquest; no conquests,
no crown" But, to-day, our
trembling hopes are crowned with
success and our hearts, like some
victorious courser who has Just
passed under the wire, respond to
the glad music Of won, won."
Oar Alma Mater summons us to
receive our diplomas, as highly
priced, as earnestly striven for and
We present them as testimonial of
our faithful stewardship of the
time and opportunities given us.
The question was once asked Us,
when the year was young, what was
the main motive of study in youth?
1t was the opinion of the majority
that it was to meet the expectation
OF our friends. At first thought
this may seem but vain and small
thing, ambition, nevertheless, Civ
ing it its true Interpretation, the
loving parent will find a higher
sense OF JOY in that sweet purpose
than in success itself, for it is the
child's way Of reaching up to ex-
press the recognition Of love and
sacrifice, the gratitude for oppor-
tunities given and the beautiful and
ideal sentiment of giving realiza-
ton to the hopes Of those dear ones
who centre all in their children
lives. And, in this spirit dear
friends would We have you accept
our work, such as it 10, for this
cause We have drawn apart from
the world and home and pleasures
for long season and have striven
to string each day like a perfect
pearl upon the golden string of time,
that We might not come to you
treasureless and empty -handed.
And il in the glad sunlight of to-
day l seem to cast o shadow over
the yesterdays, over that path so
lately trodden which We are told is
never royal, l would say that we
have found it q way OF pleasant
sights and sounds. Far up the
laurel was evergreen, the fragrant
rose of divine purpose we discov err
ed wreathing the rock-strewn paths
OF science, and at every step, plant.
ed by the faithful hands of our de.
voted teachers we have plucked the
sweet for-get-me-nots. We now
have come to the parting of the
ways. On this side lies childhood
girlhood and graduation /; on that,
womanhood ; here the journey has
been mapped out for rs, there we
venture where many Q traveller has
been lost. Life's purpose is before
us-work, the bending of the whole
soul and mind to the attainment OF
q worthy ambition. 1t is natural
for youth to indulge in the illusions
OF hope, but we can reduce them
to one safe prediction. The struc.
ture of our future lives must be
built upon the cornerstone of nat.
ural ability. We are under the
dispensatlon of q Creator who has
made minds like stars to differ in
their glory, but personal force and
persistency Of purpose can achieve
in this age, wonders undreamed
Of in youth and that life which
lives mp to the present duty, to
God and to oneself can never be q
failure, here or hereafter.
The unknown future 10 before as,
To-day, as it we're, we are gathered
little feet Of white-sailed crafts
nth AAms Aw;~~ -