St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1902-06-14
oPELoUsAs, LA, SATURDAY, JUNE Il. 1902.

several of us country pupils, at
tested to by the award of diplo-
p1omas, will inspire you with
deeper interest in the educational
welfare of your young aud to the
realization of the superior advan-
tages offered by this school.
"To you, my classmates and bosom
friends, I hail you with as much
| joy and happiness as we all hail
the advent of this occasion, which
is for many of US the dividing line
between the lively, happy days of
thoughtless youth and the fuller,
more earnest period of manhood.
AS we have in this struggle OF ear
~ life, though pluck and energy,
won the first palm of vietory-our
graduation hope we shall learn
lesson thereby, and in the world
ly strife of future life which besets
the srnoothest way, will not forget
to put in use the stirling qualities
of perseverance, and energy which
won for us this nights laurels.
II congratulate you. fellow grad
yates, upon the succersful and
happy issue of your school work,
thus better equipped than many of
the noble men who have shed lus-
tire upon our country. Butt doubt
not, that with these advantages
and the bright star of honor and
duty as our guide, we shall in the
new sphere of life dawning about
us reach the haven of true moral
perfection, which is happiness and
success.
aLast and most do I welcome
you, kind teachers, and my voice
but echoes the heart Of every pupil
of the st. Landry High School in
welcoming you to the exercises
that end for you a session of care
and arduous, conscientious toll for
the ultimate good of us all. ten
der you the most heartfelt thanks
i'm behalf of my class for the moral
as we'll as mental benefit received
from your efficient services and
influence"
Miss Bertha Mornhinveg rend-
cred her essay on Education which
was as follows:
aInto the souls Of men is woven a
golden cord, the Will-power that
guides and directs the whole ex-
istence. An individual to at
tain the highest degree possible in
this life, or to have the entire being
developed and educated to the
greatest extent towards the best
results, must first be possessed of a
will-power that has its source In
clear judgment based upon a true
knowledge of the laws of nature.
Then pure qualities become ap-
parent in men and the intellect re-
ceives knowledge and sheds it's
strengthening sunlight the phys
| ical nature becomes a force for
right-not a pest-house that holds
for that patient period termed life
the numerous weaknesses and d.
seases that seem to be the natural
attributes of man. lis man but a
| Pandora's box holding multitndi-
! nous breaths of evil? No, for God
hath said He made man in His
own image. God, who is love, per-
fectton and beauty, whose glance
| beams out I'm the radience of the
sun, whose presence in every living
thing lights with a grea ter glory his
glorious works /! The forest decked
| with its redolent flowers and grace
full waving tresses Is "a thing of
beauty and a joy forever" Shall
woman, the last perfected OF
| Gods perfect works, crowned with
her radient waves of glory, with
Gods light beaming through her
eyes, windows OF the soul, shall
woman, then, perfect woman, "be
of few days and full OF suffering 2"
No; but it is only education that
will revolutionize the world-not
education though as viewed by
most OF the present day-a learn
| ing to deck ones self according to
the "Designef@ or the "Delinea-
tor"
What is education ? Education
is the laying OF q pure and true
foundation, then it's development,
according to the grand and perfect
| laws OF nature that bloom into a
perfect lesson around ns. Turn
| thy face upward, when on high
ain wind blown rent of the sky'r
/ blue tent" the stars hang out, in
finite lights in great cathedral
Gods great church, natnre-but
the great lights beaming their gio-
nv downward, do they shed their
light of truth and beauty on ma
| ture's great affairs !? No, the great
church has been turned into a
poker aopse, and mems souls are
the chips? Down the sacred aisles
speed carryal1s OF fashion o'erbur-
dened with mimicry aBd calious-
ness millions OF pigmies born
down by their gilded burdens
| bodies Withered and bent firm car
rying their crosses of gold faces
scared with lines of care and anx-
fety and worldly ambition. We
see not the tortured beings, for we
are blinded feel not, for the foun-
tain of compassion has been dried
up, all absorbed by that golden
sponge OF display-that hangs
like a vampire over the world,
sucking from IL all truth of soul,
all that is emblemized by that