Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-06-03
The Graduate.

/
down the long vista of the years with
| one hand, and hurls defiance and one
of his cuffs with the other 1t is the
time Of year when the hungry vale
dictorian, with forehead three sizes
too large for his face, comes out from
| behind bunch of rose geraniums
| and hurries over the general plan of
creation.
| In June the scared and sweating
high school graduate stands out on
| the platform and talks to the nations
yet unborn, and in June, too the real
and genuine graduate, the collegiate,
steps out on the stage and sheds
enough wisdom and eight-inch words
to hold the nation together a little
while longer.
Last year we attended graduating
bee, which results as follows Dec
laration of Independence sneered at
times; United States senate
publicly reprimanded is times;
| President of United States scolded
6 times: rulers of other nations
scolded 81 times; number of plans
suggested for ruling the world
during future ages, Z; Shakespeare
misquoted 35 times; constitution of
the United States ripped up the back
times; George Washington's fare
we'll address injured in the same
place, 4 times. The valedictorian
was a.pallid young man, who step
ped out from behind a celluloid
palm and worked off a few saucy
remarks upon the popular theme:
''Vestigia Eulla Restrorsum.
Professors, Classmates, Friends, !"
said he, making low, courtly bow,
during which his necktie slid to the
top of his collar "Vestigia NullaRes-
trorsum," take no step backward.
AS far back as time goes it has been
the general policy to take no steps
backward, excepting in cases where
it was unavoidable, bat, looking
down through the thin mist of the
coming years we are not quite SO
sure that 'Vestigia Nulla Restror-
sum will be as stylish as it has
been. Gazing intently out through
the long vista of the ages yet to be,
we see the world scratching it's head
and apparently trying to- decide
whether to step backward or for
ward. 1t has gone on and on, from
time to time, inventing new style
of bed slat or hair restorative one
day and new style Of profanity
| the next. t
1.-THE world, ever since it has
been old enough to walk, has kept
up continual march upward and
| onward. 1t has never faltered or
hesitated or sat down, but has kept
steadfastly on with the patient in
dustry and the silent tenacity of a
fall candidate. But to-day, as we
stand looking out some 40 or SO
miles into the future, painful
sense of alarm comes stealing over
us that feels a good deal like the
July hives. We see the world stop
and begin to look about for place
to sit down and take the stone out
| of it's shoes. Progress acts like it
| had the rheumatism. The inventor
| has ceased to invent, the scientist
has gone to work in the laundry,
and the north pole remains I'M
chased.
perhaps we are wrong. Perhaps
we cannot see quite as far into the
future with the naked eye as we
think we can; perhaps our magma
ton has slipped it's halter, perhaps
we ate too much for supper. But be
that as it may, whether the world
shall continue to march onward
until people get to doing their
thinking by machinery, or whether
the world shall cease it's progress
entirely, let us individually take no
steps backward. Let us each hurry
steadily and persistently forward as
though one of our creditors was
just behind us.
And now, dear classmates, we
must say good-by. For four long
years we have been looking forward
to this day when we should stand
up here with pride and perspiration
and receive our diplomas. Here
our paths fork. Soon we shall be
jerked apart, but, as the poet has
beautifully said: Our future is be-
fore us. but our past is behind We
cannot tell just where we shall
bring UP. We do not know
| whether we shall get into
politics or the penitentiary, or
both. Some of us may get to be
hotel clerks, and stand up behind
| large 36-candle-power shirt stud
| op1 vo11 front, with tho e.ooo,,+ or,