Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-06-18
ESSAYS AND oRArIoNs
Prepared for Graduation by Class OF
1903.

listen to essays and o~rations by the class
OF 1913, over whose exercises the class
president, Scion j. Vail, presided. Four
OF the seventeen graduates were absent,
among them the valedictorian, Miss Lima
Miller, who is but just recovering from a
serious illness.
At the appointed hour the strains OF a
march, played by Miss Alice Woodward,
were heard, and the six young ladies in
their dainty white dresses and the seven
boys, composing the remainder OF the
class, passed up the carpet-covered main
aisle to the platform, where the pretty lit
tie flower girl, Gladys Young, awaited
them. They were led by their marshal, j..
w. Goodhart, at the motion of whose ba-
ton they took the places assigned them.
Prayer was offered by Rev. F. q. Rainey,
and a finely rendered solo by DIR. w. NJ.
Kelly preceded the essay with salutatory,
"Whitington and His Cat" The saluta-
torian was Miss Lillian w. Carpenter,
who extended a g~raeiously worded well
come to the to~wnspeople, the parents, fell
low students and all other friends who
were present "for friendships sake" She
then rehearsed the famous story of Whit
ington, who rose from a kitchen ~scullion to
be lord mayor of London through the for
tunate possession of a cat that brought it's
master riches and honor, by its sale for a
fabulous sum to the king of Barbary,
whose palace was overrun with rats and
mice. With this tale as a basis, she pro-
ceeded to show how the course of this life
is altered and determined by what appear
TO be insignificant trifies though fraught
sometimes with momentous results.
Hence the essential necessity Of attention
to details, to the little affairs that may
make or maj so important a thing as ones
career. Self-reliance, determination and
perseverance are great qualifications for
success and, as the story shows, Whiting
ton possessed them all in a marked degree
and in his wonderful rise to greatness
showed also the truth OF the wisely chos-
en- class motto, ''To labor is to win.n
Advice to the undergraduates was given
by Miss Bessie Bliss, who addressed her
self particularly to the juniors, exhorting
them to be worthy successors OF the
worthy seniors. She urged them, with
apparent seriousness, TO take their books
home for evening study, to allow no ball
games or parties to interfere with their ar
dent pursuit OF knowledge, to refrain from
dancing except on Friday nights, when
they would have time TO recover from the
dissipation before another school day, and
managed TO give the u-nsuspecting youths
a startling glimpse Of the crushing re-
sponsibilities about to fall upon them.
Then more graYely she asked them to do
their share in promoting the welfare OF
A4A III AAAANA ahA " XIV AAA W NAL
council Of the teachers, who are older and,
yes, wiser than their charges.
The essay by Miss Mary 5. Webb bore
the comprehensive title, "From A to z,
and was a thoughtful article showing the
process OF development or evolution from
A OF beginning through the long alphabet
Of endeavor to the y Of accomplished fact.
She cited as an Illustration the marvellous
strides that ave been made in printing
from the crude and awkward attempts of
its inventors, the Chinese, to the modern
press that takes a roll OF paper from the
mill, cuts il into required lengths, prints,
folds, pastes and trims the sheets and de-
livers the finished newspapers at the rate
of six or eight thousand an hour. As an
example Of the evolution of nations she
sketched the history OF Russia from a
country OF warning tribes TO a world pow
er; its gradual emergence from savagery,
its final adjustment of serfdom, and the
intellectual growth Of its people. We are
today what we are on account of the past,
and the future depends Oh the present.
BY constantly repeated effort we gain
strength for the long flight. The hope OF
the race lies in its present achievements,
giving promise but no rest to man.
"An American Hero" was the subject OF
the Grafton by 0ras f.. Flint, who spoke of
the Greek and Roman ideals, OF the Wall
lace Bruce Of the Scots and the Richard
Occur de Lion of the English. We are
prone, he said, to think OF a hero as a son
OF Mars, the victorious conqueror in many
battles, whose brave deeds and high cour-
age make him a dazzling figure in the
OF romance or history. But heroism
Is really not confined to warlike opera
tions, to age or sex, but is found in the
every day repulse OF the powers OF evil,
the overcoming OF petty trials that return
again and again to scale the breastworks
OF patience and the subduing of powerful
temptations that attack the citadel OF the
heart. The American hero is he who
dares to stand for the right in the face OF
fierce opposition, to lead a folorn charge
against the embattled hosts of corruption
and helps his country in the winning OF
righteous victories.
After a charming duet by Miss NJ.
Blanche Sparhawk and DIR. Kelly came an
essay, 1.-The Oil and Vinegar OF Life" by
Miss Edyth F. Rainey, whose cheerful
philosophy was an incentive to climb TO
s'those heights where the eye sees the
world as one vast plain and n boundless
reach of sky.' The oils of life are love,
kindness, gentleness, mercy and the hap
pier traits of character that make a world
OF joy for us to dwell in; while the vine
gar Of sharp and angry words, sullen and
temper, sour, repellent faces quick
ly change it to a world of woe. The habit
OF c~heefulness IS a fortune 70 the young
man or woman just crossing the threshold
of life. Laugh and grow fat is a pre-
scription that takes away the physicians
occupation and advances one who follows
towards the goal Of his desires; for sue
cess attends the happy man, while failure
is the companion OF the miserable. Peo-
Die can double their own happiness by
courtesy and kindness. Zoe manners
are often a source of fortune to their pos
SCISSORS. Talent is something, but tact y
Men have ruled by it and II
is one OF the finest oils of life. Seek TO
discover good traits in those AROUND you
and think good thoughts OF those you be-
Iieve to be your enemies, and the world
for you will no longer be peopled by the
churlish and disagreeable but by the Iowa
BILE and true.
.sThe High School an Opportunity for
preparationn was discussed by clifford
Eaton, who spoke Of June as the month OF
graduates, many of whom will enter the
field of labor. Their education will not
enable them to start on a higher round OF
he ladder, but il will hasten their ascent
from its foot. Educated men are today
pushing the non-educated to the wall be-
the former can bring a trained mind
10 the solution of difficult problems and
have the ability to grasp new truths.
- II 49, aaNF annH-N