The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1903-07-25
BUT LITTLE CHANGED
OLD GRADUATE REVIslTS SCENES
OF EARLY TRiUMPHS.
Happenings Bring to His Recollection
the Time When He Seized the
Sheepskin and Started Out to Fight
Life's Battles. - <@a5

This is the season OF the year when
we get vivid reminders of the time
when, armed with the formidable
sheepskin, we courageously set forth
to take fall out of the world re-
marked a. Washington, man whose
name has a part of the alphabet tack
ed onto the end, of it whenever he
appears on public program, but who
on other occasions is known only as
a steady, levelheaded business man. .
Il went out with my wife and the
youthful progeny who bear our name
to commencement exercise the other
evening" continued the old graduate in
a reflective mood, land I found that
human nature and. commandments
have changed but very little since my
own earlier experience as a diploma
fend. had sort Of mania for grad
uating, and it was one of my chief
sources of enjoyment. I finished a
high school, business college, a prep.
school and a university before I was
cured of the habit, but when I at
tended the commencement program
tons tingling through my veins and
l felt like getting up on the platform
again in a brand new suit, with rib
bons pinned onto the lapel of my coat,
and tearing off one of those OratOrical
vibrations that used to make the earth
tremble Il thought) with it's rumb-
lings.
"A young man stepped to the front
Of the platform, just as I used to
amble out, and turning on a bias,
launched forth on his speech. He, at
least, was carried away with it, for he
had but proceeded but a short dis
lance in the 'magnum opus when he
threw out a bunch of fingers to the
right side and then gave the left arm
a comprehensive swoop in the oppo-
site direction. Presently he came UP
with both hands to the front and the
absent-minded musician in the orches-
ira grabbed his horn and was appar-
emily about to start off on 'Hiawatha,'
at the all together sign of the
speaker.
THE reaching outward and upward
for higher things was duly empha.
sized with realistic gestures and the
floating pillows of time'::were played
up with proper wavings. :. It was like
an old story.
rAnd then a young lady came out
with Dolly Warden courtesy and be-
gan a pantomime of Rock of Ages, or
something else. while she got off the
usual 'Tennyson has truly said,' and
the to you, dear teachers and all
those familiar phrases that originated
with the first commencement on
record. Then came the words of *au
revoir, but not farewell, to our dear
classmates, and the expressions OF
loyalty to the beloved alma mater,
and I idropped off into such deep re-
f1ections that 1 began to get nervous,
thinking it was my turn next to speak
and gesture. s,Ss.1 II -.
sAt abost this point in the proceed:
ings my youngster gave a little awak'
ening snort and a wiggle and my wife
gave me a punch under the arm, with
the whispered admonition that ]
wasn't attending church service, and
7 came to. I must confess to little
sigh escaping me as realized that
the proceedings on the stage were all
over for me, so far as my participation
in them was concerned. Nothing but
memory left for the old man, now, apd
in a few years the young folks who
the other night spoke so cheerfully
and hopefully of entering the battle
against the world will be occupying
seats in the audience and dreaming.
as l was, of the days of diplomas and
ribbons and bouquets, when every
thing lay at their feet and all seemed
bright down the little lane that led tq
real life,"-Washington Star. ~ !