Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-03-04
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Suggestions on Ordinations.
To the Editor;


ELLSWORTH, ME-, Feb. "a, 1903.
The comments OF the Kennebec journal
on caps and gowns In the Ellsworth high
| school, THE AMERICANS reply, and the
interview with Superintendent Stuart, all
OF which appeared in last weeks AMERI-
CAN, suggest a few thoughts on the sub
iect of gradustions.
The annual graduation day OF the high
school has come to be one OF the "red
letter. days OF the year in Ellsworth.
There is no other occasion which fills Han
cock hall with such representative gath
ering OF citizens.
And how easy 1t is to see that the people
have not come out OF mere curiosity nor
to hear the music, which on many occa-
sions would be reason enough for coming,
but from genuine interest in the gradu-
company with welcoming smile and
hearty burst of applause for the successful
speaker, or culver of sympathy for him
who falters in the delivery of his essay.
In fact from the entrance OF the class
to the presentation of diplomas there is
bond of sympathy between the audience
and the graduates so ardently pressing
forward to the new life In college per-
haps, or perhaps In business, but each con-
fident of brilliant future.
And in those happy faces one reads
the story of the months just passed-the
exciting clsss-meetings, the choos-
ing OF the class parts, the colors, the
motto, the pin, the secret consultations
over the coming event, the pleasant antic.
successful realization.
1t is the day of days, the climax OF
four years OF hard work, and the we'll
filled hall, the music, the flowers, the
pretty gowns all add to the spirit Of the
occasion.
But there Is another side to the pic
ture. There is probably never a class in
pu bile school where the expense OF an
elaborate graduation does not fall heavily
on some member. Every teacher can tell
of bright boys and girls who have act
ually left school because their parents
could not bear the expense of the gradu
alton, but no one can tell OF the heart
aches OF those who push on realizing that
they are falling behind the standard set
up by their more prosperous classmates, or
worse still, that the money for their grad
ustion required sacrifice on the part OF
q hard working father or mother.
That is the shame OF it; that is the blot
on our brilliant graduations. II high
school education stands for anything, 1t
is too precious for one boy or girl to be
deprived of 1t because he or she cannot
afford new black suit or a fresh white
gown.
1t is a delicate matter, probably never
talked over in the class meetings, and too
seldom spoken OF eisew here to bring 1t to
the notice of the class, but do not believe
that any boy or girl, sitting there among
the flowers, looking down into the faces
of admiriug friends, would be SO radi-
antly happy il he or she knew the secret
of John or Mary dropping out OF the
class at the beginning OF the senior year.
or why the classmate in the cheap white
muslin (the vsledictorian, 1t may bel had
been so strangely silent and sad all day.
Light dresses belong more to the sum-
mer afternoon than do caps and gowns,
even were high school scholars entitled to
adopt them, but in the spirit of the public
school system of America, will not the
graduates substitute the simple muslin or
challis for the expensive silk or crepe?
The last summers gown, IL need be,
freshened with bit of lace and ribbon,
the well-kept suit worn with spotless
linen would be more acceptable than the
most elegant costume, in the eyes OF an
audience who knows that they are worn
for conscience's sake. The music and the
flowers are appropriate symbols for the
passing from ''school life to life's SCHOOL,,
as some one has so aptIy put 1t, but equally
Inappropriate is the lavish display of
costly material, class pictures, pins and
other souvenirs which can put at a disad-
vantage anyone who is entitled to the
educational privileges which our country
offers to its future citizens.