Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-04
On the Commencement Stage.


Yes. the hour as at last arrived to which
you have so eagerly looked forward and
in which your school life finds its glorious
consumma ton. For weeks you have been
preparing both your outward appearance
and your inward equipment for this occa-
sion In honor of you, June has been law
ish of It's roses and the skies have been
smiling over your head. AS you Sit there
In the center of the stage with your mates
about you. all in immaculate attire, with
a becoming flush of excitement and ex-
pectancy on your face, we down In the au-
dience are more than ready TO fellcltate
you, to heap flowers at your 1eet ana pour
forth blessings upon you
OF course you are the center or every
thing today and 1t seems almost 100 Dao
to ask you to think of any one else but
II NAV be while the band Is playing you
can snare Just moment to think OF Two
persons half way down the middle aisle
whose pride and joy at this moment are
hardly less than yours; Iron l, tde ciose to
theirs. they coveted for you good educa-
ton. They felt their own limited aoVan,
tages and they resolved that tnelr cni ia
should have the best schooling they coulo
nossibly afford to give. So, while you nave
been fitting back and forth day by DAY
and wear by year betwixt home ana school,
they have been toiling cheertuily' parleia, ~
away to make 1t possible for you 10 go ana
10 keen YOU there long after some cnioreh
ioin the ranks of wage-earners. your iaot IN
or is not quite as fashionably dressed 10
ni.ht az Won are but what does sne care,
sn long as the darling of her heart LOOKS
sc veil as the rest Of the young people on
the stage! H.. Gov tho tea oh
ars Perha ps you have not always sotlsn
along happily with them. but II may Nc
that YOU were to blame quite as mucn as
they. At any rate, they gave .neil We. "
YOU. and often. when you were uiil eat 10,
ttotG nD L
ing to make something of you. osuanS
most teachers do about as well as tney can
with the material upon when they hasS ~
work. And do you not also owe 'nan 49,
thought to all who have share IN you,
education? If yours is public schooI az
the members of the community have Will.
ingly taxed themselves for your penent II
yours Is a private school what you may
Yourself pay does not probably represent
the ma jor fraction Of what 1t costs to eou-
cate you.
Won have had your examinations, and we
congratulate you on passing SO wen. Du'
NAV we put one or two supplementary ques-
lions, not often found on the lists! what
have you really gotten out OF your schooi-
ing? Never mind now about the particular
bits of information which you can reel on
80 Rlibly-that the earth is round. and that
water is made of two parts hydrogen ana
one part oxygen, and so on. But nave you
gained out Of your textbooks and your
school rooms respect for knoWiedgel 10
the things to be learned seem more In num-
her and and more inviting than when you
toddled to the primary school? Have you
come to honor that body OF related truths
which we call science? And are you eager
to add to your personal store OF learning
which. 1 confess is already. large ana Inn
posing. other facts and truths to be had
from fresh sources OF Information IN COM
Ing days?
And have you acquired power to study
and to read profitably? Do you know how
TO handle textbook, how to utilize good
library, how to sit down with hard les
son and get II thoroughly, SO that you can
recite any part of It? Have you your men
tai powers in harness. your memory, your
maEination, your logical processes SO that
You can drive them skillful coachman
drives a four-horse team?
And out of these days and years of roil-
fine schooling has there grown up desire
to be useful in the world? You are debtor
to many-to your parents, your teachers, to
society in general. Don't you want to be-
gin pretty soon to pay back that debt by
means of worthy living and helpful service?
No one is truly educated who Is self-ceS
tered who has not felt the thrill of desire
to put his education at work. II you wrap
up your education In napkin as the man
in the parable did with his talent you will
lose 1t as he did. But ii you realize that
through your education lever has been
put into your hands by means OF which
you can help lift the world out OF It's trou-
bles why, then, you have something to show
for your schooling besides pretty diploma.
But pardon this depression. We are halt
ing proceedings, and 1t Is time to rise and
receive the final injunctions and honors We