Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-02
THE STOLEN
VALEDICTORY
By Edward G. Holden

most brilliant graduated from a
celebrated New-England college, and
A1dine Sanford, one of its members, had
a brilliant reputation for scholarship and
as a versatile, polished, witty writer and
excellent orator. Once, however, while
reading composition in the classroom
on the Poetry of the Bible, he INDUCED
in exuberant and flowery rhetoric.
The leader of his rival secret society
broke into laughter, reinforced by
dozen other members of the same frater-
nifty. Every glowing sentence, every
well-rounded phrase, was greeted with
disconcerting shouts.
Finally the speaker paused until the
caviling laughter ceased, when he coolly
went on reading: In this famous but
all too artificial and garish tribute, the
illustrious Macaulay has paid tribute to
the poetic beauty of the Scriptures"
AS A1dine looked triumphantly at the
sheepish-looking critics of the famous
essayist, the members of his own frater-
nifty jeered and cheered.
We'll, you called the turn on me all
right" frankly acknowledged his rival
after the recitation hour. 81 didn't
for moment dream you were quoting"
II wasn't, boldly replied Aldine, show
ing him his manuscript, where there was
no mention of Macaulay or any portion
of the remark A1dine had pretended to
read. you fellows served me right,
all the same l hadn't read ten words
before knew it for pink slush. But your
hee-haws made me tired, and SO put up
the Macaulay job on you.
At the close of his college years, Al
dimes c1ass-day Grafton before the stu
dents, faculty and visitors in the we'll
filled chapel fully justified his classmates
choice of him. In the audience sat one
of the most prominent members of the
American bar, who had returned to the
twenty-ffth reunion of his class, which
had been celebrated by a prolonged
banquet the previous night. Like most
of the audience, he had been much i'm
pressed with the young orators marked
ability. But soon after he had begun
his eulogy and farewell to the faculty,
the lawyer YVES first astonished, then
indignant.
He recognized, word for word, his own
class-day Grafton delivered and afterward
printed in the college magazine quarter
of century before. But for the scene
certain to follow, he would have risen
and denounced the unblushing plagiarist.
What most puzzled him was that the dis
course in general was as good as the part
he had stolen. If, he thought, the speaker
was capable of such good work, why
pillage any part of it? If not, what other
writer's had ha 1note67
The exposure of the fraud was his I'm
pleasant duty. He shrank from putting
blight on the young mans future,
inficting anguish on his proud parents,
smiling sister, perhaps adoring sweet
heart, freezing the enthusiasm and affec-
ton of his classmates, and indirectly
bringing disgrace on their Alma Mater.
So he decided first to talk to the young
man. If he found him contrite, he would
permit him to confess his sin in his own
way Otherwise, he would report him
to the faculty.
As Aldine was surrounded nearly all
day by his classmates and relatives, he
could not get near him; but late in the
afternoon he met him hurrying to his
last meeting with his senior society,