Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1906-06-15

Out in the wide world
We are destined now to go,
To fight lfe's battles
And to face each foe.
We must say goodbye
To our loved Principal.
To our dear kind faculty
To one and all farewell.
Farewell, dear classmates,
Our school-mates one and all;
Fight bravely onward,
Never heed fall.
Keep in mind dear Blackstone,
And the truths that we have learned
May they guide us rightly,
Never from them turn.
sALUTATORY ADDRESS.
DEAR FRIENDs:
AS we assemble, on this to US the
crowning day of all the year, it is
with pleasure and qualification that
We look iuto the faces of so many oi
you. After the years of toll, bright.
ened by your sweet words of eDcour-
agement and by the many victories
We have won; as we come to celebrate
the final conquest, we welcome you.
Schoolmates, who have climbed
with us up the rocky steep, who in
our failures have sympathized with
and encouraged us, aud in our suc-
cess have shared an equal Joy, to you
we extend fond greeting.
To the Faculty we would give a
word of greeting. You have bourne
with us and helped US over the stony
places 1t Is to you, to your patience
and care We attribute so great part
of oar success. And, now, once
more We welcome you.
Beloved President, welcome, thrice
welcom,l You have been to us an
ever faithful leader. a wise counselor
and above all, kind and sympathiz.
ing friend. To you we extend the
tenderest greeting of all.
Nor is it merely with our lips
that We offer these greetings, but
from every heart goes forth that silent
greeting, which, though unheard yet
not unfelt, has far more depth than
words.
AS we stand upon the threshold
gilded by the memory of those happy
days gone by, ready to step forth on
the broad platform of life; as we
greet once more those friends TO
each one of us so dear, it seems to
me fitting to speak of something
upon which We all should think, a
subject $50 necessary for considera-
ton = opportunities; those oppor-
tunities, SO bright, SO great, that
crowd upon our pathway and de-
mand a recognition. The giadiators
OF old, as they entered the arena Just
before the fight, would look upon
the vast audience and say, eve who
are about to die salute you" We,
too, as we enter upon the battlefield
OF life, before we begin the great
fight in which we will have to strive
to grasp all opportunity, say-not we
who are about to die, but we who
are about to live, salute you, for We
are indeed just about to begin the
most important period of our lives.
''The time of preparations is fulfilled.
The day of progress has but lust begun.
Before US lies those golden opportunities
That multiply with every rising sun. -
And as we pause to think, the
question comes: Shall / or shall |
not make the best of my opportuni-
ties? This seems such a simple
question that each one of us should
answer in the affirmative.
The opportunities Of the past have
indeed been great, and in proportion
as we have made use of them. so are
we p 'epared to grasp those of the
future. The stronger the founda.
tlon, the more substantial is the
building. 0! how many opportuni-
ties We have had for intellectual de-
velopment. AS we glance for an in
slant over the past, we see SO many
that it would be impossible to nu.
merate the half. If we had not used
them to the best advantage where
would we be now? Would we be at
the summit of the height or, rather,
would we not be still standing at the
foot of the hill? Each difficulty
overcome, each victory gained has
given new strength and courage for
the next.
Not only have we had opportuni-