The Washington herald., 1908-07-26
Girls Opinions of Those
Who Compose Them.
OHIO GIRLS PEN CAUSTIC
She Uses Sarcasm at Expense Of
Youthful Seekers After the Lit
erary Laurel, and Presents Com
prehensive List of Subjects Usu-
ally Treated by a Graduate.

Anne Arundel Academy, al MilleFsvllle-
Nd. was the valedictorian Of her class.
and the essay which she read on that
occasion was considered by her friends 70
be Of unusual merit
Miss ReHfrew entitled her essay The
commencement essay. and what CON-
mencement means 70 a graduate. II
was, n part. as follows:
When a class enters an institution o.
| learning for the purpose OF progress and
advancement along all educational and
moral lines its members have many
things to look forward 70; and none can
tell what the approaching years may
have in store for them Their work may
be interesting. or # may not be so They
may do il well. or they may neglect It
Finally. they may or may not accom-
pIish the desired end
school life is made up OF Joys and
disappointments. and il this It IS not the
| glad, sweet song II is thought to be by
many young graduates. When students
! have advanced IN their classes from year
10 year, and their minds and faculties
have been developed gradually by the
careful training and practice given them
BY the earnest teachers. The time comes
at last TO graduate. 10 finish their course.
and 70 step out into the world This is
called commencement and well II IS
named. for while Il IS the end Of the
course they have been following Il IS
only the close OF what should be a splen-
did preparation for the real beginning
and taking up OF Hfe's work.
Essay Important Subject
AT this time. then. a most important
subject for thought IS the graduation es-
say. To some. those naturally blessed
with the gift OF writing. this last Work
Of necessity comes easily Each one feels
that his own essay is the most important.
and only naturally so. for It is all his
own. and is. no doubt the most elaborate
OF the kind ever done by him Il IS well
20 have such a feeling. for the success
Of any writing depends on the amount Of
interest taken in IL by the writer.
some select a booklsh OF a scientific
subject. and when the student IS well
/ informed and can do Il justice. such an
essay is a great success The writer feels
please with his work, and should be com
I plimented on T.
But there are as many who can DO
nothing whatever with a bookisn subject
I and in choosing It they make great
mistake. IN no way could one become
i interested in such an essay.
! But worse than any other kind Is the
essay on some Idealistic. romantic sub
/ ject OF which the writer has very NJtle
Z or no conception. and which Is llied with
Z over5ravn and exaggerated pictures OF
life- Such an efIOrJ Is 70 say the least
very unIuteresttng. Many times IL is so
( utterly unnatural and impossible as 10 be
I amusing when the impression meant 70
( be conveyed as o. a very serious nature.
I How can any one be impressed seriously
when students get Up and read on such
I subjects as Life Character building.
+ or Hitch your wagon 20 a star At times
/ ore feels an irrepressible desire 10 laugh
al such fantastic productions. and 10 Te-
+ gard them seriously IS an iupossibility.
Arc Always Tiresome.
/ some one has said 'Commeucemert es-
says are a fraud They are always a
bore Well they are. no doubt When
/ one hears a dissertation from young
/ graduate on the various virtues and vices.
/ and how they develop g0Od or bad morals.
and IN the end mold the character. does
I he take very much interest IN it2 Very
often it VIII be found that the very one
who frees himself Of these views has
| about as few OF the desirable traits OF
/ character as can be found in any one. So
( one sees the inconsistency N the little
things OF life. which Is sure 10 grow and
continue 20 1--we until Il Is a part OF the
whole life. and cannot be lived down n
consistency in writing becomes incOn-
/ sistency in living. and Is an evil 70 be
I fought persistently- How can such es-
I says be interesting?
/ one jealous friend Will take some ro-
[ mantle subject. such as Why Narjory
I Wandered He Wal give 20 Us a rosy
tinted picture OF existence with 8Iartory
[ wandering through the world. 70 the
[ tops Of the mountains, in the hazy. blue
distance. and from that elevated point
viii eel Us Of the Joys OF life and what
I il holds for all From such q point Of
view. su that IS necessary IS 10 reach
out and grasp. and IN the twinkling Of an
4 eye the best OF lie IS yours. Mar50ry
must have been a great wanderer, and
from all that one can gather her wander
/ ings must have been so extensive as 70
at last affect her mental activities. Nay
/ the number OF BIarjories be few,
Form Attracts Others.
/ still another friend Celebrates or the
delightful old saying. that over the Alsa
I lies Italy Like the writers of the oiz
! classic school, he cares not for the orig
/ lrality Of the matter or ideas. but his
/ interest and attention Is turned 10 the
I form Polished regularity IS his motto.
and with that in his mind he goes 70
work with his dictionary and rhetoric and
plods and works and digs until he turns
out a production worthy 10 rival that OF
/ any of the old classic writer's themselves
/ when il is set 10 form a stiff and IN
/ natural style. He knows that every one
! else knows that over the Alps lies Italy
/ That is an established fact. With that
! settled. he deyotes his effort toward
I erecting Fl every ones life an Alps with
an ITALY on the other side The steps
/ ascending on the one side and those
/ descending on the other are usually per
l sonified, or as some particular part OF
mans character serve 70 show how the
dihculty Of ascent Is aided or hindered
/ according to their Importance. When. at
/ last, the summit OF the Alps is reached
/ the pinnacle Of mans ambition gained.
/ the heights become too dizzy and the
| descent into the plains OF Italy begins,
where. ike in the tine Of Napoleon,
many victories are won and the ma
| terial success Of life is established.
Perhaps IN the same class Of youthful
writers our attention may be called to
/ the spiritual side Of life by some aspt-
rant 10 heavenly things. Such a subject
/ as Hitch your wagon to a star affords
/ q field for spiritual ideas. The ideals OF
/ spiritual life appeal TO some and can be
] made very interesting