St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-06-24

ue iOllOWlHR was I6du ny MIS-. Lucy
NJ Brooks at the Alumni reunion and is
published with much pleasure by the
CALIFORNIAN.
officials of this grave association.
How cordial was your invitation
To me woman of no special reputation.
will you enthuse your classmates"
were the words you said,
II rightly your meaning read.
But did you know that in your gracious hos
pitality, you asked OF me impossibility?
OF our first parents one wise poet said,
THE world was all before them, and Provi
deuce their guide"
So in those early days OF things most simple,
The school as all before u.s. we knew no
NO class-pins" you ask, mo fine distinc-
tionsy
No twilight dances?" and mo gay recep-
tons?"
Oh! happy happy children wei
So free in our rusticityi
Just lessons and little fun,
merry laugh in open sun.
few plain common clothes-too plain to
cause us pride
Or cause our parents loss of sleep, in efforts
to provide.
Then too. on an occasion rare,
We had a Pow-wow in the sweet spring air
Such bursts Of laughter as were then ex-
ploded
Were the loud prophecy of battle-ships much
lauded
Sometimes the twist of Mr.. Colby's long
tore finger,
Would fill us all with dread.
How could he see those girls and boys
Through the back side of his head?
The embryo DR.. Fairhankses,
The studious George Knapp,
The solemn Jennie Hastings,
And Miss Kittredge known as Kate.
And yet we know he did.
Such sight o'er-leaps the X-Ray,
And small wonders of TODAY.
How far am from sticking to my text
"Enthuse your classmates" were the words
you said.
Alas! had no classmates, and many of my
schoolmates dear, are dead
Dead" did say? All no they live,
Perhaps more truly live, than we, who cali
them dead.
We cherish them In loving memory,
We see them in their elasticity.
We love them still, and wish we knew
The lessons they have learned from angel
teachers true.
Sometimes | meet a gray-haired man,
Or sweet-faced woman with grand-chid at
her hand
Who brings TO me a picture of a girl, who
questions to them did PROFOUND,
And was often Disconnected by their wisdom
so profound
There always has been some confusion,
As to which gave the best instruction.
The teachers chair or pupils bench.s
Bear with me friends in this my great ambi-
ton,
To be somewhat like the President of your
Association.
For did not take lessons from his Father
and his Mother too?
Yet these poor thoughts are only Kettle
Drums,
Compared to those that are suggested by
the lofty names,
That come to memory through scale of
years,
And end in Big Bass-Drums.
To my fond ears it is a scale ascending
4 4 E.--V 81.
BY way of COmstock. Fuller, Putney, Ide,
And many gracious friend beside
Is it not worth ones while to trace,
The work accomplished in this goodly place,
BY men like these whose names are still re-
vered and cherished,
BY hundreds whose good lives they first up
lifted, and then nourished.
OH younger friends, howe'er you fail
In purpose high, or sweet sincerity,
Lose not your loyalty to this Academy.
"As Ivy round the old tree fast
With youthful vigor clings,
AS holly mid the wintry blast,
Retains the hues of spring,
AS each new year some vestige wears,
OF that which glad has been,
SO man may whisper in his prayers,
Lord keep my memory green"
1T has been said Forgive, Forget
| say Remembrance live
And prove that saying sweeter yet,
Remember and Forgive
If we forgive, remembrance then
Shall have a sweeter theme.
Lord teach thy pardoning love to men
And keep their memory green"
plant in thy heart some hardy root,
That will thru winter last
And bring with every budding shoot
Some blossom of the past
| Then do not DER remembrance pine,
| OF that which sad has been.
Lord, teach thy loving faith to men
And keep their memories green"
u shall be pardoned i'll refer here to one of
these-my pupils, whose light has shown
brightly so long in the far off country Of
India--as the wife of Bishop Parker of the
M E. Church, and who is with us this
evening.