East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-05-27
ADDRESS BY COL. ]. h. RALEY
Delivered at Graduating the Pendleon Academy
Wednesday Evening, "a.

To this audience who are gathered
here this evening to witness and assist
in the graduating exercises of the 1910
class of the Pendleton academy, I
feel that l can first extend my con-
gratulations and compliments upon
the success of the occasion, for it is
indeed a source of congratulation and
worthy of compliment when, as in this
instance, a GLASS of esteemed young Ia
dies have completed task that has
been the object of their endeavors and
almost their life work from infancy
to young womanhood; and while TO
you, as the friends, the neighbors,
relatives, the mothers and fathers,
this is and in fact ought to be an
occasion for rejoicing yet 1, as one
of you, am assured that / only ex-
press that sentiment that is shared
alike by us all when 1 say that there
is tnge of sadness coupled with the
joy of the occasion, for these exercises
and the part taken in them by this
class of young lady graduates must
serve to remind us that the children
the school girls that have heretofore
children, no longer the happy school
girls of yesterday or of today, but
this event has transformed them to
young ladies, who, upon the closing
of these exercises, must take upor
themselves many of the burdens, OBJ
legations and responsibilities that have
hitherto been assumed and borne by
others for them. This class is nc
longer to be guided by the mature
judgment, the kind and solicitous
care and forethought of the admir-
able president and faculty of this in
stitution, and even the parental re-
straint and home life is in the vary
nature of things somewhat relaxed
by the issuance of the graduating di-
ploma
A most beautiful sentiment was re-
Gently expressed in public by the
president of this academy, wherein he
referred to the tenderness and solici-
tude of the remaining family when 6
child took its departure from the
household to take up its school
work. How the hearts were sad
dened by such departure; and II
seems to me that reflection of thai
sentiment must cast a shadow ovel
Pendleton academy at the departure
from its ranks, from. its classrooms
and it's threshold, of these young la
dies who have completed their worl
here. For years they have been al
members of this family; they hav
frightened its halls with gladsom
smiles, with humor, mirth and song
Happiest days of their young live
spent together here. And tonight the
take their departure-not like thu
child, who again returns to the fam
lily, but from these halls, as class
mates, Then may 1 be pardoned fo
expressing with you tinge Of sad
ness among all the great abundanc
Of Joy and pleasure that otherwis
surrounds the occasion.
And to you, young ladies, wh
compose this class Of 1910, let me ez
tend my deepest congratulations, an
at the same time impress upon yo
the full meaning and Importance
this occasion. The pleasure. the graf
ification and joy that overwhelms yo
tonight Is OHIy VI the Sui idSc' IL
morrow the ink will be dry on you
diplomas. Tomorrow the plaudit
that tonight seem to last forever, wi
be silent. Tomorrow, next day, a fe'
days at most, the roses, the blossom:
the garlands and wreaths of tonigf
will wither and fade but you foreve
will and must represent the Pendlt
ton academy as the class of 1910.
is meet and proper and altogethe
right that you should to the fulle!
extent enjoy all the pleasures an
plaudits that are showered upon yo
this evening, and would not, by an
word or thought, expressed, detract
the least from your great pleasure
and if any word is said or thought ez
pressed that has behind it a shadov
the shadow is meant for future da
and not for tonight. For tonight yo
are out on a high plane in the SUI
light of happiness. The shadows
the past are all behind-way back
maybe some of them are left along tn
! road you've travelled in your scho'
years You've passed through thel
and tonight there's only sunshine an
, brightness, and may We not for
moment, as we pause upon this bea'
tiful eminence this plateau along tn
highway of human ambition, If l ma
SO liken it, may we not pause hel
and look back along the windin