The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1911-06-03
CLOSING OF coLoRED PUBLIC SCHOOL.


School came to successful close Sat
urday night, when ten graduates re-
ceived their diplomas from the grammal
grade, in the presence of large audi
ence, members of the board of trustees
city superintendent, and Prof. t. l.
| Trawick, who delivered the annual ora
tion-a splendid and original effort
Prof. C. E. Ives spoke with much
gravity to the class, and his words were
well received.
The school the past year has been in
charge of Principal G. w. Brown, and
Assistants Julia r. Moore, Inez Labat
an7 Clementine Barabino.
The graduates are: Eugene Joseph
Fayre, George Bracy Talbert, Augustus
| Caesar Doyle, William Gabriel 1shem,
Samantha Exeter Palmore, Edith Fran
ces Ross, Curtis John Mcmillan, Elmer
Nathaniel Mcmillan, Bertha Alma Glas-
pie and Lynch Joseph Piernas.
Edith Ross, the salutatorian, aged 13
years, delivered the following:
Dear Teachers, Friends and School
Mates:
We have gathered here this evening
to celebrate our graduation.
To me has been assigned the very
pleasant task of bidding you welcome in
the name of the class of 1911. We well
come you most heartily. We are sure
that already you feel Gas welcome as
the flowers in May". Yet we repeat;
You are once, twice, yea, thrice well
come.
Now, must turn to my subject: 1t
is, "The Night Brings Out the Stars.
And then l must hurry through, for
there are other and brighter stars who
want to shine for you before we say
farewell.
A day is composed Of twelve hours OF
light, called day. and twelve hours OF
darkness, called night.
Our lives, too, are made up OF bright,
happy hours and dark, sad hours.
AS the night brings out the stars, so
the dark hours of our lives bring out
our best and brightest qualities. The
stone-cutter's tools are sharp, and they
give to the diamond perfect polish
that makes it sparkle with brilliance
that is very beautiful.
Night IS necessary that we may rest
and renew our strength for the efforts
of another day. The dark days of our
lives are also necessary that we may
mediate, pray and gain strength and
courage to "try, try again" when we
have failed.
Often, when traveller is lost in the
dark, "the night brings out the stars.
How thankful he is for their friendly
light! If we never had any sad days,
we might forget to give thanks for the
happy ones.
|. "If all were rain and never sun,
No bow would span the hill;
II all were sun and never rain,
There'd be no rainbow still"
The worlds greatest leaders are usu-
ally the self-made men and women who
have struggled upward through the
many hardships of poverty. The lives
of Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lin
coin, Booker T. Washington, and host
of others, especially of our own race,
prove this to be true.
AS we look through the darkness and
see the stars, so our teachers have seen
| in US intellect to be developed and
directed for good and noble purposes
They have toiled patiently and lovingly
to bring out and brighten our various
talents as "the night brings out the
stars
| AS the sculptor sees in plain piece
of stone the face of an angel, so our
teachers have seen in us the possibility
of great men and women, who shall
some day be political, social, educa-
tional and religious leaders for the negro
race.
Shall we disappoint them, dear class
mates?
A thousand times MOI dear teachers
For it is our fondest hope and ambitio'
to complete our education and som
day be useful men and women, bringing
the negro out of darkness as "the night
brings out the stars.