The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-06-09

TO lure men to premature rest from
the essential strife. But his fruit is
mot ripe though developed, and must
not be plucked too soon.
| Next comes autumn, the harvest
time. The fruits are ripe, the trees
are golden; life begins its beautiful
decline. Then are the cooling breezes
OF age beginning to watt the flower
and cooling judgment to mellow hui
man deeds, as the first frost seasons
with sweetness the glowing apple.
Man, at this time, scatters knowledge.
the benefits of experiences, advice
and accumulated fortune to bless all
about, just as the forests shed their
leaves as cloak for the naked breast
of Mother Earth during the cold of
increasing age. All is yielding and
reaping fruit-reaping, as in spring
they sowed and in summer worked to
treatain the fruits as planted.
Finally, the evening of life APP
proaches, the beautiful, the dreary
Ffinale-winter. The year grows cold,
earth is bare, Nature seems not so
warm and sympathetic as in days
when life was younger Fruit is no
longer being borne, but that stored
up in the past harvest must suffice
The heart should by this time have
gathered SO much nobility, kindness
and warm love that the wintry blasts
cannot affect it. Life is more an in
ward one, feeding on the material ac-
cumulated in former seasons and aged
hearts exult in the JOY and strength
OF youth about them, as all winter
lives in anticipation of coming spring.
Thus viewing all the different forms
of life we see that Nature, herself, is
perfect in harmony. It is only human
!ity's self will and disobedience to has
memorable laws that break the strain
of perfection which will reign alone,
when each individual follows the i'm
mortal exortation of Bryant, when e
says:
80 live, that when thy summons
comes to join
The innumerabie caravan which
moves
To that mysterious realm where each
shall take
His chamber in the silent halls of
Thou go not like the Quarry-slaye at
night,
Scourged to his dungeon, but sus-
tanned and soothed
By an unfaltering trust, approach
Like one who wraps the drapery of
About him and lies down to pleasant
dreams"
Valedictory.
| Tonight dear classmates, we are
assembled for the last time as stu
dents in the school where so many
years of our lives have been spent.
During this hour we are held, as it
were, between two greatmental forces
memory and hope. Hope beckons
us on with wild expectations as to
what that marvellous veil of time
will disclose and makes US eager to
enter upon fields We know not of.
| But, in later years, often will sweet
memory bring us back in mutual
| thought of these friendly portals with
in which we have gained a founda-
ton of knowledge that will firmly
brace all our future efforts. When, in
other walks of life, we may achieve
great laurels, we shall always be re-
minded Of this, our night of gradua-
ton, as our first victory. We start
victors, and can, from now hence
forth, boast of at least one triumph
the mastery of a secondary education
without which no further advance
could be made.
And now, as we exult over our
success we cannot but turn with
cincerest affection and gratitude to
our ever faithful teachers who have
been the means through which we
won our victory Words are made
equate to express the emotions which
our hearts alone can feel as we take
leave of you, dear teachers. If, at
times, we have caused you pain. it
| was only on account of our incom-
potency to appreciate your wiser de-
signs for our own welfare and as our
years increase so will our fondness
and appreciation of your interest in
us also increase. l am sure that each
member of this class can now realize,
as never before, that next to our
parents, who have enabled US to re-
ceive your instruction, you stand
highest among our benefactors.
To your honorable officers of this
splendid school, we wish to extend
our warrmest thanks for your interest
and labors in our behalf. Especially
should this class of 1911 feel indebted
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