The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-05-30

VALEDICTORY.

The past is a great book-thc story
Of humanity. Some of its leaves are
torn and the print is dim while 9th
ors may be darllly soiled and even
blood-stained but as we patiently
and sometimes pityingly perusc the
ancient volume, pages bright and
beautiful with noble pictures are re-.
yealed
As students, or would be students.
we have often eXaTined, pcrforcc,
the contents of that book. Yet, hope
M youth does not lnger long over
the dark blots mans selGshness and
greed have too frequently left behind
aim Infinitely more lovely and re.
pete with inspiration for those who
must soon become makers of his
tory are life's other chronicles Of
deeds attempted, victories won.
Upon an early page is ancien,
Greece in all the beauty of her art:
upon another the wise laws Of the
great Caesars. Now the face Of "a
peasant girl shines forth, haloed by
her devotion to country, her love. her
sacrifice and her heroic death. Or
perchance, it is the men of mighty
England who fire the Imagination hy
their gallant deeds. But most ten
derly of ALL we, her sons and daugh-
ters, turn the pages of that chapter
called America"
Lovingly and carefully cherished
are the ancient traditions. One OF
the proudest possessions of every Am.
erican is this history of the glorious
workmanship of his pioneer fathers,
who built, from brave little settle
ment in the wilderness, a powerful
republic. Masters they were in that
all comprehending art, the building
OF a nation.
Regretfully. at last the great vol
ume of the past is closed and laid
aside, for the book of the present.
What is now the theme of the Re
cording Angel? The story, yet un-
finished, is of great war in the
Old World and the words, still wet,
are written in blood. II will be one
of the saddest pages in all history
The annals in that chapter called
America" however, are not thus
written. There the pages are still
bright and clean for the pen Of com
ing generations but looking at that
other record which has lately been
so soiled, we realize more than ever
the sacredness of the trust that will
soon be consigned to the youth of this
nation. Earnestly we hope, when the
fair name of America becomes their
heritage, that in their untried hands
its glory may remain undimmed.
The history of our class, the Sen
iors of 1915, is yet unwritten but il
is in the making. Soon we must be
come citizens, and the burdens of
home and country will be, in a meas
IRE, ours. Looking forward to the
work of the future. however. hope
looms up brightly and our faces. ever
turned toward the day when we may
say that we have attempted and
achieved, are cheerful, for
'ln the lexicon of youth, which
fate reserves for a bright man
hood, there IS no such word az
fail"
Indeed, in this day Of wonderful
opportunity ambitions are very high.
Possibly some of the speakers who
have whiled away the weary hours
in chapel Wednesday mornings have
even encouraged us to hitch our
wagons to star" too far away
"Who knows" they have said in all
solemnity, "Who knows but that
among all these bright Young faces
upturned to me there may be a flu
ture president Of the United States ?"
and then, slyly,-"or even the wife
Of a PRESIDENT"
We are truly very proud OF our
class, and perchance, we may produce
a president or two, a prima donna,
a great lawyer, scientist. or inventor
Yet, all Of US cannot hope to be so
exalted For some.-for many. per.
haps,-is reserved the place in the
background.
Even there, however, resolution.
earnest endeavor and unshaking faith
are at a premium Without Washing
ton there indeed might have been no
America. but without the loyalty OF
the tattered, hungry. footsore men Of
Valley Forge. without the patient
service of those who could only |.
stand and wait" Washington's task /
certainly could not have been accom-