Evening star., 1925-06-22

Ten years from now the hundreds
Of boys and girls who were graduated
last week from tho various high
schools OF Washington will realize that
1t was commencement" indeed.
Life has many such commence.
ments, which seem, at the time, to be
endings rather than beginnings. There
is the grade-school commencement
now quite formal: then that OF the
high school; then that Of the college,
for many.
Having completed the prescribed
course of study. the student Is told,
In effect, that he may commence again
upon new course. where the teacher
Is Life and his fellow scholars are the
public.
At the time no graduate can posi-.
bly, realize just what he is "up
against" in commencing the more
serious business before him. II he did
take 1t too seriously. as a matter of
fact. 1t probably would handicap him
to just that extent.
Much as the fledgling, fresh from
the nest, commences his prescribed
course in aviation, guided by the par.
ent bird. the fledgling citizen OF the
world begins his fight into the un.
known.
Unknown 1t Is, all the future, not
only to these young men and women
(most OF whom are not any ways near
as smart as some Of them imagine
they are), but also to the "old grads
who have preceded them.
This Is one Of the charms of life
that lures us on. intriguing our fancy
with hopes that may or may not be
realized. To the graduate what diff
ference does It make, after all, whether
all his dreams come true or not?
He has his dreams now. and as he
Is true to them SO shall his reward be-
+ ~
Does this sound like a commence
ment address made by some solemn
old party in a frock coat while the
students writhe In agony beneath their
caps and gowns?
1 hope not. I. too. have expert
enced that torture. And yet, I ask
you, what else could those solemn old
parties have told us other than they
did?
II the graduates OF last week i'm.
agine they were bored by the bro.
mid1c advice. what do they ina agine
the distinguished speaker Of the owe
ming felt about the proceeding?
Here / am." no doubt he unused
raced by a lot Of young folk who are
commencing life. Many Of them i'm.
seto tHoy arc eHolne II, rather. They
nope I will not tell them what to do
and the officials are looking for me 10
give them sound advice. II tell
them the old truths-which are all the
truths there are-in human conduct
they will call me an old bore. II dc
not do 1t, the school officials will pri.
Vately tell each other they made a
mistake. Not that l fancy this bust
ness OF speaking earnestly to bows md
girls-ah, hemlyoung ladies and gen,
tieInen. excuse me. Personally.
would rather be anywhere in the world
than on this platform tonight. Now
that / am here, however, what can
do but tell them how the world looks
TO one who has gone through the mill
one who knows that commencement
Is commencement indeed?"
10 each young graduate there will
come times Of doubt, when life will
seem hardly worth while, when every.
thing he touches seems to turn ou,
badly.
Then it will be we'll for him IL he
VIII recall that once upon a time in
The Evening Star he read an article
by some old chap with white whiskers
who insisted on telling him that the
ability to keep stiff upper lin" was
one of the main factors in a success
ful life.