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Show !! , Preston Centra) Y School Closes Doors fj jp Preston, May 24. The graduation J iW exercises of the l'reston Central 1 A tcbool held hi the Opera house here , ( on the 20th was remarkable (or the i large attendance of parents. A well ji ' gotten up progrnm was gono through, !' lll'i "ni1 ce,tlflcnte9 and diplomas awarded !E , is I At the cloning exercises the follow. j1' i' ,, lng valedictory was given by Domnr ' ' I 3 ' llerrll of the Klghth grade: a ,, H ' , Wo are mot hese today with our H k hearts overflowing with gladness, to v I ' think that the past few years of to- M ji dlous work Is at an end. Mingled with 1 theso fecllngB of glndnvss Is one of H Borrow. Wo renllzo that with tho M ' I J completion of our work, together as H ( ' j a c,aKa lllHO l'nilH mnny of our mutual i pleasures. Wo must now part, ench to j V go his own way. Each of us hopn to M - yet have many pleasant school days, Hj I yet wo hurdly expect that this class H as a whole will register at the same B school, for the same course and at K the same college. Wo have completed B tho course required of us In tho ills- B ,j trlct school, hut wo feel that we H j ' j have Just reached the first mile stone H .1 nnd tho gioat field of knowledge lies B ! before us. We khow that It will tako B9 i weeks, months nnd years, of labor BJ '' 'or us to become acquainted with the B extent of that great rleld. Through all Bfl I' this hard work, though the load be- Bfl I j " come burdensome, we shall not get Bfl discouraged, for wo will remember BS r thnt heaven Is not reached by a sin- B9 Klo bound but that wo build the lad- Bfl jj der on which we rise, fiom the lowly Bfl '' earth, to thevnulted skies nnd mount B9 its summit round by round. When Bfl M0 contrast our opportunities In ob- Bfl '' mining an education with those or our Bfl j pnrents and grandparents, It seems Bfl hard to believe thnt the load will be- Bfl ' l come burdensome. Let us go back Bfl , through the long years and visit the Bfl li Alma 'Muter of our grandparents. Wo H ' M sco on npprouchlng, a llttlo cub In ill- BB I1 i most entirely surrounded by foiests. Bfl , On entering we find the beaten ,hnrd, Bfl I parched earth the only floor. The BB t benches and desks nre mnde of split BS I 1B nnd on these sat the noisy mis- BK i' chlevous boys nnd gills studying BB , ' rending, writing nnd arithmetic from Bfl n few -.veil worn books. The only BB I ' I menus of heating Is by a huge fire- BB ' ' 1'1'ico huge enough to hold blocks of Hj wood four or five feet long, llehlnd BB jf the rudely constructed teachers' desk BB Iji'j 81lt tho school muster his ferrule or B'' IP hickory beside him, ready to admin- BB ' Jj '8lr Justice to any who chanced to be H m offender In the school, for In those BB ' fi (luy8 the hickory was thu lnw. Let us BB lj Mw visit our modern school. Wo B i' Imll more than likely find the build- H ,', '"B mnilo of brick or stone or a well- B constructed frame building. On en- H , , terlng wo shall find every convenience Bfl i vj in books, every science and subject H' ' 'jl ' education taught. We should find B III, tho building heated by stenm, In fnct B i wo should find everything thnt would B , ( Jlmlu " life n hnppy one. Though B l A s nur Pnrents hud so few opportunities B ' j, t0 K-'t nn educntlon from books they B I'avo been educated in tho great B I I school of experience. We do not dls- Bfl nitpieclate their knowledge nnd know Bb that we enn never attnln their effl- B j clency until we pass through the B I ' i KUn,e cxnerlenee. Hut we should learn B ( to uppreclato the wondwful opportun- M U lt!es w l've and we do try to ap- H j H predate them. Kspeclnlly ,i ,vo . HU predate the efforts of our principal Hn an1 ,euelle'8- They have tried to do BB! ' '' m'" for than simply ininart know. H , l'lse. They hae striven to develop R, j '" "8 8tronK n"'l noble characters. Wo H I I ! l,un wltl1 ' now de.ir teachers, but H we hPo tlmt your teachings hnvo ,,l'e o Indelllby impressed upon our m 1 mlnia u,at thoy will not bo easily HE 1 ' erased. Fellow students wo staud to- BBI i '!' at tho forks of the road. Wo ask HH , , ourselves the question, "What am 1 UK ' K ' K0,B '" lo with myself?" We must B''I'L declJo now- for et a llttlo while nnd B 0 w X H wl" b0 10 Int0' "ablu b0,h B00d B JI ) h 1 and bad will havo fnstonod themselves BB X L -'' upon Ur natures hke )Ia8tw- and our BALA ' ilBBBB. cl,arncto" will bo hardened Into a HAVB wn'c1' wo can not break Are BbBBBBW.,.- EOlnB ' bo bulldor8 t Great clt ies," founders of great empires. Writ-its Writ-its of gicat books, whoso names shall ot Inmlllur to the whole world? Are ve going to find some of the won. derful things In the sciences which hnvo not been discovered yet nnd mnko the world stop nnd wonder. If so, wo must choose tho road which lends to a strong charncter not the one which Is traveled most nnd Is an aimless route. We will decide now, whnt wo shall be, then set every effort ef-fort toward accomplishing thnt nlm. Over the world's foaming oceans thousans of ships no "passing, not one without n purpose. Not one without with-out n rudder. Should you find one Bhlp whose captain does not know Its destination we would be filled with consternation and horror. Vet boys and girls drift out Into sea of llfo without a thought of the outcome. My classmates let us not be ninoug those too biifly with the plcusmcs of today to take any thought of tomorrow, but let us plan a life of usefulness nnd set before us a grcnt purpose. Then we shall by exercising our will power havo nothing to regret when tho morrow mor-row comes. Let us give encouragement to ench other In our strivings for an educntlon by our sympathy In the different class meetings which wo hope to have. Let us ever remember thnt It Is self effort thnt educates." |
