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Show ! I M SOCIAL AMENITIES FOR M II IS THE . SCHOOL GIRL H COMMENCEMENT time, with Its nu-n-croui class festivities, its winding I up exercises aud all the accompanying , excitement, is by no menus unalloyed fun ' save for a small nuubcr out of the entire, school body, J Fiist honors can only come to a few.j aud the disappointments al failure ure; bound to tie felt most deeply by those whol have worked hardest and, in just falling ebort of (ho desired goal, really deserve both credit nnd honors. Tu take .b.-teal) gracefully when one is both mentally and1 physically tired after weeks of ronsHcu-; tious study is not easy. I'crbaps nothing! in life calls for greater exercise of self-) mastery than schoolroom failures, fur itj does necessarily mean a great deal to n girl to be nil, to leave school or college' and start fc- r life in the outside world with I a hue recon I. Yet the girl who has not won can in th, end often learn to bu thankful fur this hrst failure. It may i-iicli her to be more! tolerant of the shortcomings of other- emlj xbow her to look beyond an apparent failure for ihfl effort ami ambition which-originally which-originally prompt.', it should e8rh ' p-irl Ihruiigh bcr own erperionc that be-J ing bra tun one does not nerrliRa,rj)y n)ai failure kcond tiro -quite the rversPj in fact and in after life, whenever there-is there-is opportunity she should seek to give a second trial whenever that chance is hers to give. Failure, in other words, will teach sympathy where success, will nol. Hut of all lessons to be lenro.id through this falling short of the highest aim, that of generosity to the victor is most im-i poriuul No girl ever yet lust a friend through not having Wou out iu any con-. test, but she who is small in defeat is surej to be disliked. It takes considerable effort to be glad of the winner's honors mid to hear her praised ou all sides when thai praise was so nearly one's own, but a graceful loser gains even keener admiration admira-tion from the few who understand than dues the victor from the crowds for her special acbl.-veinc-nt. It is, of course, easier for the girl to lose who knows that she has not really I tried hard than for her who has bcnl every energy for weeks upon winning first place, but u girl who takes her task., easily must not so belittle herself 11s. to in.,!,... ;..ht flf (he efforts of the workers. .' .nx w)(J' does uoi cive admiration where a.jiuirntioii! is ilue is contemptible Indeed, nnd down, iu her heart of heart the flippant girl knows, n well as any other bnt Ls rf.uv worth' whilo and. unacknowledged to beraelfj would ftdlow in thr footstep of the "workers" "work-ers" could she ever uink the effort and I have tile courage to ulicc begin. I There ure other things, however, than schoolroom honors to strive fur, and suc-I suc-I cess dues not menu only gold medals and I huh marks Of nil definitions nf success I the words which Mrs. Stanley wrote in the j memoirs of her world honored husbiiud. I Henry M. Stanley, who did so much to bring the light of civilization into th, darkest dark-est parts of Africa, sum it up the Iw.st : t "He baa achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much; who bns galurd tho respect of intelligent mc-u and the love of lit I In children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who has left the world better than he-found he-found it, whether by un improved poppy, a perfect poem or a rescued soul ; whu bus never lucked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express il ; who has. always looked for Ihe bc-Kt in others and giten the best he had; who-, life wa an inspiration, whose memory a benediction.'' As a bit of clam day work these words mi-flit well be commit led to Memory us u' life moitu for .'Hcli girl gradual- l- tarry! w ith her from the schoolroom. he 111-f orlzed th,y will prove un ever rtsurring' reminder of how easy f access to 'l, ciciij the host brilliant nnd most hampered, is tho uatb to taccti-r.. I |
