 The Denison Daily Herald
Saturday, June 6, 1908 pg. 9 (continued) Miss Flossie McComas, one of the most talented musicians of the class, next appeared on the program with a piano number. This young girl, who has already established a local reputation of note for herself, selected for this occasion "Mills' exquisite composition, "Recollections of Home," which she rendered with splendid feeling. Miss Roberta Hoyle made a distinct hit with her "Address to a Diploma." The popular president of the class, who is popular not only for her beauty but wit as well, handled this subject in a most delightful manner. She traced briefly the troubles and trials of a graduate from the earliest entrance into the schools in primer days, to the day of perplexing problems when she and her sister classmates were confronted with the necessity of selecting a graduation gown. Her take off on fashions, on trying to solve the egnima of making an advent as "a panel, a Merry Widow and a graduate in the same spring," was distinctly original. After this clever bit of fun, she came to the serious business of conferring the class mantle on her successor. Miss Georgia Lomax, president of '09, advanced to the front of the stage and gracefully accepted the gift of the mantle in a brief address. Another vocal number which brought pleasure and applause was a quartet, "Winds of Night," (Lohr) was given by Misses Odra Carter and Ethel Wilmon; Richard Brumbaugh and Fred Morgan. Frank Nagle, the bright young class orator, next had the floor to entertain his friends. His subject, "Vanquishing the War God," was ably prepared and delivered, well earning for the speaker the honor of being chosen by his class as orator. He discussed the failures of war, and outlined the advantages of arbitration, advocating that the end of the matter as a final climax to a perfect stage of civilization would be the result of the brotherhood of man or brotherly love. "The Wizard of the West," was the enigmatical subject of the class essay, which fell to the lot of Miss Kathleen Wilson to disclose to the waiting audience. She represented herself as a pilgrim to Santa Rosa, California in search of satisfying her curiosity in regard to a magician, whom she found a simple man living in an humble bungalow. Her sketch was a brief outline of the wonderful works of Luther Burbank in his transformation of fruits and flowers. She drew the practical lesson that high judgment, patience and determination count for most in the success of life. This graceful delivery won for the young essayist merited applause. "The Garden of Flowers," an idyl or cantata by Denza, was the beautiful vocal number by the girls of the class which furnished thirty minutes of genuine enjoyment. The solos were good, but it was in the chorus work that the splendid musical training of the schools was better exemplified. Mrs. Markham had her chorus in complete control, the voices were well toned and the expression was all that could be desired. This full number consisted of the following: Chorus, "The Morn;" duet, "The Lark and the Nightingale," Misses Effie Wilson and John Eubank; trio, "White Butterfly;" alto solo, "Lovely Rosebuds," Miss Ethel Wilmon; chorus, "Summer Breezes;" soprano solo and chorus, "The Bees," Effie Wilson; mezzo-soprano solo, "O, Happy Streamlet," Miss John Eubank; quartette, "Goodnight," Misses Odra Carter, Effie Wilson, John Eubank, Ethel Wilmon, Myrtle Smith, Flossie McComas, Bessie Byers, and Roberta Hoyle; chorus, "Garden of Flowers." Special mention is due Miss Edna Smith for her fine work as accompanist for this and the other vocal numbers. VALEDICTORY Richard Brumbaugh, who has the distinction of being the only boy to win first honor in the history of the Denison Schools, chose for the foundation thought for his valedictory address, Addison's couplet, "'Tis not in mortals to command success; But we'll do more, Sempronius; we'll deserve it." His address showed splendid thought, was well written and delivered, and is given in full: The last rays of a low westering sun filtered weakly through the little barred window of an English prison cell. The filthiness and foulness showed doubly horrible in the few stray beams of light. In one corner sat a man, a great powerful man, friendless and destitute, lonely and grieving for his little blind girl, jeered at and taunted by the ignorant and cruel guards who thought this boorish fellow - this fanatical country clown - incapable of refined thoughts and sentiments. One word would release him from the dreariness of twelve years spent in this dungeon home of his. But the heart of John Bunyan was so true, the mind so strong, and the conscience so strict he would not say that word which would put bondage behind and freedom ahead. Ah, but to say the word! To go from Bedford's jail to Bedford's lanes to preach! All the yearning of Bunyan to be a fisher of men welled up in his great heart, but the honor of his firm and earnest soul overcame the longing and he took the taunts of his keepers a little longer because he knew that when past his Delectable Mountains he would find the City Beautiful, and there he wished to face his Maker with a clear conscience. The enormity of Bunyan's sins, his dancing on the village green, playing tipcat, ringing the parish bells, and swearing, came to him with frightful visage in that cheerless prison cell. To do penance for these sins he wrote them down in blackest letters and painted himself a disgraced reprobate. Was forgiveness possible? questioned the purity of his soul. And the questioning brought the answer from the depths of his being. Nothing this side of the grave could move the mind that conceived the journey of Christian; nothing, whether praise or disparagement, or freedom or captivity, could swerve the heart that poured its life-blood into every step of that "Pilgrim's Progress." Glorious in its simplicity and heart-felt earnestness, the little chronicle of John Bunyan's sins became the allegory of the world's soul. Years afterward we find a resemblance to Bunyan's lot in the lot of the Scotch poet, the weakest, the sweetest, the most beloved and most loving of singers, Robert Burns. Born of the lowest and most despised classes, the one a brazier and the other a peasant, their boyhood days were spent in the hardest meanest toil. The manliness of the one far exceeded that of the other. Bunyan's plight was pitiable; Burns' was pitiful. Bunyan needed no sympathy or good will to help him; Burns died for the want of it. Bunyan knew what was right and did what was right; Burns, too, knew what was right, he was taught what was right, but to do what was right when temptation came he could not do for the life of him. Craving sympathy and receiving none, his life went out in a weak little flicker of shame and disappointment; and too late for him came the world's praise for the life that had praised the daisy and unconsciously blessed its Maker. Yet the feele struggling of Robert Burns is hardly comparable to the stoic endurance of John Bunyan nor even yet to the noble spirit of John Ruskin. Taunted and laughed at by his equals and jeered at by his inferiors, John Ruskin determined to carry out his purpose with more zeal than ever. He gave away his fortune to his fellowmen, he worked as a common laborer on the public road he wished built into London, and the people cried, "The man is a fool!" The madhouse is his right place." But did Ruskin stop? Let him answer in that noble, pathetic paragraph from "Fors Claverigers," "Because I have spent my life in alms giving, not in fortune hunting, because I have labored always for the honor of others, not my own, and have chosen rather to make men look at Turner and Linni than to form or exhibit the skill of my own hand; because I have lowered my rents and assured the comfortable lives of my poor tenants, instead of taking from them all I could force for the roofs they needed; because I love a wood walk better than a London street; and would rather watch a sea gull fly than to shoot it; finally, because I never disobeyed my mother, because I have honored all women with a solemn worship and have been kind even to the unthankful and evil; therefore, the hacks of English art and literature wag their heads at me." But the scornful jeering of the hacks, did not interfere with the noble purpose of the man. Tardy fame came too late to place the oak wreath on the brow of the living Ruskin, but at the foot of his bier she has laid her immortal chaplet of laurel. Yet was it not better for Ruskin when his life was drawing to its close to realize that what he did was right and that his reward was reckoned, not in success sordidly mortal, but in things immortal? Was it not far greater for Burns, when his last song was ended, to feel that his ballads had been sung, not for his own fame, but just to sing a song for poor old Scotland's sake? Was it not much nobler for Bunyan, when his soul had been tried in the crucible, to know that after the refining, its gold reflected not his own, but the image of his Maker? "Twas not in these men, nor is it in any man to command success. God reserves that right for Himself. 'Twas their destiny for their companions - despair and anguish, and for their friends - misery. 'Twas their lot, after braving every danger, after toiling weary and alone in the straight and narrow path, to go down to their death, silent, uncomplaining and unafraid. But, ah! 'Twas their reward to have a world grow better because a song was sung when a daisy fell under a plowshare, to have a country grateful because her poor were cared for, to have a Heaven drawn closer because a Pilgrim's Progress was written. And though there was a battle "to fight ere their guerdon was gained, the reward of it all." For after all, in a way, it was theirs to command success because they had deserved it. Mr. E.H. Hanna, formerly president of the School Board, officiated in the important capacity of making a farewell address to the class of '08, and presented the coveted roll of sheepskin. PRIZES AWARDED A great deal of interest was shown in the announcement of the awards of scholarships and cash prizes, felt not less by the audience than by the graduates and undergraduates, to whom no inkling of the decisions had been made till this hour. Mr. F.B. Hughes, Superintendent of the City Schools, announced the following scholarships: Two scholarships to University of Texas: first, Richard Brumbaugh; second, Miss Ila Esler, for high standing, there being a very small fraction between the grades of the first and second honor pupils. Mr. O.A. Maxwell, Principal of the High School, announced the following awards of prizes: Draughon's Business College, combined scholarship, valued at $83, Richard Brumbaugh Gate City Business College and Literary Academy, combined scholarship, valued at $83, Miss Ethlyn Lallier W.J. Leeper prize, $20, for general excellence in scholarship, Richard Brumbaugh J.T. Munson prize, $20, for highest grade in chemistry, Miss Ila Esler For undergraduates, the S.P. Ancker prize, $12.50, for the highest standing in botany, John Morris, class of '10 S.P. Anker prize, $12.50, for the highest grade in Latin, Miss Lelia Brieger, class of '09 W.J. Mathis prizes of $10 to boy and girl doing best work in English, awarded Louis Patton and Miss Effie Leaming The scholarships for Washington & Lee University, Lexington, Virginia; Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana; Drury College, Springfield, Missouri; and University of Chicago will be announced later. As a final appearance before the audience, the class sang their class song, with the usual regrets at parting from teachers and classmates, and the schoolmates who next year will occupy the center of attention. As the last echoes of the goodbye song died away, the curtain went down on one of the largest and most satisfactory classes ever graduating from the City Schools, and the twenty-second annual commencement exercises came to a close. THE CLASS OF '08 The class of 1908, one of the largest ever graduating from the city schools, is composed of the following: Richard Brumbaugh, Valedictorian; Miss Ila Esler, Salutatorian; Misses Virgie Beggs, Odra Carter, Roberta Hoyle, Ethelyn Lallier, Kate Meginnis, Myrtle Smith, Effie Wilson, Pinkie Brack, Bessie Byers, Mildred Chase, John Eubank, Nellie Knaur, Flossie McComas, Bessie Nobes, Rachel Watson, Ethel Wilmon, and Kathleen Wilson; Jesse Madden, Frank Nagle, Joseph Wheeler and Fred Morgan. Denison High School History Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |