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Show -THE UTAH EVANGELIST.- <br><br> COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES OF THE SALT LAKE COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE. <br> The commencement exercises of the Salt Lake Collegiate Institute, ending the ninth year of the existence of this institution of learning in Salt Lake City, took place on Friday evening, at the Presbyterian Church, in the presence of a large and intelligent audience. The church was beautifully decorated with evergreens and festoons of flowers, and on an arch over the stage was displayed in gilded letters the motto of the graduating class of 1884, Nulla dies sine linea*. "No day without a line." <br> The members of this class, all young ladies, and all having begun in the lower grades of the school, have by patience and perseverance worked their way up from those grades, and through the four years' vigorous course of study in the High School, so that they have certainly fairly and honorably won the laurels with which they were decked on this occasion. <br> At 8 o'clock the exercises commeneed [sic] with an impressive anthem by the church choir, followed by an appropriate prayer by Rev. R. G. McNiece, D. D. Then came a beautifully executed duet from Mrs. McMaster and Prof. H. S. Krouse. <br> After these introductory exercises, Miss Sallie W. Douglas came before the audience with an essay entitled "Walter Scott's Heroines." Miss Douglas' production displayed an extensive acquaintance with English prose literature of modern times, and her handling of the female characters of the Waverly novels, and comparison of Scott's delineation of female character with that of other novel writers before and since his time, showed that she possesses in no inconsiderable degree that rarest of faculties, a sound and well-ballanced [sic] literary judgment. Taking each of Scott's heroines in detail, she set them forth in all their light aud [sic] shade, their beauty and their homeliness, their self-sacrificing devotion and their selfish ambition, their fortunate and their tragical loves, etc., but always feminine, always surrounded by the halo of chivalry and romance. She showed how Scott had elevated woman from the coarse and degraded level of Fielding and Smollett-the coarse object of coarse desire-and had made her an object of homage and praise. In this he stands alone, and has done for the prose world, what Shakespeare did for the world of poetry. Dickens, Thackeray, and a host of other writers have imitated, but never equalled [sic] this great writer in this respect. <br> Miss Carrie S. Woolf followed with a beautifully worded essay, entitled, "The Mirage of Life: an Allegory." We suppose that there were few in the audience that did not catch additional inspiration with regard to motives and aims in life, as they listened to the telling words of the graceful writer. Taking up the different objects of pursuit in this life, she followed the career of the man who lives entirely for luxury. She described him as sitting in his gilded palace, surrounded by all that which art, music, painting, literature etc., could lavish upon him, and yet all these things could give no pleasure to the mere devotee of luxury. She then traced in a similar manner the career of the rich man and he whose days are spent in the ambitious pursuit of power, which at last is carried off by another just as he is on the point of grasping it. Closing with the life of a philanthropist, she showed how a soul is made happy by the effort to confer happiness upon others. All else will melt away and perish, but good deeds will last forever, being as imperishable in their results as the eternal hills themselves. We cannot do justice to the grace of style possessed by this talented young lady without giving her words entire, which space will not permit us to do. <br> Miss Emma S. Greene, the valedictorian of the class, in her essay, "No Ray of Light is Lost," evinced such a depth of understanding, such a comprehensiveness of knowledge for one of her years, that the audience listened with delight to every word that she uttered, and applauded her to the letter at the close. Taking light in the physical world, she showed how, by its chemical properties, it is absolutely necessary to all plant life upon the earth, how its beneficial influences are felt in a thousand ways that we are unconcious [sic] of. The blazing sun, the great center of light, by its necessary influences, is also the great center of life to the whole physical world. Then, by a beautiful analogy, she showed that God was the great central sun of the moral world, from whom emanated all beauty, goodness and truth, which His creatures should shed abroad as reflected light. As no ray of light is lost in the physical world, so no ray of light is lost in the moral world, but every worthy life sheds around it a light which can not be extinguished. <br> In a few brief words she returned thanks to the teachers of the school for their painstaking fidelity during the past years, and then retired amid great applause. <br> Dr. R. G. McNiece, the president of the Board, then presented the diplomas to the graduates, with a few brief and happy remarks. Alluding to the class motto, "No day without a line," he said it should inspire the class not to drop their studies, but to do something in the way of intellectual culture every day, if it were only to read a few pages of some classical English author. Many great things in the literary world had been accomplished by doing a little every day. <br> The good and solid work done by the Salt Lake Collegiate Institute needs no better advertisement than the character of the graduates it sends forth into the world. Several of the graduates of former years are filling important positions as teachers throughout the Territory. Several have gone East, and are now pursuing an extended course of studies in the most celebrated institutions in the land. Who can calculate the advantages flowing from such an institution, carried on, as it is, right under the seadow [sic] of the most oppressive priestly despotism the world has ever seen? We understand that a very large class will be graduated next year. There will be no changes in the faculty, except such additions as the enlargement of the work may require. Mr. Coyner will be superintendent of the school, Prof. J. F. Millspaugh will be principal of the High School, and professor of mathematics and the sciences, (for which department complete apparatus has been secured this year); Prof. Wm. Boyle will still be teacher of the classics and belles lettres, and Miss Kelley will be employed exclusively in teaching Music. The other grades will also retain the same teachers that they have previously had. If the necessary property can be secured, for which the Board are now negotiating, a kindergarten school, under an experienced teacher from the East, will be conducted. <br> Altogether the past year of the school has been one of the most prosperous since its foundation. It may here also be remarked that the West or Camp Mission school on Fourth West street, and under charge of the same board of trustees as the Institute, has been a wonderful success this year under the management of Miss Reed and Mrs Boyle, the teachers. About one hundred and fifteen pupils have been enrolled. <br><br> DECORATION DAY AT CACHE VAL LEY SEMINARY. <br> It was proposed to have a Reunion of the Presbyterian schools of Cache Valley on May 30th, and invitations went out, inviting the teachers, with their pupils, and all who had* been* pupils of their schools, and their parents, and friends, to come to Logan on Friday last, bringing plenty of lunch. Consequently, at about 10 o'clock, Friday morning, the wagons began to arrive from Franklin, Richmond, Smithfield, Millville, Hyrum, and Wellsville, until about 200 were seated in the chapel, in seats assigned to each school. <br> The Exercises commenced by singing, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' name" by all present. Hymns had been previously assigned to all the schools to learn, so that the music was grand. After prayer and another hymn, the following welcome was recited by one of the little girls: <br> My friends we welcome you to-day, <br> To our Reunion blythe and merry, <br> And welcome you among the chums <br> Of Cache Valley Seminary. <br> You know the trials, fears, and toils <br> Of school days long and weary, <br> And cold, and snows, and frozen toes, <br> In winter long and dreary. <br> So now we gather here to-day, <br> Forgetting all our sadness; <br> And take each other by the hand, <br> In joy and peace and gladness. <br> We greet the north-the Franklin School, <br> The Utah's hills disdaining; <br> We own the sons and daughters fair, <br> A band of NOBLE training. <br><br> [Continues on next page.] <br><br><br> * words and phrases are italicized <br><br> |