Silver Links Part 4

Valedictory

BY MISS LINA E. KETTLEMAN.

_Cla.s.s of '89._

Bacon has said, "Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man." Many prominent men of the present age a.s.sert on authority that shorthand makes a valuable man.

The world's advancement has never been so marked and rapid as within the past century; inventors have, it would seem, almost exhausted themselves in producing means for improvement; where think you, would the busy man find himself were it not for the opportunities open at every hand enabling him to keep in the whirl?

Inventors, and the value of their respective inventions, are fully appreciated by those who make use of them, but there has been no greater gift presented than the one by Mr. Isaac Pitman in 1837, in the shape of Phonography; he, after a few months of hard labor, reduced the phonetic characters to a simple form such as any intelligent and ordinarily educated person might, after a proper amount of application, use to great advantage. The public were not long in realizing the benefits to be derived, and each year has seen a steady growth in the number of shorthand readers and writers, and to-day finds thousands who are successfully using the little strokes, some following the original system, and others using the modifications; _all_, however, agreeing as to the true worth of shorthand as a time saver.

We who started last Autumn, with the determination to master Phonography and typewriting, knew in part the advantages to be gained after the top was reached, but we did not know by actual experience what breakers were ahead in the accomplishment of the work before us; for the timid ones this very ignorance proved a great blessing,--conquering one difficulty at a time, with the greater ones in the shadow, was not as disheartening as having the future in plain sight.

The mult.i.tude of crooks, circles and dry rules were taken in turn and left behind, and after reaching half way the journey, and pausing for a rest and renewal of courage, we began the pleasanter work of writing and reading connectedly. At the start were simple stories which seemed at the time almost silly, then came letters and law matter, and, as the words in the first lessons kept recurring, we began to appreciate "The Wolf and the Lamb" and various companions of a similar nature. Slowly but surely the work has been progressing. Time has fairly flown away and has brought us together to-night for the parting as a cla.s.s.

There has been much bitter with the sweet and many clouds with the suns.h.i.+ne; social pleasures were necessarily given up and numerous sacrifices made, to say nothing of the keen disappointment brought home to each as she recognized, despite her greatest efforts, that the actual work was far behind what her aspirations had been at the outset. But through all we have been cheered and encouraged by our teachers, nor must I omit the occasional well timed lectures, depressing at the time of delivery, but sending each home with a fixed idea of doing better, and continuing to the end; added to these has been the entire novelty of the whole course, always something new. Like all proverbial Americans, born, it is said, with the interrogation point at tongue's end, the constant variety made the journey one immense _Why?_

We are joyous over the prospect of a cessation of hard study, but regret that the end of our intercourse has come, necessitating the severing of ties as teachers and those taught, and the farewell as cla.s.s friends; but each will carry with her a remembrance of the Winter spent together with much profit and pleasure to all.

To our kind Instructor through all the intricacies of Phonography, we are deeply indebted. Within ourselves is the consciousness that had it not been for his patience and untiring efforts we would have given up in despair long ago; as also to our Instructress and friend who has helped us over the road to the success of typewriting are we equally indebted; to the never flagging energy of both we owe as much as to the individual effort.

Not the least, if mentioned last, is our grat.i.tude to the School Committee. To you, gentlemen, we wish to convey our thanks this evening, both for your generosity, as representatives of the G. S. M.

and T., in supplying funds for the maintenance of this glorious work, and for the kindly interest displayed during the past Winter. While regretting our inability to raise the standard higher, we will endeavor, in future, to reflect such credit upon this school as will prove our appreciation of past favors.

To you, my dear cla.s.smates, those in particular who have not as yet felt the pecuniary advantages to be derived from this new acquirement, take courage in the fact that six of our number are reaping the benefits even thus early. Wait patiently; do not let the work end with to-night, and become discouraged because of the same old humdrum duties. Remember that in filling the old post honorably, you are doing the work a.s.signed by the Master who in His own season will send what is for your best good. Add to your store of knowledge from day to day, and be able to say with the poet:

Each morning sees some task begun, Each evening sees its close; Something attempted, something done, Has earned a night's repose.

Salutatory Address

_To the Cla.s.s of '90._

BY MISS HARRIET MIDDLEMAS.

What shall we do with our girls? One of our well known daily papers came to the conclusion some time ago that our girls must be disposed of in some way, and feeling that it lacked the ability to solve the problem alone and unaided, sent a request abroad for help in settling this momentous question.

If we were in China, they would say "drown them." Horace Greeley might have suggested sending them West to keep house for his "young men."

Many, in answer to the before-mentioned paper's appeal, advocated making business women of them; while others said: "Teach them to be good housekeepers."

Now, as all our girls cannot be housekeepers, neither can they be business women, is it not the best plan where there are two girls in a family, to teach one how to minister to the wants of the household, and let the other help to provide the means, wherewith to supply the necessities of life? We are not all Vanderbilts or Astors.

But whether it be "Yea" or "Nay," woman is making her way in the world. She has been heard of as making rapid progress in law; and it was only a short while ago we read of a young lady being admitted to practice in Pennsylvania. We have doctors without number; one of our Western towns boasts of a woman for Mayor, and they have aspired to the Presidency. Much has been said of woman's sphere, but she knows her own place in life, and if given a little help in the various directions necessary to reach the place, she will win, and has won for herself respect and admiration for her courage and independence.

But this is not a Woman's Rights Meeting, nor a sewing circle, in which the minister has been invited to tea, and where we are making the poor luckless man suffer for his s.e.x in general, but the Graduation Exercises of a band of girls who have worked hard for success, and gained it.

A society of men organized many years ago, instead of sitting with folded hands lamenting _their_ inability to dispose of "our girls,"

went to work and established a cla.s.s; placed at its head one of the best of teachers, and called it the Stenographic and Typewriting Cla.s.s of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen. "Now," they said, "we have opened a way, let us see what the girls can do for and with themselves."

In the Fall of 1886 the first cla.s.s was formed, and since then more than 100 girls owe their present advantages to this n.o.ble inst.i.tution.

The Cla.s.s of '90 graduating from here to-night met for the first lesson on October 1st of last year.

Of our troubles and disappointments, it is not for me to tell, but we have bravely toiled on, and have at last reached the end we have so eagerly and anxiously looked forward to, and the feeling that we have learned something which will help us in more ways than we at present fully realize, repays us for our perseverance.

To-night we graduate from this school into one compared to which the trials and disappointments of this course will seem trifles. We go forth to battle with the world, and if we do not keep up with it, it will mercilessly leave us far behind. But the Cla.s.s of '90 is not going to be laggard. Indeed we hope that when we graduate from that higher and more exacting school, it will be with the same satisfactory results with which we leave here, and, like Longfellow's "Great Men," we may leave

"Footprints on the sands of time."

There are several benevolent inst.i.tutions in this city where Stenography and Typewriting are taught during the day, without expense to the student. But the girls that need this instruction most are the working girls, who have only the evenings to themselves, and cannot afford to take the time to study that which they know would be beneficial to them. But the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen have recognized their wants, and every girl in this cla.s.s has acknowledged that when in the future she has reached that zenith to which every one aspires, "Prosperity in her chosen calling," she cannot forget that it was through this Society she was enabled to reach that height.

And now, dear Friends and Patrons of this school, I, in the name of my cla.s.smates, bid a cordial "welcome" to you all, confident that you who have sympathized with us during the past eight months will rejoice with us in our success.

Cla.s.s Poem

BY MISS KATIE Ma.s.sMAN.

_Cla.s.s of '90._

My friends, we all have gathered here, To celebrate this night,-- Th' occasion of a victory gained O'er a long and glorious fight.

Unlike the battlefields of men, Where blood flows o'er the plain, And eyes must meet the fearful sight Of conquered victims slain,

Our battlefield the school-room was, Where we have fought and won; A conflict n.o.ble in its aim, Nine months ago begun.

Oh! how we hoped and how we feared, As day by day slipped past, And we kept pressing towards the mark We hoped to reach at last.

Whilst oft discouragement, the imp, Would whisper in our breast, "'Tis folly to continue on; Go, leave it for the rest."

But "onward, onward," was our cry, Though all around looked dim,-- No cowards we who fear the storm, 'Twas either "sink or swim."

And our commander at the head, With truly master skill, Did spur us on, and teach us how Each duty to fulfill.

Through the maze of outlines, straight and curved, Step by step, he led the way, Till hooks and circles, large and small, At length seemed plain as day.

To his true service much we owe, And each of us, to-night, In a vote of earnest, sincere thanks, Do heartily unite.

We meet to part, on this last night, Yet shall we fondly ever Turn to the happy hours spent In Mechanics' Hall together.