It is a somewhat sad yet pleasant duty which devolves upon me this
evening, that of saying farewell. For, to a class whose members have
studied together for so long as we have and which is found to be so
homogeneous as this class has been, a farewell is always sad. When, in
October last, we entered upon our course of study, we could not look
forward to this hour with any degree of composure, but, day by day, as
time passed on we found ourselves longing for the end, yet dreading
the parting. But, to-night, we derive considerable pleasure from the
fact that we have prepared ourselves for something which will have a
strong influence upon our future lives. This night may be called a
real commencement for many of us who have just left school where we
have learned the ordinary English branches, and are now learning to
apply our former knowledge to earn our living in a way that will prove
both pleasant and profitable.
In retrospect: How hard the first few lessons appeared! We hardly
credited the declaration that a time would come when we should be able
to recite the alphabet backward and forward and in every conceivable
way, but we soon discovered that the subsequent lessons were so much
more difficult than the first, that these seem now to us as very
simple. As our knowledge increased, we discovered also that each
lesson followed so logically upon the previous one, that it made it
much easier to understand. There were hooks to the right of us, and
hooks to the left of us, and with these and circles, medial and final,
approximation and "con" dot, our dreams resembled a kaleidoscope
rather than those of school girls. When traveling on the cars we would
often see a person with a note book and pencil, and experience a
fellow feeling, knowing that they had trod the same path as we were
treading. Occasionally, in going home after a lesson, two of us
comparing notes would find that we, in turn, were objects of interest
to people in the train, and that they gazed with wonder and amusement
upon the strange-looking characters with which our note books were
filled. Then, when it came to our home study, although those whom we
asked to dictate to us did so with great alacrity at first, they soon
found reading the same thing over twenty or thirty times, to say the
least, monotonous. Yet we must say that our friends often put aside
their own preferences, knowing the daily practice was for our good. We
will not dwell upon the loss of pleasures that we have forfeited in
order to be present at the class and to spend the requisite number of
hours at study. But now that we have reached the desired haven, we
feel fully repaid for everything that we have given up, and only
regret that we did not sacrifice more for our beloved study. We would
not however have you think it has been all hard work, and that we
have had _no_ enjoyment. For, have we not had genial companions,
sympathetic teachers and a most watchful Committee, who have tried to
do everything in their power to make our school life both pleasant and
comfortable? We cannot specify all the ways in which they have shown
their interest and kindness to us, yet we would not fail to mention
the fact that we were provided with a new class-room, which combined
the advantages of seclusion, quiet, and all the necessary appliances
for study, with excellent ventilation, and to this was added the
feeling that it was our "very own."
This recital can but feebly show you why the feeling of pleasure is
predominant in our hearts to-night. We cannot feel sad at parting
with our classmates, for, though we shall not meet in this class-room
again, as a class, we do expect to meet together as the alumnae of
this Institution at our regular weekly gatherings for practice. It is
rather with a feeling of exhilaration that we realize that we have at
length conquered giants that loomed up before us when we began our
study, and that these giants, like those called forth by the magician
of old, have been made to do our bidding.
But now we come to the most painful part of our task, that of bidding
this kind Committee farewell. And, in behalf of the class of '88, we
thank you again for your watchful care over us during the past Winter.
The only way in which we can attempt to repay you for what you have
done for us is by trying to rise in our profession and do something
which, when we say we are graduates of the General Society of
Mechanics and Tradesmen, will cause you to feel proud of us, and in
this way we can slightly show our gratitude to our benefactors. And to
our teachers, who have been the means of our learning this wonderful
art, we say farewell, hoping that they will remember us kindly as
having tried our best to let the studies which they have lodged in our
minds bring forth good fruit. Although you have, no doubt, at times
felt discouraged with the apparent failure of your work, yet we trust
that the results have proved satisfactory, and shown you that we have
tried to do what you have desired us to do, and, in a measure, have
succeeded. We trust also that these results will reflect credit upon
you as our Instructors even more than upon us as the recipients of
your teaching. We do realize that many members of our class will never
meet with us again, and to you we say farewell, with the wish that in
your diverse paths through life you may attain great success in your
chosen profession and always remember that you are still members of
the Class of '88.