City College of New York - Microcosm Yearbook (New York, NY)

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Faced dreary dungeons and grim death, to pave The way for that which now the World deems . Right. Upon ourselves devolves the highest task Of searching in the darkest paths of Life And rounding that' dread rock of Prejudice- Find Truth within the light of truest Self. 4f:ef:xf:rma::if:kavfafv.:x:k And we who part to-night with that last bond VVhich held us through the course of five long years, Forever broken by one single act of lawg I Who for the last time stand a Class- To bid farewell with half-regret to go- Will part indeed upon that sea of Life, Where XVork and Death await us all, and where The shattered hull of many a ship-wrecked Soul, Lies tossing on the growing waves of years. And yet for all there's Light ahead, a spark That never fails to warn if storm be nighg To guide us by the force of lasting Love- And give us Hope that thus we cannot die. Oh, let us pray that when we part to-night, God speed our souls with strength to struggle on And reach the goal of lasting happiness. There is no Life that shines eternally, For there are tears to cloud the days with grief- And as the storm subsides, an after-glow 31 Of dreamy softness fills the tear-dimmed eyes-5 As parting glories of a dying day VVill spread themselves upon the surface of a lake So will there come, within those tears of grief, The eternal glory of a human smile. Oh, let us feel that when we part to-night, The human tie which bindeth man to man, Will make us more than pilgrims on our wayg That through the vista of departing years, Despite the hardships of a single life, There still may be a spark of that one time, lrVherein we worked and called each other, friend. Oh, let us pray, that when we part to-night, VVith but a word to send us on our way, There still may go the spirit of those years, To give us hope through many a dreary day. We bow as Suppliants in a righteous cause, To ask for strength to stand the test of Lifeg Hoping, trusting, clinging to that thread. Which should it snap, would crush us in the strife. ,Tis this last moment that our hearts are full, 'Tis this last parting that is blent with Sorrow, Howe'er in Memory we may recall- The real, true Class will be as naught to-morrow. llut while we may--for old lang syne-join hands, And bend our heads in one hcart-felt-farewell, With prayers of thankfulness for what is won. And after that-Oh God! Thy will be done.

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4 And piercing through that heavy veil, we find The true reflection of what we are. Oh, vast and vaster still, as it expands, The Soul of Man emerges from the Night- Victorious in the centuries of light- A victor, valiant in the cause of Right. He may be at the point where glimmerings Of brighter things in brighter days to be, VVhere broader views of what he then shall see- NVill leave him free to make tl1e whole world free. And we, through five long years have worked, To reach the stage where separation marks The interminable span of individual life, NVhere common aim and common goal are naught lint fading memories of fleeting years, And but the echoes of the days that were, The turning point of that one path, NVhich branching into unknown ways, will lead Us ever forward by the light of Truth. Our lives are products of our own intent, To make or mar, as human instinct promptsg To be a force for all mankind to feel- Or sink into the void of Nothingness. Oh Ye who look into the Future fearlessly, 'Tis by the light of Thought alone, you see Beyond the narrow sphere of common view, 'Tis by the action of a restless soul lnfinity, where human mind expands. VVe pause within the shadow of the years That are to be, and know that Man was made For something more than just to live and die, We pause to see a century depart- VVherein the connnon thought of good for all- Has made a Man of him who once was slave. VVC feel to-day a bond exists apart From mundane struggles of a mundane race, That after all, the Nation has a heart To meet its sister Nation face to face. And so the world advances year by year- NVith human striving for the half-concealedg The force of thousands working to make clear The human heart that still lies unrevealed. While all the passions that are known to raise, Bring forth the nature of a living soul, And guide us onward through a blinding maze- To higher ideals of a higher goal. Uh Ye who search eternity ofthought- Through Independence which was dearly bought- Through Independence which was firmly sought lly men, whose very hearts were blent ln that one cause 'for which they bravely fought, Who having once determined on a course, Will stand your ground for that you know is true- NVhat matter though the. world at first Should cast you oFf, and brand you in the wrong 'Twas thus that men who dared to think, You feel the world a something more than Self- And gaze beyond the laws of prince and King, 30

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'I-u- x 1 ' fn --L:--A - P-- '-1' SV vwliif RD, 1 l ' 4' ' ' . if 1 . I X gm ,r ff-l f' f X X Ju will F ' A3f 1,, auf W IVIC winters have passed since first we entered these Gothic halls, and we have grown from boyhood to lll2lll,S estate. It was in the Spring of 1894 that some thousand boys gathered from all parts of this great city to enter the lists of the city's college. Many could not even present the preliminary requirements so they were not allowed to enter tl1e tournament. Each succeeding year saw many fall from view and many a gallant knight hurled to the ground with a shattered lance in one of the half score of melees, till now barely a tithe, a single hundred are bravely charging forward. NVe wl1o remain have lived here together in harmony and good-will, acquiring knowledge, forming habits of thought, forming characters and cementing friendships which must stand us in good stead the rest of our lives. And as we contemplate the time wl1en we shall leave this place of pleasant associations. we reflect, too, that we have formed here those lofty ideals which we hope to realize to the credit and the glory of the kind mother that cherisfhed us. And, now that we have passed in close fellowship that period of our lives celebrated in song and story as being the most happy of all, a lustrum has come round and we 1m1st be purified in the sorrow ofa parting. It is a pleasure to recall and to record now tl1e history of this Class of 'QQ. When we assembled here five years ago, we were a mere mob of boys without individuality or characteristic, yet we had in us the earnest of great things. To-day the Class of '99 is proud of its artists, poets, journalists, students, chemists, biologists and statcsmen. XVe trust that age will fulhll the promises of youth. . 32