Hendersonville High School - Laureate Yearbook (Hendersonville, NC)

Page 13 text:

THE MOUNTAINEER 11 Valedictory Dear Teachers, School-mates, Friends: I am conscious of mingled feelings of joy and regret as I stand before you this morning to bid you farewell, in the name of the class of 15-16. Of joy, because our four long years of arduous work are ended, and the goal so ardently longed for, attained. Of regret because we must sever the links formed thru long days and months of com¬ panionship, both in play and work, and because our accustomed places will know us no more. And yet, tho we shall, in the coming- years miss the daily communion that has been so pleasant, we hope and believe that the years will but strengthen the friendships. “The years have taught some sweet, some bitter lessons. None wiser than this, to spend in all things else, but of old friends to be most miserly.” I also have a very realizing sense that we, the Seniors of Hen¬ dersonville High School, shall never again meet as school and class mates in these familiar halls, and, so it is, that the joy of this, our Commencement Day, is blended with regret—aye, and something of fear and questioning too, for we realize that this is indeed a Commencement Day, and we stand with our faces turned to an un¬ tried, unknown future, in which, somewhere, a life work awaits us, and we fain would draw back the curtain that veils the future, and know What and Where. I trust that as we glance back at the record of these years of High School life, we may each be able to say “I have fought a good fight” for “The moving finger writes, and having writ, Moves on; nor all your piety nor wit Can lure it back to cancel half a line, Nor all your tears wipe out one word of it.” Classmates—These four years have left their impress on our lives. We have w orked and played together, and now, ’ere we sep¬ arate to go each his appointed way—some, perchance, to renew your studies in higher institutions, some to “learn to labor and to wait” in the great School of Life, I ask you to share with me some

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10 THE MOUNTAINEER Class Song—1916 Old Lang Syne Oh, Comrades dear we come today To say farewell to you. To say farewell to teachers too, And days of Old Lang Syne. We’ve worked together thru the years, We’ve played and studied to, In coming years we’ll e’er be true To friends of Old Lang Syne. And here’s a pledge, classmates, to you Now give we each a hand, We’ll e’er remain a loyal band For sake of Old Lang Syne. Then here’s farewell to each and all, To each a sad farewell. Our love for you we ne’er can tell Oh, friends of Old Lang Syne. Chorus. For days of Old “Lang Syne,” dear friends, For days of Old “Lang Syne” We’ll take a cup of kindness yet For days of Old “Lang Syne.” “0 calm Loee, 0 brave Loee, 0 studious Senior fair, Pray help me on my Cicero that I your A’s may share.” Thus spoke Lee to the eleventh grade star (of Cicero he’d despaired) And she who was kind as well as wise, his next day’s Latin prepared. “Sed si vis” she translated on, while Lee through the door did look, Thinking that she in the usual way would write it all out in his book. However she didn’t, and when she was through she handed Lee his book, While he now feeling very safe, homeward himself betook. Next day on class he cried, “Let me be the first to read.” Miss Bessie, surprised at this new turn, pleasantly agreed. But woe unto Lee when he turned to the place and found not a pencil mark; He thought at first he had the wrong page, but he hadn’t. The room went dark. “All right Lee, start off. Leave the Latin alone. We’ll only take English today. “Why, what is the matter?” Miss Bessie asked, as she saw his look of dismay. “Ub-m Sed is to say and er si is er to see. Don’t vis er-er mean to look?” Then, “0, I can’t do it! It’s all her fault. She wouldn’t write it out in the book.” Miss Bessie soon saw what a fix he was in and kept him in school until four. The next time he’s helped by the star of his class, he’ll look at his book, not the door.

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12 THE MOUNTAINEER hopes and resolves which this occasion should arouse in our hearts. We have been taught by “line upon line and precept upon pre¬ cept” that “We are not here to dream, to drift,” but that “we have hard work to do and loads to lift,” and that we must ‘ ‘—build the ladder by which we rise From the lowly earth, to the vaulted skies,” and “mount to the summit round by round.” We must hope, we must aspire, for “Aspiration is Inspira¬ tion,” and, above all, we must not rest because on e goal is won. “Life is sweeping by,” the “distance beacons”—and we “still be up and doing.” Let us then resolve to make this a Commencement Day in very truth, a day of beginning—the beginning of lives ded¬ icated to duty, pledged to high ideals and noble aspmations. “Forenoon and afternoon and night. Forenoon and afternoon and night, Forenoon and-what? The empty song repeats itsself. No more? Yea, this forenoon sublime; this afternoon A psalm; this night a prayer— And time is conquered, and thy crown is won.” And now, the time has come to say farewell to you, our faithful teacher, our beloved Principal, our kind and efficient Superintend¬ ent, but, ere I say the last word, I would tender you, one and all, the loving thanks, the grateful acknowledgement of the class of 1916. You have guided our faltering steps, comforted us in sor¬ row, encouraged us in defeat, rejoiced in our success, pointed us to “more stately mansions,” and the memory of your teachings will be with us in the coming years, and our love and gratitude will follow you. And now, with a heart full of pleasant memories and grateful thanks, I bid you, Comrades, Friends, Teachers a last fare¬ well- Loee English.