Children's Day

Laat Saturday was set aside as "Chlldrrn's Day," whatever th.it may meaD.-just as if every day wasn't children's day- for the city school cliiidren, and a yery beautiful day, it was, too. The proce?sion wa8 foriaed according to publishcd program, and to the very great credit of all coucerned, be it said that it was on time. And it was well that it was, for thelittlefolks and accompanying friencii were not more than comfortably seated in Unlversity Hall beforedown carne the rain in a most liyely marnier. The procossion was led by the city band and Marshal Soule, with Ing aides Messrs. W W. Watts and M. C. Sheehan. Eacli Ward school had a lianner, several of thera being quite arlistic pieces of wórkwunghjp. The firstwiird was composbd of wliite silk and yelvet handsomely bordered and leltered ; the second ward wag blue silk witli gilt trimmings; the third of violet with black border; the fourtli pendant sliield, with blue and gold letters and "Onward and Upward" as a motto; ifth ward maroon velvet lettered with Kensington painting, and the very appropriate saying, "The Little Brown HandShall Rule the World;" sixth ward or Tappan school white silk with blue border and this motto: "No Footsteps Buckward;" the eighth grade banaer was of black silk bordered with gilt chains, and fringed with the same, wltli the letter VIII also formed of chains. Eacu chlld carried a program rolled up and tied with a cent's worth of blue ribbon, thus imitatinjr very nicely the college gradúate, except that plug hats were not worn. On the stage at Universily hall, where the multitude assembled, had been constructed the frame woik of a Swiss Cottage, the tiinbers belng wound with evergreen giving it a line appearance. Acros tlie front gable were the figures 18S8, and beneath thciu "Children's Day." Underneath this canopy were seated several niembers of the school board, Messrs. Harriman, Whedon, Jacobs and Doty, Dr. Angelí, liev. Dr. Earp.Hev. Fr. Fierle, Secretary Wade, Alayor Beukes, II. J. Brown, l'rof. Uenwick, A. WiUey and otliers. On the south end of the stage the Chi'quamegon orchestra rendered ome most excellent music. Judge liarriman acted as iresident of the day aud deliverel an tddreu of welcome, which it was extremely diffioult to hear a short distance from tlie stage. He said in effect, tas near as could be heard): We have seen gathered In tlils vast hall senators, and governors, judges of the aupreiue courw, and alumni of ther gieat unlverslly coming from all part s of Ineworld, but It seems to me we have never vet seen an audience aa lnterestltig, as lnsplrlng or onehalf as beautliulao Is this one of to-day. This gathering, Just at this time, when all nature Is putting forth her leuves, and buds and flowere, seerns pecullarly appropriate. These assoclutluus, brlght luces surroundlng us uiake us all young agaln. Who knows but Iniiii among these glrls may spring a Florence Nightlngale, or other grand oharacter? or from among the boys our future j udKes, senators, governors and presldeuts? , Who knows but there may be some lnclplent hero here who slmll save hls eouutry and engrave hls name deep In the hearts of hls ' plet H was not nmny years ago that there wa a pooi-, barefooted boy down In Kentueky, with few advantages, who came up thmiiüh poverty and adverslty, whose name - lo-day Ik a household word, and there Is probiihly not a chlld In Mils great audience but la ] familiar with it; and beslde which eveu the name of Washington beglns to growdlm; ' and there Is not a boy before me to-day I wIkmb prospects are not as promlstug as were those of Abraham Unooln, Whiluwe endeavor to Inspire our chlidren with the ' enthuslasm thal brlngs success In llfe, 11 Is our mi ii. -i hope that there is not a boy or glrl, 110 not one lu this vast audience who wlll brlnu dlsgrace upou hlmself or family or ! break a pareul'x heart by dishonorable I duet. We think a great deal of our Lomes and lots, our stores and buildings, but you are more preclous to iu Miau them ; it Is for you we wcirk and accumuUite. and for vnu ¦ Ijiuld our school houses, our nuin-h.-s, our colleges anü umi vi-rsii ie, and ou you dependa largeiy our happlness or our sorrow, After tlie singing of 11 liymn, Dr. Angell wus intm luccil. He said lie was Just beginning lo get over a frlght. When he saw the loug Tines of childreu wlth a military man lu command, he thought, perliHpH. lt ralglit be au ariny of invasión wlilcli had come to take possesslon of thelr .1.. in, .in and effect a thorough revolullou by putting thu teachers ou llie stand and lettiDg ihem undergo au examluatlon, and answer questlons íor a time; we all knowhow inui'li easier lt is to aak thau to auawur questions. l'.ut iiiit-r lisi ni i to the beaulifui iuKl Anl4.u ,,í iva jiisi rendered ha feltreassured. Heagreedwllh the precedlrg speaker ihal thls was more beautlful than auy other assemblage that he had ever loukeii upon, in lari lu: thought the generaMona were growing more tteautlfui every year, In whieh opinión he belleved every uaother here present would cancur wllh blra. ïiini lti. Angelí eudeavored to impresl upou the mimls of the chlldren the neces Hy for hard work. We had all of us heard of that brlght schular in school whocould Btand Ho high and do so well lf he only would, but who uever did auythlng; uow thls same Hcholar, although hright.und capable, wiil do the 8ame In the world us he, hu done In school, and be a total fallure, )ecause the ouly way any success Is reached s by hard work. A glowlug tribute was pald to Gen. .Sherldan, who, whlle other oftlcers were sleeping In camp was at work, sending ni! scouts, seciiring kuowledgeof the country, and preparing for the conllict. lt Is said of h lm that he knew every Held, pain, hlll, hollow, river and creek belweeu hls UiM's and those of the eueray, when the battle carne knew liovv to use hls army to the best advanlage. Thls uutlring lndutry is what made hlin such a brllüaiit, suceessful general. Napoleon was also a tlreiess worker, and to a young rrlend he once said : " Hemember, my young frlend, liiat lf you ever loe a half-hour in preparing yourselJ for soine useful service, you wlll see the day wli. ui you will lall for the wunt of t hal half hoiir'H work." Itcould nol be iinprcMHed loo lliinly upou the chlldrtm's mliids that hard day's work alone can win In the end. Tlu speaker recounted a scène he once saw in st. Peters', al Kome, where eculeslasilus, nul nohlemeu, and (jueens, and princeps were Katbered In that great building In the dome of which niany such buildings as the univertlty hall could be placed; looking down lnnu alt the splendor ol thls Hight the speaker eye caught slghlof a lltlle nigged, dlrty hareinotcd ltallan boy, wbo liail coinu luto the building to shield hlinself from the cold, and hls compaulon polullng to the llttle rellow Huid, " tliere 18 a temple greater and more wonderful than thls. or auy ever reared by Ibe hand of man;" and lt wan so, for lt Is the temple that holds that mysterlous thlug the human spirit; and made in the Image of God. Each one of you Hhould keep Ihat temple pure and clean, and remember what lt Is to be a chlld tiained In the image of your maker. After rendcring of the hymn " Neiirer My (od to Thee," Kev. Dr. 8. ïïarp was cnlled u[)on. Dr. Karp allowed that lt was the linest slght he liad ever seen in hl Ufe, and also concurred In the statement that the boys and glrla of to-day were a good slght handsomer than they were in hls day. He only wanted to empbasle the thought bo weli preented by Pres. Angelí, that we stion'.d all be workers In iliii world. The greatest Koman emperor had mblazoned on the banuers of hls natlon the motto "Let us Labor," and when he came to hls death bed those wore the last words he ever uttered. The speaker had uot one partlcle of sympathy with a lazy boy or a lazy glrl. Ba would not have such boys aud glrls trealed as the llttle honey bees treat the druues lu the hlve but he would have tuem tiiuuht a leasou In labor that they would not forget. Remember chlldren, that lf you are to be worth anythlng In thls world, elther to yourself or to anybody else, you must work; and there Is ai H it lier thlng: you out; I il to add to labor piayer; every boy or glrl Hhould ask God to bloHH them lu thelr work aud iu thelr play ; he thought that thcre was no chlld but could work the harder and play the happier, for flrst havlng aHked God's blesslng on the same. He supposed thlH was called i'liiMren's Day because you are all reaching the end of your year's school work, and lt seems quite approprlate that one day should be sut aaide for siich au occasion, VAÏ.IDE NOTES. The Germán schools miited with the 2d war.l. Kuch chlld liad u baiijfe of flowers, diflerent wurds chooafcig different colore. 'J'he rnin was very accomodatinft and caine at times tlial lÍBCoininoled no one. St. Tnoinas' parochlal school bad 22. cliildren In line, In charge of Itev. Fr. Kierle, and made a Üne dinplay. TUore weru a bout 1,700 ehil'lren in lino, bat in the hall there were over 2,000, and tliey were all wide awiike. Next year, !f the custoni is continued, lunch otijilit to be served for u the ohildres, iu the campus or other suitable place. The teachers, together with Prof. 0 B C'iidy, ui'l the coinmitteea of ladies aud (tiens wlio aatltWd i making the Uiinu ii succesa, deserve inuch prulse for their hard and thorougb work. Tho bells all ransf at 19 o'dock, but would lt uot have been better to Imve h:ul tliem ring at 1 o'clock when it was time for the children to assemble, and had a little more vigor put in the bt-ll ropes ? It was n slgbt of a Ufe time to see that vast auditorium, rlning row aboye row with children in their white dresses, blue dresses, and drnsses of otlicr colora, aiul the bright sparkling of thelr eyes denoting the Joy witbln them. After the exerclses in the hall the lst and 6th ward children went to their school buildings and partook of a lunch. The 4th wardera marcbed to the residence of .Mrs. Hdson, on Detroit st.. and in the shacly yard, had a delijíhtful time. Mimy stores, especially those of ü. P. Schairer, Wines and Worden, Mack & Scnmid and Bach & Abel were hand8omely decorated tor the occasion Many dwellings alon? the line of march also honored the children by a display of naga and fiowers.