The Junior Exhibition

They were so pretty, fresh, and gay, Six junior maidens fair ; In white they stood in pleasant mood And spoke their essays there ; And four there were of sterner stuff Sat by the &ix so proud ; Ten juniors all who in the hall Had praises long and loud. They talked of fools and jesters bold, The truth-teller8 of their time ; They taught that party loyalty Makes voting "straight" a crime ; Discoureed of moonshine, fiction, war, Of legends old and sleek ; Of oracles and pencil points, And even Volftpük. The Junior exhibition n the Aon Arb ir high school passed off with its usual ease and good taste last Friday evening, before a fine audience. The chapel was prettily decorated with evergreens. Oa the platform sat meiibers of the school board, the papas of the " bweet school-girl graduates" that are to be, the 10 performers of the evening, and Supt. Perry, Prof. Pattengil!, Rev. Wm. Galpin, and Rev. Mr. Neumann. The Chequamegons were on hand, adding, by their delightful music, very much to the evening's enjoyment. There were ten essays and orations besides the music ; and at the close of each effort by the ambitious and graceful junior?, five stalwart eeniors, in faultless e ening dress, marched in step from the hall to the platform, carrying floral offerings. The fifth carried a glass of water with which to refresh the happy but excited juniors. Yet the exercises closed before 10 o'clock. The prayer was offered by Rev. Wm. Galpin, and then the first speech was given by THOMAS CHALMERS, OF SPARTA, on " An Old Subject." The old subject proved to be woman suffrage. The young oiator has a very exalted opinión of woman's mental and moral powers, and he thinks that if these place woman on a par with man, she ought not to be classed with crimináis! as regards the franchise. As to the intellectual power of woman, he considered the various queens who have reigned over great peoples. He would gWe the ballot to woman because of its influence for good in purifying politics. He thinks that if she were to vote, many of our politicians would experience a change of heart equal to that of Saul of Tarsus in suddenness. He would give her the ballot because of its influence upon the ohüdren. Behind eaoh great man is a great woman - the mother. ELLA M. BBNNETT, OF ANN ARBOR, had a pleasing essay on that accomplished Frenchwoman and lover of liberty. Madame Roland. She told of the girlhood of this character ; how, at the age of 13, she aaw the terrible poverty and injustice about her in France, and had a great desire to do good. She married, and as the wife of a man prominent in political circles, she had icfluence. She was a charming oonversatioualigt and writer. She and her husband were moderate republicans who longed to eee a Frenoh republic ba8ed upon absolute justice. The revolution came, and the radicáis sent her to prison, gave ler a mockery of a trial, and led her to execution, while her only offense was a aassionate desire to do good. Even as she .vas about to die, she saluted the statue of Liberty. LOI.A CONBAD, OF ANN AP.ROR, told of " Ye Merrie Jester." She considered the fools of history, the first one béng described in the 26th chapter of the Proverbs of 8olomon. She thinks possibly Solomon had some one in his court who twitted him with preaching what he didn't practice, and thus the king was inspired to write that chapter. She considered the fooi of the lliddle Age?, when he occupied an important position. He was ieensed ia speech, and was really the ruth-teller of his day. Of the modern ooi there are many types. There is the erson who prides himself on having a right seeured on all sense. He cnows the best way to do everything, and wouldn't hesitate to instruct Rogers in sculpture and Cooley in law. He always saye, "I told you so." Then there is the ;rave, respectable man. He is pompous. 3e is opposed to all progrese, and talks of [CONCLUDED ON SECOND PAGE ] THE JUNIOR EXHJBITION. [CONTINUED FEOM FIRST PAGE.] the good oíd times. He says, li You can't do it," There is the amateur fooi who is a nuisance. He learns by heart all the old jokes and gets them off as original. Miss Conrad thinks that folly can be as happy, prosperous and powerful now as it ever has been. She quoted Jean Ingelow : " Next to commanding intellect, stupidity is most desirable." However, there ís a harmless hilarity, and she would have us follow the advice of Horace and " Mingle a little folly with our wisdom." JOHN D. DÜNCAN, OF ANN' ARBOR, Struggled with the question of what will be the character of warfare in the future. The ancients had hand-to-hand conflict. Gunpowder stopped that. Now improvement is taken the direotion of air ships, gubmarine boats, etc. In the newspapers before long we may expect to see notices of regular trips made by air-vessels. Then electricity. What possibilities that opens ? The improvements in guns and in rapidity of traneportation make the possible slaughter of troops in the future frtghtful to contémplate. But is there not also growing an abhorrence of war, a desire for arbitration and peace ? He thinks that grsater weapon, printer's ink, is bringing about corresponding changes which will prerent war entirely. AUCE CRAMEB, OF ANN ARBOR, Discoursed on " An Ancient Lunatic," who proved to be that interesting personage known as the "Man in the Moon." She was slightly sarcastic at the expense of the Lunar gentleman, yet she said that of course in this enlightened age no one doubts hig existence. How did he get there ? She gave the different explanations to be found in literature. There is the Danish legend: A fine prince was in love with a fine princess ; but he saw a beautiful maiden's face in the moon, and vowed to have her. As a punishment for hia inconetancy, he was transported to the moon, and remains all alone, for the beautiful face was nothing but stone. There were also stories in regard to the diet of this Lunar Alexander Selkirk. Some cay it is green cheese, but she doubts it Probably, like most of the stories told about him, his diet is nothing but moonshine. JESSH V. PENKV, OF AHH ARBOR, Had as her subject, " üur Mutual Friends." She gave an exquisitely appreciative mention of the leading characters of Dickens, Scott, and George Eliot, exhibiting a wide and careful reading of those great authors. Are they not real ? she asked. We have been with these persons through all their lives. We know all the motives that actuated them. We know their simplicity and naturalness. Are they fiction ? They are realities. They ehow us true life, the spriogs of conduct, and right principies. HARRT RAKDALL, OF ANK ARBOR, Talks like the Mugwumps. J I is theme was " Party Loyalty." Party loyalty, he says, should be loyalty to principie. ít is not loyalty to party to vote with it under any and all circumetances. We should watch parties, and if they deviate from principie, vote agaiost them. We could thus make it dangerous for parties to do wrong. One of the features of the times is the spirit which makes it impossible to see the fault of party. Sometimes it is wholesome to help defeat your party. CARRIE II. SPERRV, OF ANN ARBOR, Told about " Modern Oracles." After telling of the Greek oracles, and the astrologers and soothsayers who carne later, she sjoke of the oracles of today. In her list of modern oracles, she forgot to mention the newspapers, which omission, it is to be hoped, she will rectify when she delivers her essay on commencement day next year. We all consult oracles, she said. The children look to their parents for wisdom. Some to teachers. But what are these human sources of wisdom to others we have ? Nature ! The scientist learns her secrets. He constructs the telegraph. There are libraries, the oracles revealingthe thoughts of all times. Foremost of all oracles is the Oracle of G-od, that book of all books. It was by Consulting this that led Martin Luther into the Reformation. Our oracles do not reveal to us our futures, but give us principies by which we may guide our lives. LULU B. SOÜTHMAYD, OF ANN ARBOR, Had a pretty essay on "Concerning Pencils." " There is as great a difference," she said, " in lead pencils as in the characters of their masters. Some are only half sharpened ; others are well sharpened on one side only ; many are cut and rnarred ; in some the lead projeots too far beyond the wood ; some have black, torn rubbers ; in others the wood is irregularly trimmed away, and too many, alas, have no point at all." Then there is the perfect pencil. She thinks each flaw in the pencil shows a like imperfection in the maeter's mind. For how does it happen that your pencil is only half sharpened if you are not accustomed to half-doing your tasks ? etc, etc. The perfect pencil, with its sharp point, shows that the maater is ready to enter upon his life-work. The clean rubber indicates decisión of character. It tells of a thoughtful person who nerer alters a thing once decided upon. To make our pencils similar to this should be our first aim. LEWI8 O. WHITEHEAD, OF VtTLCAK, Had a well-rounded speech, orderly, logical, terse, and earnest. It was " A Plea for a Universal Lsnguage." He said that some time ago, people were scoffing at the idea of discovering the source of the Nile. Columbus was discouraged by the whole world. Fulton was derided. See how hard it is for a new idea to get a foot-hold. All these thinks are now commou. Tet let one speak of a universal language, and howls of derision go up. If a universal language will save time, we shall have oue. Everything has been tending to a universal language. Commerce and travel are hampered by the confusión of tongues. The need a common medium of communication. Science needs it. No language has been found sufficientfor the growth.of science. See the hard words that have been coined in scien tifie nomenolature. He doesn't know that Volapuk will do. It is already used is business. Hopes that it will be found adequate to a universa! language. How it would promote the principies of peace and stop war I How it would help to bring about the parltament of man and the federation of the world I The speeches and essays were all heard and were all entertaining. The usual high-school public exercises are three hours long on a hot June evening or afrernoon and are exceedingly tiresome; but those of last Friday evening bad none of tli'ose distressing features. The juniors were trained for this occasion by Miss Anna Fischer, and their performance reflects credit upon her work. Tho pupils are also to be congratulated upon the boldness and originality of thought and expression displayed by their essays and oration8. The exercises closed by a benediction pronouced by Rev. Mr. Neumaan, and music by the orohestra.