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Children's Day

Children's Day image
Parent Issue
Day
15
Month
June
Year
1888
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Children's day, last Saturday, proved a highly unique and successful celebration, aud was in all probability the flrst of a series of animal celebrations in Ana Arbor. The idea was modeled after the annual parades of the Sunday schools in Brooklyn, and credit is due Prof. Orin Cady for starting the movemeut here, which culminated in Saturday 's celebration. Originally it wa3 desisrned to have the parade a unión of the Sunday schools of the city, but after several conferences obstaeles were found in the way of successf ully carryng out thia idea and it was finally decided to have a unión of the parochiai schools of the city, all the ward schools and the eighth grade, and as thus modiüed the parade proved a great success. To the teachers and those who had the day in charge, much credit for thia success is due. Over 1,500 school children were in line, well dressed and well behaved children, who kept remarkably perfect stepTney were arrayed behind tastefully gotten up banuers and were in charge of Marshal Soule and his aids, 11. C. Sheehan and W. W. Watts. They started promptly on time and inarched over the route planned in good order. They kept quick step, and were just sixteen minutes in passing the corner of State aud Jeü'erson streets, where they were reviewed by Prof. Perry, the speakers of the day and others in carriages. With the second ward marched the Germrn schools. St. Thomas' school, in charge of Kev. Fr. Fierle, had a large uuniber in line. Stores and buiuess places along the line of rnarch were decorated and gay coiors were 'everywhere llying. The thratening clouds did not interfere with the procession at all, the rain not falling until after everyone was safely seated in University h-all, and ceasiug before the speakiua; was over. It was a ptefisiug sight to see the children rilling Uuiversity hall, excepting the galleries, which were well fllled witb spectators. The reniark was everywhere heard that it was not known there veré so many children in the city. It was a happy sea of upturned faces that greeted tne speakers of the day. The hall was handsomely decorated. Around the gallery was draped buuting in the University coiors aud on the stage was a large evergreen arbor, wim the words in white, "Children's 4ay, 1888". On the platform besides the speakers were Kev. Fr. Fierle, Trof. Ferry, the school board, the superinendents of the Sunday schools of the ity and the mayor. Many audieuces ave been gathered in University hall, ut uever a more atteutive audience han that of Saturday. The exercises opened with the hymn, 'Now Thank We all üur God," sung by all the children, accompauied by the Chequamegou orchestra. Judge V. J_). ïarriman delivered the presideut's adIress, in which he spoke of never yet ïaving seen au audienee as iuteresting, as inspiring or one-half as beautiful as the one before him. '-Who kuows,;' he said, "but from amoug these guls may spring a Florence Nightingale, or from amoug these boys our future governors or presideuts, or some incipient hero who shall save his country. We thiuk a great deal of our homes and lots, our stores aud buildings, but you are more precious to us than them; it is for you we work and accumulate, and for you we build our school houses, our churches, our colleges and universities, and on you depends largely our happiness or our sorrow." After the singing ot the hymn, ''An.gel of Peace," President Angelí made a happy address Lu which he said: "We had all of us heard of that bright scholar in school who could stand so high aneldo so well if he ouly would, but who never did anything; uow this same scholar, although bright and capable, will du the sanie in the world as he has done in school, and be a total failure, because the only way any success is reacbed is by hard work. After paying a tribute to General Sheridau's untiriug industry, he cont'nued: "Napoleon was also a tireless worker, and to a young fiiend he once said, "remember, my young friend, that if you ever lose a half-hour in preparing yourself for sonie usef ui service, you will see the day when you will fail for the want of that half hour's work." Dr. Angelí then described St. Peters' Catheüral, in Rome, witli its brilliant assemblages of kiugs, queens, ecclesiastics and noblemen, into which a poor, ragged, dirty and baretooted little Italian boy strayed. As he stood looking at the great audience, some one touched his arm and pointing to the little boy said: "There is a temple greater and more wonderf ui thau this, or any ever reared by the hand of man;" and it was so, for it is the temple that holds that mysterious thing, the human spirit; and made in the image of God. Each one of you 3hould keep that temple pure and clean. The childreu sang, "Nearer My God to Thee," and Rev. Dr. Earp was introduced as the last speaker of the eveniug. He said that this was tue finest sight he had ever seen in his life. The greatest Roman emperor had emblazoued on the banners of his nation, "Let us Labor." He had not a partiële of sympathy with a lazy boy or a lazy ïirl. He would not have such boys and girls treated as the little honey bees treat the drones in the hive, but he would have thetn taught a lesson in labor that tuey would not forget. Remember, childreu, that if you are td be worth anything in this world, either to yourself or to anybody else. you must work. The childreu sang "America," and then the vast audience üïed out. It had been arranged that they should play on the campus, but the grass was wet, so that mauy went home and others picknicked on their own school grounds. Everyone voted the day a success and the childreu seemed to enjoy it.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News