Silver Links Part 5

And always shall our hearts respond, Ever grateful shall we be, For the kindness of the gentlemen Of the G. S. M. and T.

Through them our lives shall brighter grow, Through them we shall aspire To better, n.o.bler aims in life, Leading higher, ever higher.

And may we from their kindness learn A royal truth and grand,-- If we can others happier make, To lend a helping hand.

And in the journey through this life, With heart, head and hand combined May we ever strive to do our best To elevate mankind.

A History of the Cla.s.s of '90

BY MISS SABINE C. SCHINDHELM.

One evening, early in the Fall of '89, voices were heard in the school-room as though many persons were talking at once. Suddenly the bell rang and the talking ceased. "What does this mean?" you would have asked, and then, your curiosity getting the better of you, you would have peeped in. Such a sight! At the front of the room were four or five rows of young girls, books and pencils in hand, and on the platform stood a gentleman who was evidently their teacher. What were they going to do? Why, take their first lesson in stenography, and you can see from the number of bright and happy faces here to-night, what that first and each succeeding lesson has done for them. Like little children just beginning to spell they began with the alphabet, and step by step, gaining strength and courage, learning everything thoroughly, till at the end of three months, they had laid a foundation upon which whatever followed could securely rest; and, when the mid-winter examination came on (which had all along seemed like a great wall that was insurmountable), they were able to scale it without much difficulty.

But you must not think this goal was reached without many mistakes which were sometimes very disheartening, and sometimes very funny; as you will think when I tell you for the letter H a tick is sometimes used; and one girl slanting this tick the wrong way wrote, "Pale, thou poly king"; and another, who misplaced a vowel, wrote, "I like my live eel boy." However, these errors only tended to make them more careful, and when they started the speeding course, it served them a good purpose.

At the beginning of this course, they were addressed as "My dear reader," and told to observe what they were told; then followed some maxims to be laid to heart, and a little dwarf was introduced whose name was "Try." This little fellow had a way of making every one try to do her best, and those who were unable to do very much at first he encouraged by giving them a helping hand. After a while he left us and in his place stood a very impudent fellow known by those with whom he had had dealings as "I Forgot," or "I Didn't Think;" but as soon as we learned his mission, which you probably have guessed, or perhaps know from experience, we discharged him and to secure ourselves from his return, sent the "Careful Dog" after him. Tom's uncle then gave his opinion on Phonography, but although it had over four hundred words in it, it did not amount to much as some of the girls got it down in less than three minutes.

Soon afterward John Smith received a letter from his brother Timothy Jenkins (this name was given the latter by mistake by one of the girls), about some place in New York State where they could spend a very nice vacation. This place had advantages in the way of fis.h.i.+ng and boating, lawn tennis and all the rest; but one of our number, who evidently thought more of good solid comfort, wrote that there were "good furniture and bedding."

While thinking still of this delightful resort with all its acquisitions, the strong arm of the law suddenly came down upon us and holding out a doc.u.ment to our wondering gaze demanded the name of same. Then was heard a confusion of voices, every one guessing the wrong thing, until one, who thought of course she knew, cried out "Oh, it's a divorce case!" It was no such thing, however; it was a simple complaint, in which the husband and wife were plaintiffs. We went through the entire pleadings of this case and when finished, took up another and another until now we are not lawyers, but some are able to be stenographers for lawyers, and others amanuenses.

Valedictory

BY MISS A. NATALIE KIRSCH.

_Cla.s.s of '90._

In the life of every person there are two important events, birth and death; the former marking their advent into a state of action, and the latter their exit from it. The one is universally a time of joy, the other a time of sorrow. This is true to such an extent that the time of birth is popularly designated and commemorated as a day of feasting, the other as a day of mourning. Solomon, however, does not agree with us in this; he reverses this order and says, "Better is the day of one's death than the day of one's birth;" and "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for the living will lay it to his heart." Whichever view we take of the matter this day will be one long remembered by all, for it is both the day of birth and the day of death.

So with the birth of everything we attempt; its beginning is attended with a sort of pleasurable excitement and diligence in the pursuit of the study we have entered upon, which lasts until the novelty begins to wear off. Then comes the time when we find ourselves falling into a rut from which, if we do not try hard to keep up our standard, it will be difficult to extricate ourselves; but, if we summon all our energy and strive to overcome all impediments and will work hard and adopt perseverance as our motto, we shall not fail of success in the end.

Our small army enlisted last October determined to fight against all the obstacles which might present themselves in our journey toward success; and after pa.s.sing through the hardest and most tedious part of our work,--the mastering of the principles,--we found ourselves confronted by an examination, which loomed up before us like a lofty and rugged mountain, which we knew we must ascend if we would get that broad outlook which we must obtain for the work of the remainder of the term.

Having safely pa.s.sed that, after a week's recreation, we again a.s.sembled freshly armed to conquer the difficulties of the speeding course. This proved to be the pleasanter part of our work, and, after having spent five months with our teacher in this way, and having pa.s.sed the final examination, you see here to-night all who have been victorious in the battle.

We came before our leader total strangers to him and to each other, and many happy days have we spent since first we saw his face, and every day has deepened our regard for him for having been so patient with us. When we have been on the brink of despair, he has consoled us with the a.s.surance that better times were coming, and that, if we did not give up but would push ahead and persevere, we would surely succeed.

The "unwearied sun" has performed his daily circuit, sometimes visible, and sometimes hidden by the vapor laden clouds, but right onward, whether seen or unseen, has he gone, and time, that never lingers, has rolled on rapidly and in its flight has brought us to this hour, ere we were aware, and lo! it has already begun to snap the threads which have held us together for the last eight months. Our lives have been speeding with the moments into the never-to-be-forgotten past; but the tie which binds our hearts in Christian love and fellows.h.i.+p death itself cannot sever.

The seeds of stenography, which were cast into our minds at the beginning of our lessons, made their appearance as young and tender shoots when we arrived at the speeding course, and have not only begun to blossom, but also to bear fruit, inasmuch as eight of our number are already holding positions as stenographers and typewriters, and we hope they will soon arrive at full maturity when we have all become experienced shorthand writers. These little plants need the tenderest care and most watchful guidance, for, if neglected ere they are larger grown, and the weeds of careless habits are not rooted out, they will be a source of great trouble and annoyance in the acquiring of speed.

How important then that they should be wisely directed!

We have now arrived at the completion of our course here in the capacity of learners; but only to enter an enlarged sphere of action and there employ what we have here been enabled to acquire. Not only have we been learning stenography but have been benefited in a number of other ways; each lesson in its turn had some moral to convey and some new thought to suggest, which, while teaching us some new form of work, and suggesting new ideas, all tended to elevate our minds.

To you, dear members of the G. S. M. & T., are we indebted for enabling us to acquire an honest, well-paying profession, which is aiding so many young women to improve their condition in life, and give substantial a.s.sistance to those dependent upon them. To our Instructor are we especially grateful for his thoughtfulness and zeal in imparting instruction, and the affectionate solicitude which he has shown for our welfare; nor would we forget the care bestowed upon us by the a.s.sistant Instructors, who have in many ways supplemented the instruction which we have received from the Superintendent.

To you, dear cla.s.smates, I give my parting word of farewell. Often have we met together to study our beloved shorthand, often have the difficulties seemed great enough to overwhelm us; often have our sympathies been aroused by the need of help in one way or another, and now, for the last time, we again a.s.semble at this familiar spot. There can but arise in our breast thoughts of sadness as we take leave of each other, for never again can we meet as the Cla.s.s of '90, but while we regret that this is our last evening together, we must bear in mind, that

"A fleeting hour, a month, a year, Is all that G.o.d permits us here, That we may learn to prize more high That heavenly home beyond the sky."

Introductory Address

BY OLIVER BARRATT, ESQ.

_To the Cla.s.s of '91._

Ladies and gentlemen, I come to welcome you in the name of the young ladies of the graduating cla.s.s. The entertainment this evening, owing to your presence here which is a source of encouragement to them, will show you what they have learned and what they have been doing during the past Winter and Spring, and what we have been doing to help them in the good cause and vocation which they have chosen. Thomas Carlyle once asked this question: "What can a woman do?" Well, I think if Thomas Carlyle was alive to-day and could go through the offices of the merchants and business men and architects and lawyers of this city, he would be willing to confess that at least one profession had been taken possession of by woman. If he could go through the lower part of this city into any of our offices he would look with wonder to see a young lady employed as a typewriter and stenographer, as they almost universally are. In political economy the weakest go to the wall. Well, it is said that they do, but in this case I think they have gone to the front. To ill.u.s.trate that I will tell you a little experience of my own. Some two or three years ago I went into a gentleman's office on some business, and made a statement to him. He said, "Stop! I want that taken down." He called a young man sitting at the desk and said, "Take this statement down." The stenographer was about six feet tall, built strong proportionately, and he sat down to take my statement. One of the first things that struck me was that it was a pretty light business for a man of his size. The next time I went into that office, the stenographer was again called to take my statement, but it was a young lady this time, instead of that great hulking man. I spoke to my friend about it and he said, "I have a young lady now and I find she does a great deal better than a man. Her work is more perfect; more satisfactory." In this case the weakest had gone to the wall! The stronger intellect had forced the weaker to the wall.

Now, young ladies, I congratulate you on the success you have attained in the school in your work, and would like to say a few words to you with regard to your future career. When you go into the employment of some merchant, banker or lawyer, recollect one thing, that you are his confidential clerk,--taken into his confidence,--and what you hear there and write there must not be carried out of his door. When you go out, leave it behind you, and you will always be successful. And now, I congratulate you again upon your success here, and hope for a bright future for you and hope you will be successful in the vocation which you have chosen.

Salutatory Address

BY MISS EMMA E. REIMHERR.

_Cla.s.s of '91._

It affords me much pleasure to greet you this evening, and, on behalf of my cla.s.smates, to extend to all a sincere and hearty welcome.

No presence is more inspiring than that manifested in the attendance of friends at such exercises as these. Truly it is a deep source of gratification to us, for, as we gaze into the many kindly faces before us, we are conscious that it is unqualified evidence of the loyal interest taken in our work, and a full appreciation of our past efforts.

We welcome you, gentlemen, representatives of the Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, for, not only desirous of granting us every opportunity to acquire a knowledge of stenography, without expense, you go still further and lend us your presence, which dignifies and adds grace to this happy occasion. We, in return, express our cordial obligations for your favors and philanthropy.

We welcome Mr. Mason, our faithful teacher, and give him heartfelt thanks for his kindness to us as pupils, and the earnest attention he has shown in conducting the school work. We can truthfully say that the success of the cla.s.s in their studies is due solely to the skill of his instruction.

When we entered upon the inception of our task about eight months ago, contemplation of such a tedious study as stenography had made us somewhat apprehensive of successful consequences, and when, subsequently, we beheld so many curious marks, hooks, loops, spirals and disjointed straights, then, indeed, did alarm seize upon and almost terrorize us. How could we accomplish such an arduous undertaking? We pondered the subject long and well, and, as in all such matters, a solution was arrived at. You will doubtless not be surprised when I say it was application--yes, application, with hard, earnest study as a relative concomitant, which solved the problem.

This was the beginning, an auspicious one, you must admit, because, having unraveled the chief skein of difficulty, it seemed to imbue us with increased confidence, and study we did, with intense fervor and earnestness. Thus it continued. Not a careless and desultory endeavor, but one of energetic determination and indefatigable zeal.

"_Festina Lente_," as the old Romans were wont to say,--"Make haste slowly,"--was our motto, as little by little we gained in acquisition.

The curious little dots and dashes which at first seemed so strange and mysterious, soon lost their mystery and ere long a simple acquaintance with them had ripened into a desirable familiarity. The same success attended our efforts at the typewriter. The irregular and heavy sounds which first greeted the ear of the learner, have lost their harshness, and in their turn, as nimble fingers lightly touch the enameled keys, the regularity of the merry ticks, broken only by the gentle ring of the silvery bell, as the cross-bar pa.s.ses from side to side, partakes almost of melody.

Such has been the past, and to-night the conferring of many diplomas will convince you that our labor has not been in vain. Stenography as a study is not really difficult. The cardinal requisite is practice.

Leave the rest to time and the result will not be disappointing. Since those who have studied here this Winter expect to use the knowledge acquired as a means of subsistence, it is a comforting reflection that we can thus earn a livelihood in such a satisfactory and congenial manner, especially when bearing in mind that the majority of young women, who toil in this great metropolis, are constrained to pa.s.s long and dreary hours at work which is far less lucrative and much more debilitating and unhealthy. Again, the study of stenography requires constant and critical attention, thereby strengthening the mind and doing away with idle day-dreaming. Mental perception is rendered more acute, as rapid yet steady thinking is continually demanded.

So, after all, now that the labors of the term are over, we may indeed feel satisfied and happy, a.s.sured that you are willing to endorse the satisfaction we feel at this happy outcome.