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MONTREAL 1868. d^'^iLS VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. ^S^h June, iS68, My P^Rii'NDS ANT) PUI'ILS : The ceieinoiMes appointed for this morning are now complete, and it only remains for me to address to you a few parting words. Simple and unpretentious, the events of this day are of extreme importance to my young pu- pils ; they will have a lasting place in the memory, and in future years be looked back upon amongst the choicest recollections of their youth. To me the result of the year's work is one of unqualified satisfaction. As my eye passes over the faces and forms of my children, I recall many a lesson, many an effort, many a victory besides those which find place in the examination papers; and 1 am very thankful, even while the grateful thought is crossed by the consciousness of the 4 Valedictory Address. i™r,'"" T'""' '"'"■'' '""' ""^ ^'^' -" ™-^t successful endeavours. With this day closes t!n« first decade of rnv school experience in Montreal, and I am no.v able to count twenty years spent in the work of educa- tion. As m a panorama, scenes and persons pass m review before my nnnd, and I i,,\ ,n,peif,,; ,„ he present occasion to ask your indulgence while I bring before you a few thoughts suggested bv the period at which f have arrived. In the course of the ten years, two hundred and nmety-nme young uomen have had their name^ and ages recorded on tlie school hooks ; cwo hundred and ninety-nmo young women have been submuted to a discipline of mind and body I wh.ch i have been the orgamzer, nead. and super bv HHi . "'y^TOrk I l,„.e been wdl assisted . b ladies ,n,l gen.le.nen of attain.nents as diverse «h.)e hey have g,ven n,e the respect and defer- ence due to my position, I eannot too Iieartilv or too sincerely declare in this presence, that to the co-operation, fidelity, iu.nesty of purpose, and self devofon of n,y fellow-workers, I owe .Ik. su!" 1 of my enterprise, and the good name which (hi! schoo enjoys from one end of the Dominion to ^ e other. New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, tl e ter? T ^"-^.^"'"h-" States have sent us d ugh- ters. J-rom Red River Settlement, from Gas^e J r Valedictory Addn'ss. - and even from the West Indies, young girls have cotne that we might train them for their duties in life. J3iit tJiese wanderers were but few m num- ber ; Upper and Lower Canada have furnished the great majority of our pupils. Of die two hundred and ninety-nine, twenty six are married and six are dead, lo six the school experience terminated the experience of life. Those who loved them were permitted only a glance at the budding beauty of the souls which opened their fair flowers in the pure at>nospherc of Paradise. Sad retrospect ' telhng of vacant places and disappointed hopes. i-3nght anticipation ! full of comfort, joy, and peace. " Far better they should sleep awhile, Within the Ch.nch\s shade, Nor wake until new heaven, new earth, Meet for their new immorta' birth For their abiding-place be made, " Than wander back to lite, and Jean On our frail love once nune. 'Tis sweet as yor by year we lose Friends cut of sight, in taith to muse How grows in Paradise our store," But early death is the exception, not the rule in God's providence. Two hundred and ninety- three ot my pupils have entered or are enterinc upon the duties of life ; and whether my mind re- verts to my lost children, or goes forth to the young women called upon to exercise their talents 6 Valedictory Address. in the home and in the world, \ am impressed ahnosl to faintness witi. a sense of responsil)iIily. My work affects so many, is so aiduous, so va- ried, so dependent, that 1 am tenipted to put before you the aim of my profession, that I may gain your synipatliy and co-operation in my ditficult task, so far as your opportunity permits. The business of my life is to educate, to draw out and train the minds of my pupils, in order that they may be fitted, as human beings, to fulfd the purpose of God concerning them. No lower aim is worthy of the term education, ^vhich T use here in its widest sense, applying it at once to the severer studies, anil to the accom- plishments which are the ornaments of the intellec- tual structure. W't must teach our pu])ils to trust, to obey, to respect us. We must require them to be industrious, unselfish, merciful, and just. 'J'his must be effected not by preaching, lecturing, pun- ishing ; but by tasks allotted according to ability and opportunity, leaving the pupil as much free- will in the performance of them as her natural character permits. To expect an inexperienced child to portion out her own work, to allow the selfish and querulous to avoid companions who cross her wishes and try her temper, is to foster sin, to tempt the feeble by leaving her unprctected and alone, at an age and under circumstances when she has a right Valcilidory AiUrcsx. 7 to our stronger sense and prt'vtntini; judgment. I would rather give the dear name of daughter to a girl of limited inteilert, who wat; obedient, faithful and true, than to a fitful genius, on wiiose brilliant talents no reliance could be placed, and who might or might not do her duty according to the chapter of chances. VVo do our best, 1 and my assistants, r,o secure for our charges that which each requires. AVe must abstain from over-anxiety and be cheerful, hopeful, and happy in our work. We did not be- gin the education in any singl^j case, and we shall not end it ; but we have generally the most im- portant part committed to us, just when the char- • acter matures, and the child becomes a woman. If the woman were an isolated individual, if she exercised r^o power for good and e\'il beyond her^ self, our task would be comparatively light But in this sense no human being is alone. In th© home, in the family, in the world, everyone iea\'es an impress more or less distinct. Each ont is- placed by the Lord God in a garden to dress it and to keep it, and He wd! require that it be lovely and rich with the fruits of sound sense, use- fulness, beauty, and good taste, or will judge if it be overgrown with the weeds of idleness, ignorance and folly. . The pupil leaves the school with habits formed, and character defined, to depend henceforth on her 31 8 Valedictory Address, own judgment, to be her own law-giver, to trans- mit the lessons of her youth, through the inlluence of her womanhood, from genc^ration to generation, far beyond tlie limit of human calculation. Who dares sit down quietly to consider the result of his individual inlluence, to muse on the effect of his actions and words upon those with whom he comes in daily contact ? Certainly not the teacher. He would be overwhelmed, and crushed, and tempted to throw up the business of his life in fear and despair. Rather must he take refuge in the avowal of his own insufficiency, and, closing his eyes to the world, open them to the light of Christ, that he " may perceive and know what things he- ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same.'' What position in life requires a greater diversi- ty of powers than that of the Principal of a school } He must be " all things to all men." We are told that it is impossible to please everybody, and no one disputes it ; yet the schoolmistress nmst adapt herself to everyone, so far as she can, while, at the same time, she strives to maintain individuality and decision of character. She must endeavour to meet the wishes of parents, even though they should know nothing of practical education ; she must meet also the theories of the amateur educa- t'onist, who very frequently has no knowledge of teaching at all, not even that derived from the ^' Vai('dht07-y Jddrcss. q parental i.Kstinct. She must guide, restrain, com- Jon, and encourage her assistant teachers, sympa- thize vv,(h their personal difficulties, .tru] help them to help themselves. She must adapt herself to all her pupils, young and old, clever and dull, be in- terested in their amusements and protect them as well as their teachers, in their mutual relations In a word, she nnjst govern, and jrovern well, or the public, Jier master, will soon bring her to a sense of her mistakes. That same master does not spare. Our faults are seldom allowed to pass uncensured. It is the way of the world, and whv comphn'n .> I do not complain, but I desire to .a//../;/, and also to apo- logize humbly and affectionately for much that is contrary to your wishes, yet quite unavoidable. i know that things often seem unkind and un- reasonable which proceed only from want of thought or want of knowledge. Th,^ public IS a gentle public if fkirly treated, and I, at all events, have been so happy in my professional cat-eer in Canada that I iiave lost all home- sickness, and desire nothing better than to end my days in this my, adopted country. While my present sphere of work and usefulne.;s remains open to me I shall try to do my duty in it, with advantage to the public as well as to myself The two thmgs are not antagonistic, on the contrarv tney are one. When I am broken, miserable, di's- 10 Valedictory Address. pirited, my school will be of value to no one. I am only one woman, not ubiquitous, and not om- nipresent J superintend my household of forty persons as well as my day-school of fifty more. If 1 superintend, of course 1 direci others. 1 direct, they work. Like a banker or a merchant, 1 am responsible for the actions of my subordinates, but 1 never attempt to do all the work myself. 1 teach, three times a week, subjects requiring care- ful thought and constant study, and 1 make my- self generally acquainted with all that goes on around me. I am frequently vv',;ary in brain and tired in body, and when my teacher;? can do no- thing without me, or when the publiv", my master, requires a life's bondage by accepting nothing that is not the fruit of my own personal labour, I shall forsake my calling if i can, and if my poverty obliges me to submit, at least, .1 will not go down to the grave of a slave without a hearty pro- test, ffappy, healthy, wealthy teachers, how very few you are ! Still I desire — am very anxious to do as much personally in my school as I can. It is both for my inteicst and in my will to do so. I am not always, not Cificn at, li])erty the very moment I am asked for, but 1 am very glad to make appointments with all who wish to see me, and to receive them without appointment if I am able. 1 like nothing better than to talk with the pa- Valedictory Addres r I rents of my jjupils. We have interests in common, and are never at a loss for subjects of conversa- tion. / speak by reports formal and concise, yet the result of information and deliberation. ^Vhen all goes well nothing furtiier is required ; but when the attendance is irregular, or the lessons imperfectly prepared, some lesponse ought to come from the parent, that by friendly conference we may discover where the trouble is, and endea- vour at once to overcome it. This is particularly necessary in the case of day-scholars. They study at home, and we are, for the most part, unac- quainted with their habits and opportunities. Give us then, friends in the cause of education, the support of your sympathy and your prayers. Bring to us the mighty assistance of a wise nur- sery discipline, whereby the child comes to school with good habits already forming, and comfort us with a sense of 3/our kind patience with our neces- sary shortconjings and unwilling failures. But 1 have a parting word to address to you, my children, who this day close your school career. An important part of 3.-our life's experience is end- ed. Henceforth you will be your own tutors and governors, shape youi own purposes, and disci- pline your own minds. How well you will be able to do this depends, in no small degree, upon the use you have made of the opportunities vou have had here. I know that it too often happens that 12 Valedictory Address. intelligent girls, who should know better, wilfully thwart the desires of parents and teachers, and throw away the seed-time of the soul ; but a retro- spect would serve no practical purpose now, and I prefer to invite you to dwell upon some thoughts which will link the past with the future. This is an April day of the affections. I^ears and smiles alternate. 'I'he thought of home, with its \}\xxQ. joys and hopes, sends the heart bounding out into the future ; and the thought of the present parting with dear friends who ha\e shared our pleasures and our pains for mouths, and even for years, sends that heart back into the past, until it is wrung with contiicu'ngfeelmgs. The schoolgirl who can turn away from the place where h»'r mind was nursed, and fed, and strengthened, without a single regret, must be deficient in some of the higher faculties of our nature. I do not believe there is such a girl listening to me now. Can 1 speak to )-ou of nothing which will move you to loving, tender tl'u:)aghts of your school-time ? The difiiculty, it oiu; there be, is that of choice. Recall the fact that you have met, morning and evening, day after day, as membeis of one family, and knelt in the presence of the Great Father to ask His blessing on you all. Remember the Sun day lessons, the week-day ser>'ices, when, as sis- ters in Christ, in the same House of God, you of- fered the Common Pray<;r. I'he word Conwiunion Vakdiciory Address. ^^ is full of sacred thoughts and hallowed associa- tions for some of you now about to leave us live IJ e texf-books you have studied, the music togtthei, are so many keepsakes, as it were, which can neither be destroyed nor lost. Three years ago, a dear girl who had been but a few months at our school lay dying at the very ti.ae we were enjoying our closing ceremony. In that, her last hour, in her distant home, her thoughts were with u^, and she begged her mother to sing the hymn she had been used to hear at school. But no one could gratify her. No one knew what she longed tor. Ihe sounds she craved never fell on her ears again. The softer, holier music of Paradise had le t her nothing to desire, before the first of her school companions leached the place in which she resided. Believe me, my very dear pupils, your sr'- ^ol- days ..1! have a high, bright place in your memo- nes. Ihe lessons you learned, the friends 30U made, your prizes, your successes, 3.our amuse- ments, your pains, and even your punishments will, m time, become mental treasures to be dwelt upon in the secret communings of your own minds or .spread out to enlist the sympathy and interest ot those to whom your girlhood shall be matter of history. ^4 Valedidorv Athirt'ss. For myself, let me assure yo" that the thought of my iarge family does not oppress me. The more I iovc, the more 1 am able to love. Some- times one and sometimes another, claims for a while an individual interest ; but in my schemes for your impro\ement, in my plans for your wel- fare, in my prayers, and in my heart, I think of you as a whole. Do not imagine that 1 am indif- ferent because I cannot make of each dear pupil a personal friend , do not think 1 forget you be- cause I cannot accompany you to your homes, there to share your joys and sorrows ; rather com- passionate the inlirmity which forces me to fall short, even of the standard I set up for myself, and believe in the spirit, whicli constantly prays that I may meet my children again, and find in them a crown of rejoicing. I can spare none of you. I shall want you all in that day when we must stand before the throne of (iod. 1 hope to hear the loving Saviour claim you ibr His own, and in accents akin to those in which He commended the faith of her who vvashed His feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head, I hope to hear him say to each one of you, as well as to me : — " She hath done what she could." PRrNTED BV Tim MONTRHAr. PU(NT!NG A N» PUBLISHING COMPANV.