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قراءة كتاب Silver Links A collection of salutatory, valedictory and other addresses delivered at the first five commencements of the female stenographic and typewriting class of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of the City of New York
تنويه: تعرض هنا نبذة من اول ١٠ صفحات فقط من الكتاب الالكتروني، لقراءة الكتاب كاملا اضغط على الزر “اشتر الآن"
Silver Links A collection of salutatory, valedictory and other addresses delivered at the first five commencements of the female stenographic and typewriting class of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen of the City of New York
pilgrimage toward it. So has it been with typewriting. At first we made many mistakes, such as making an interrogation mark where the period was necessary, thus questioning Mr. Jones’ or Mr. Smith’s right to his name instead of asserting the fact; or striking a letter instead of the space-board, and vice versa. The result left the astonished beholder in doubt whether the word produced were a representative of the Chinese or the Choctaw language. But now we have overcome these difficulties. Sustained by the kind encouragement of our teacher we have struggled bravely until we are enabled to write on the machine readily, and with rapidity, from dictation, and our vernacular can now be recognized as English, without any difficulty. We sincerely hope that the exercises of the evening may interest you and may show our appreciation of the instruction and innumerable benefits which have been conferred upon us by this Society. We are now prepared to take our place in the rank and file of the world’s army of workers. The elevating and benevolent influence of stenography and typewriting in the life of women is becoming more and more recognized. What the sewing machine is to the needle, shorthand is to the pen, and, in the great future, the world shall see and acknowledge the vast importance of this economizer of time and labor.
Yes, another forty of us are ready to use these servants of hand and pen which the generosity of this Society has placed at our disposal, and we hope to do so worthily. May we, by our subsequent efforts and future progress, show that none of us will bring reproach on the noble art which we have adopted, or on the Institution to which we shall owe our future success and our chosen profession. Rather let us help to prove its value in the different branches to which we may be called.
Class Poem
By Miss A. L. Cox.
Class of ’88.
I did not come prepared to make an address here to-night,
But when I see you all, dear friends, ’tis such a pleasant sight,
I can’t refrain, but feel that I must say a word or two,
And give a hearty welcome, yes, to every one of you.
A little band, we gathered here upon this very spot;
Just eight short months ago it is, since then we cast our lot
Together for our Winter’s work: resolved that we would try
Our best to win; with hopes and purposes and aims set high,
We went to work. The opening lecture seemed so clear and plain,
That we could almost grasp the prize we were so sure to gain.
First came the alphabet. But we in sad dismay found out
That was an obstacle indeed that we could scarce surmount.
At last we thought we had it; yes, were sure we knew it all.
“You may each one recite it.” Hark! it was our teacher’s call.
Just imagine how we did it? You will guess it nearly right.
And then to say it backward! Were you e’er in such a plight?
Then we studied till (I mean it) e’en the paper on the wall,
Each door, and sash, and picture frame, and objects one and all,
In strokes and angles fairly danced before our very eyes,
And in our dreams they haunted us in every form and size.
Next in their turn the vowel sounds,—the symbols, dash and dot,
With rules and regulations charging us “Forget-me-not.”
Wish you could have heard us sound them. It was amusing, too;
Seemed like talking Chinese language,—ah, ā, ee; aw, o, oo.
Then came the hooks with many crooks to puzzle and perplex;
They were so very obstinate, and would be sure to vex;
For while we thought we had them right, they were just turned about,
And when we came to read them, we could scarcely make them out.
The circles didn’t seem so hard; for we could then detect
There were still new things coming that we did the least expect;
So prepared our minds to meet them and take them as they came;
At last we’d conquered everyone and knew them all by name.
But I suppose it is not right to tell tales out of school,
Our teacher will be saying that it is against the rule;
I have told you just a few of our trials by the way,
But it was not all so dreadful, I am very glad to say.
For we really loved our study; were fascinated, too,
And of the pleasant memories there linger not a few.
Well, examination over, then came the “tug of war”
To apply the various principles that we had learned before.
And oh! the work we made of it; we tried to run a race
To see who could write the fastest, and then to keep our place.
But study and toil are over; at last the race is run,
And we have gathered here to-night to say, “Our work is done.”
Members of this Society, our friends so kind and true,
God bless you! ’Tis a grand and noble work you aim to do;
Accept our heartfelt thanks, for it is all that we can give;
The knowledge we have gathered here will ever, while we live
Go with us, as with brighter skies our way in life to cope
Than in our dreams and fancies we had ever dared to hope.
And you, our teachers faithful, tried, we will not soon forget
The many pleasant hours that together we have spent;
How often by a kindly word you’ve helped to lead us on,
When we were nigh discouraged, and totally cast down;
And by your earnest zeal and aid we have, from day to day,
Gone onward, and we thank you; it is all that we can say.
And we classmates, while we truly, yes, earnestly, regret
To leave the little room up yonder “where the angels met,”
Can now rejoice together, for it has not been in vain,
That we’ve worked hard; yet we have won the prize we sought to gain.
Valedictory Address
By Miss A. A. Lewis.
Class of ’88.
Dear Friends and Classmates:
It is a somewhat sad yet pleasant duty which devolves upon me this evening, that of saying farewell. For, to a class whose members have studied together for so long as we have and which is found to be so homogeneous as this class has been, a farewell is always sad. When, in October last, we entered upon our course of study, we could not look forward to this hour with any degree of composure, but, day by day, as time passed on we found ourselves longing for the end, yet dreading the parting. But, to-night, we derive considerable pleasure from the fact that we have prepared ourselves for something which will have a strong influence upon our future lives. This night may be called a real