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About The Chemawa American (Chemawa, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1913)
4 THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN child is a born im itato r and will undoubtedly be w rongly influenced. C hildren brought up in the city are bound to lie different from those reared in the co u n try . T h eir inner th o u g h ts are called forth by th eir environm ent. The city child has m any com panions. T h u s he is not entirely original because he w ishes to act and talk like those whom he adm ires. T h e country child has few com panions and is close to N ature. H is th o u g h ts and acts are his own. H e learns to love n atu re, w hich is alw ays show ing him som ething stran g e and beautiful. H is life is care free. H e retu rn s home from his ram bles with hands filled w ith flowers, m ind filled w ith pleasant th o u g h ts, and a song on his lips. N a tu re ’s own inspired pure thoughts! T h is child has learned to love G od through N ature, for does not every blade of grass, every tiny insect reveal to the observer th e Creator? T h en , w ith th e love of God in his heart he has learned life’s greatest lesson. All others will follow. VALEDICTORY FRANK JO H N SO N , Alaskan DAY we have reached an o th er m ilestone on our jo u r ney th ro u g h life, for life’s roadw ay is m arked w ith many of these m ilestones. T h ere is, perhaps, no event in the life of th e boys and girls of our co u ntry w hich is of greater im portance than is this one of g rad u atio n day. It is for th is th a t we have planned and hoped, and striven, th ro u g h all those long school years now lying behind us and. at last, our efforts are crow ned w ith success. G raduation day does not m ean, how ever, th at we have finished with all our hard tasks and lessons— th a t when we close our gram m ars, h is tories, and arithm etics, we are done w ith difficulties and responsibili ties; indeed, we are b u tb e g in n in g the real battle of life, and th a t m otto. Patience and Perseverance, w hich has helped us over the rough places, kept us steadfast in the face of m any discouragem ents th ro u g h the past year, and has at last enabled us to stand here today, will be m ore needed now than ever, since we are to be throw n upon our own responsibilities, to face and to solve th e g reat problem s th a t will too m any tim es confront each one of us on our jo u rn ey th ro u g h life, as we become a p art of the great w ork-a-dav world. H ith erto we have tieen sheltered, helped, an d cared for. first as little children in the home, th en , later, we were ta u g h t, directed, and advis-