Fellow Students: But Fellow Students: our morn is past: the dark night is brooding over us: the bright ideal star of Commencement, to which our life has long been directed, is swiftly fading from our vision: it hangs no longer in the distance, but sinks behind the hills. School-days are gone and we linger only to say Good bye. Now we have attained the end of our race and find all is not bright beyond, we hesitate to rush into the scenes untried and abide this hour to review our pilgrimage. Memory paints anew the festive scenes in which we took a part and all along our fading pathway, days and deeds arise 'round which our fondest recollections cluster. Fond Memory: sacred goddess as thou art: thanks for the bright pictures thou dost paint! Events long neglected or forgotten, thou hast preserved untarnished; the ills and errors thou hast concealed and only the joys and pleasures revealed. Happy life we'v'e spent in College—never to be forgotten! Fixed on thy tablet, it shall live to cheer us in the hours of sad old age. The memory of our bygone years! Tis sweet to think of their consolations and forget their cares. But, melancholy thought, that excites each tender heart and starts a sympathetic tear! those years now close and number themselves with the Past. We say Farewell and part.You have shared with us the inspiring waters of this fountain of Learning, but our friendships now hasten to be broken! Borne away by adverse Fates or weighed down by life's direst calamities, our memories will recur with rapture to you, who cheered us once and added to our pleasures. Be good friends to each other as you have been to us: envy not those, who are foremost in the race but love them more, and if one fall, raise him to your own high position and make him worthy of your love. And think not you will be forgotten. Our eyes will ever rest upon you, watching how the Muses love you and how you love the Muses. Be mindful of the changes which mark your brief career!

The Poets gave to Jupiter a home upon Olympus, that he might live their god long as the mountain stood. But Olympus now sinks slowly beneath the sea to become ere many cycles, the sporting ground of sea-monsters or the base of a coral reef! The Vestal flame, of ancient days, floated on the breeze and was caught up to the skies. Long did the Virgin think to perpetuate the name of her Mistress by solemn rites and morning sacrifices! But the Temple is destroyed: the place of the altar forgotten and history tells not the story of their follies. The age of Mythology is passed away. Change is a decree of Deity. He has shown his visage here and broken our little circle. Some have fallen away from us, who sleep in the silent Cemetery, watching still perhaps, the progress of their deserted friends! Learn from their fate to be wise. Prepare now to meet them in peace and dwell with them in communion with the blest. For we too, soon must part: soon hear the long Farewell!

Much loved Faculty: I come to pay you a tribute of earnestgratitude. Our hearts swell with deep emotions as we behold you and think we may never see you all again. Alas! we do not see you all now! Where is that familiar form, once mingling in scenes like these? I look in vain for him the foremost and the best. He was devoted to us and he never had a class, who loved him more than we.

But Dr. Elisha Mitchell is gone from us to a higher life.3

When we saw him last, he was buoyant and active and so had he won our hearts, that many had already expressed the boundless sorrow, that would pervade our hearts if he should fall ere our course was run or he had given us his passport into active life!

He slumbers amid the mountains he went to explore: in the State to which he devoted the distinguished services of his life: amid the rocks and hills—a teeming Laboratory of the science to which he was a Martyr! He died a member of the University, his name will it perpetuate to all time. Spirit of the honored dead arise, and meet the class, who loved you so. Come to tell us farewell, ere we part to meet no more! Tell us of the world, thou hast visited, tell us how to live and die for Eternity! Bid us prepare for the Spirit-land and when we fall, bid us welcome home! He comes not: he is in the bosom of the Father. His last farewell was given to the hills and was hushed by the deep blue waters! High above these lowly vales may his body sleep quietly when discordant passions disturb the harmony of these States: high above these humble Cemeteries, may he be the first to catch the sound of the final tramp, the first awake and ascend to Heaven!

To you, much loved President: we owe a special tribute Upon our hearts perpetual thanks and praises kindle. Memory has embalmed your name and we go forth to tell of the good you have done. You told us of the errors of men: how they failed of a knowledge of the mind and built false theories of Eternity: taught us to remember and to use the reason: taught us the laws of our country, that we may be better citizens: armed us to enact with power the salutary principles imbibed: make our country more prosperous and happy: taught us the laws of God, to be better christians and fight more vigorously for Virtue. May our gratitude ever cheer you. May a kind Providence pour upon your head the dews of his grace, and crown you in his courts at last! Farewell!

But this bitterest cup is cruelly reserved till the last! My dearest Classmates: we too must part: we were strangers when we began our career, jealous of each other's honors, careless of each other's woes. A cold world had taught us not to confide in our fellows. But drinking at the same pure fount, kneeling at the same shrine hassoftened our hearts and knit them into one. The Genii, who guard this Temple of Learning, have banished Discord and the Furies, and from their homes in the clouds send down Love and Amity. The gods have been propitious and our Instructors lavish of praise. No bonds were ever so closely formed nor their severance more worthy of a classe's flowing tears.

We forsook the innocent sports of boyhood when first we bowed at these shrines and devoted our lives to Learning. The bonds were broken which united us to those, who loved us amid our early reverses. A long Farewell to childhood! Would that we could breathe again its pure air and feel its innocence! And now alas: the hours of College life are ended numbered with the gloomy Past! The orb of day makes haste to hide his face from our sorrows. No more we obey the summons of the College Bell: no more the encouragements of our Teachers: no more we glide leisurely along these shady groves, nor call up the spirits of our absent friends to converse in the moonlight: no more we arise and haste away to see the first rays of the morning sun stealing over the hills: no more we hear the familiar Roll: no more the minister with a fervent prayer give our spirits unto God for his guidance in the day. All these are gone! Farewell to the brightest hours of my life: Farewell sweet memories, bright hopes! Our delightful course is run: its pleasant tasks ended: its merry pastimes fled. We part: some to take the course, which leads to emoluments and live in all the splendors of wealth: some the course that secures a worthy name. Here are distractions and dangers. Heroic is the fortitude that braves them: worthy he, who wears the crown at last: some to live in retirement: find perchance all the pleasures of life, miss its ills and fall in the grave sustained by the christian's hope: some indeed to proclaim the wisdom of God and win an unfading crown! Our College course has been uniformly happy. All down the journey each day rises before my vision, bright with some special token of the joys it gave. Oh! this race is too short: too soon the golden chain is broken! Do we bid adieu to quit these quiet walks, and leave this time-honoured retreat to meet no more?

I would gladly seize each loved one by the hand and pledge ourselves to live our lives away amid these shades! But we can not here make our permanent abode: these scenes must fade: ourselves must pass away. We can pledge however, an enduring friendship. Let us consecrate this place a common altar to which our memories shall recur with transports in all time to come: upon which we will sacrifice our jealousies and offer our prayers for mutual happiness. But Time bids us haste. Oh! cruel time, to sever us so soon! to drive us away, away! I would check thy march, the Sun should be turned back one hour and this last scene be prolonged! But the light is swiftly fading; your hearts bleed to obey the mandate: I am reluctant and sad. Farewell my brothers, a long, long Farewell! Heaven's choicest blessings attend you, and our King unite at last the little band he has this day broken and gather us up to live in union with Himself!