Excerpted from the Long Ridge Letter column:

The closing exercises of our school here took place Friday, Oct. 4th.  Quite a crowd assembled to witness the exercises, which began at 7pm, with appropriate vocal music which was followed by dialogues, declamations, etc., until midnight.  The pupils, many of whom never were on the stage before, all did well.  Thanks to their worthy young instructor, Mr. W.D. BOWEN, who did all in his power to assist them. Then the school assembled for the last time, and aided by the teacher, sang that sweetest of all parting songs, “God be with you.”  Mr. BOWEN then arose and in a clear manly voice spoke a few appropriate words of farewell.  Ah! the tears that fell as those who had been so long together listened to the farewell words of their beloved teacher.  The many laughs were hushed at last and the boys and girls with grave white faces and tearful eyes crowded around their kind young teacher, who they all loved so dearly, to say good-by.

Ah! what anguish has earth greater than parting? I think that, except kissing the dead for the last time, there is nothing harder than to feel that you are looking your last on the face of a dear living friend and say good-by.  It is the saddest word tongue or pen, but sooner or later it must be uttered, sooner or later we must clasp the hands of our best and dearest friends for the last time, and while our hearts seem breaking, say good-by.  We never know how dearly we love our friends until the trying hour of parting comes, then we long with all our hearts for one more glimpse of their dear faces and realize how true are the words that we never sufficiently prize our blessings until we lose them, but we will hope to meet again if not on earth, in that heavenly land where there will be no more parting.

Source: Roanoke Beacon, 11 October 1889.  Available online at digitalnc.org.