The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-08-01
oonMrNonMnNr-pRn1rM1rARv.


BRUNSWICK, July 81, 1865.
The Commencement pot begins to boil
This beautiful town-this "city ofthe plain
Is putting on its ''best bib and tucker for its
annual gala week. During the four days of
which this is~the first, everybody in this re-
gion is expected to be on his dignity. The
boys viii sport their whitest linen, and the
girls-and few towns can sport prettier-w1h
deign to speak to no ordinary tow-heads, but
will reserve their smiles and favors for those
who hold up their heads and wear dickeys of
the -roost approved cut and cit. The crave
Professors win put on airs, and even the head
of the college bachelor as he is, will act as be-
comes the father of the whole classical family.
In sober truth, Brunswick is to have right
down good time in general, and @old Bowdoin"
in particular win go in for special enjoyments.
No pains have been spared to make the pres
ent season compare fayorably with those which
have preceded il. a The weather bids fairto
be propitious, and those who attend Will no
doubt feel themselves amply recompensed for
all the dust and sweat, the elbowing and
squeezing, the ostle and crowd to which they
will naturally be exposed before Thursdays
sun shall have set upon the Commencement
services of 1s65.I,iN "a .dt.tb9
Yesterday afternoon-Sunday-th Bacca-
laureate sermon before the graduating Glass
was delivered by President Woods, in Rev. DR..
Adams Church. The name of DIR. Woods is
a guarantee of its general excellence, its pro-
found thought, its scholarly arrangement and
It's calm, impressive yet dignifed and forcibIe
delivery. The preacher took for his text the
18th verse Of the I'd chapter of Ephesians--
sWitRout God In the world" Of course this
led him to notice the too frequent habit of
those engaged in the pursuits aof science and
literature to become immersed in worldly spec
uiations, and unmindfnl of the divine law and
requirements, and to grovel in the dead and
deadening atmosphere Impractical infidelity.-
intellect. alone issnota sufficient guide to
bring the soul into. the. preseneeI chamber of
its God; its light shines not with sufficient
briliiancy to illumine the pathway Of mans
highest duty. The most gifted genius has Oft
en- gone out in utter darkness. Intellect needs
TO be lifted above the sensualities of the world
by the elevating spirit of the christian Master
Great powers, unsupported by religious princi-
ple,' like other ponderous bodies, often gravi-
tate downwards, and bury themselves in the
earth. Christian faith, alone can ensure the
proper elevation Of the SOUPS power, and make
the finite child gravitate with steady course
towards the infinite Father. The mysteries of
science, Of providence and fife are rendered
luminous only when beamed upon by the rays
Of that light which cometh from above The
sermon was anoble effort. 1t commended the
Bible and its truths to, the attention of the
young gentlemen soon to leave academic shades
for the lights and shadows Of reallife, and was
listened to by large audience with the most
'ro,ounu Al lep tWlo INAJTaO4
To-day is one Of general preparation for
those to follow In the evening the Prize Dec
-amation by the Junior Glass, is to take place
inlthe Congregational Church Ihavei not at
hand the order ofexercises, or would incor-
porate it into this communication.
Tomorrow the interest will increase and
the "plot" thicken. At 3 o'clock the exercises
before the Literary Societies will come of, con-
sisting Of an Grafton by Rev. J. E. Walton, of
your city, and a Poem by Rev. S. F. Smith,
D. d, ofNewton, Mass. There is mpchcurios-
i5y to hear Mr.. Walton, and the ordeal through
which he passed last week has had no tenden-
" to abate this common desire. I predict an
Grafton Of much beauty and force, full Of life
and vigor, and calculated to raise the dead
thoughts in many a. sluggish soul and bring
them forth to renewed life; to beget thought
upon practical and living issues, in souls that
nave long been content to plod and take things
Tor granted simply because it requires effort to
bring them to the touch-stone Of investigation.
Tomorrow Tuesday evening will take
place the usual annual Cuncert,-this year
given by the celebrated Germania Band OF
Boston, assisted by that fine vocaiist-Blrs. j.
5. Cary. The spacious house will be full as a
matter of course, and that all will go away
satisfied, to await the regular Commencement
exercises of the following day, is the unani-
nous opinion Of XERxEs.