The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-06-16
WEsTBROOK SEMINARY.


The commencement exercises of Westbrook
Seminary opened at ten o'clock yesterday with
an invocation by Rev. H. G. Leonard. Then
followed the literary exercises as follows:
Music.
Latin Salutatory,
Emma F0restere Harvard, East BowdOinham
Hawthorne ..............H Hattie Ella Dyer, POwnal
Results OF Ehort. .'Moofs fowers, wilton
Mutations. .... .lmogen SWEET Dimmock, Limington
Criticism. .......... Electra Files, North Raymond
Progress of the Mind. James Henry stetson, Greene
Music.
Husks. ..............I Ida Asenatb Dunn. Lewiston
Ancient Temples. Sarah Penny Cousins. Kennebunk
Life's Laures. Charles Melcher Ham, Lisbon
Music.
Harmonies Ella Charlotte Abbott, West Sumner
Our Duty as Citizens orville Isaiah Addition. Leeds
Doubt, Vale.1ictory,
Jennie Augusta Roulstone, Searsport
Music
After the literary exercises closed Mr.. Badge
the Principal, addressed the graduating
class and conferred the degrees as follows:
Imogen S. Dimmock, Emma f. Harvard,
Ida A. Dunn, Electra Files and Jennie A.
Roustone received the degree of Laureate of
Arts
Sarah P Cousins, Hattie E. Dyer and Ella
c. Abbott received the degree of Laureate of
Science.
In the Seminary Department, Hig her Eng
lisb, were o. L. Addition, G. M. Ham, Moors
Powers, J. Fl. Stetson.
After the degrees were conferred came the
class song, which is understood to have been
written by Miss Jennie Augusta Roulstone
of Searsport, and is as follows:
CLASS SONG.
All the air is full of singing,
Hear the strange, sweet voices ringing,
Messages of gladness bringing,
From the world we meet to-day
Yes, we take our life-work gladly,
Never looking backward sadly,
For our hearts are beating madly,
Eager for:the untried way.
Gaily we have worked together,
On through bright and stormy weather,
Naught can break the golden tether
Which has bound us heart to heart.
Still there is no sign of yearniDg,
In our looks for eyes discerning
Back all cowardly sorrow spurning,
Now with .tearlessIeyes we part.
Brightly through the mist is beaming,
A clear light with softest cleaning,
A pure, heavenly beacon seeming,
Raised to guide us on our way.
II upon the sea benighted,
May that torch which God has lighted,
Till the distant shoreiis. sighted,
Bright before us burn for aye.
A benedction closed the exercises, which
were very interesting, the students all acquit-
ting themselves finely. Chambers band was
in attendance and the exercises were inter
spersed with fine music.
At one o'clock the commencement dinner
came off in Hersey Hall, Mr.. j. Durham
officiating as marshal.
At 8 o'clock large audience assembled to
listen to an Grafton by Rev. q. W. Buck, enti-
tied "The Christian aver" The general pur-
port of the discourse was that career of ag-
gressive warfare upon wrong is nobler and
more christian than career ruled by pur-
pose of avoidance or escape. This was Illus
trated from christian history and Buddhistic
legend. The distinction between the regener-
ate and the unregenerate needs therefore, to be
revised. Not those who are saved, but those
who save others, take the highest rank. The
conflict of life is too often understood to in
volve merely defensive war. There is indeep
battle to be fought, a victory to be won, but
the victory which sends the victor home to Hea-
ven safe and sound with shining armor and
without wound is no victory, if wrongs lie not
dead and dying along the path of battle.
The grand division among men is between
those who have unselfish sympathies and pas
sions leading them to active working, against
the wrongs within their reach, and those who
are concerned only with their personal prosper
ity. The radically selfish and egotistic person
never forms close friendship with one intrin-
sically SO unlike him as to be lover of his fell
lowmen. Between these the great gulf is al
ready fixed. Between the philanthrOpist and
the egotst there is inevitable repulsion and an
tagonism: for the one represents precisely that
which the other seeks to destroy. They know
themselves apart, and are readily distinguished
from one another in their respective conduct of
life.
The christians career lies among despised
and rejected reforms, among despsed and re-
| jected men. The stone that the builder at one
time rejects, becomes at later time the head
stone OF the corner. The men who challenge
| the hosts of darkness and fight the wrong sim
gle handed, if need be, while the world looks
! on with wonder, pity, contempt or hatred, are
| the men who live forever in the works they
| leave behind them.
There are two verdicts of conscience and Of
| history; choose between them. Shall it be said
| of you at length, HE was concentrated all in
self; he was the eagar ally OF the strong; and
| enemy of the weak; he joined with thoughtless
majorities in stonning the prophets and in Eut'
tiuS OppIUUIluluS upOu Uuo WOIlu tIuo lutu
| he crooked the frequent hinges of the knee
| that thrift might follow fawning; he was de-
| void of sympathy, compassion and generosity;
| but wherever he saw opportunity for personal
| gain he pursued it with his whole heart. "
Would it not be infinitely better so to live that
loving friends might speak OF you and think OF
| you such thoughts as Whittier gave to the mem
DRY of one who, though outside of the visible
christian church, pursued with rare fidelity the
| true christian career.
"He has done the work of true man
| Crown him, honor him, love him
| Weep over him, tears of woman,
Stoop manifest brows above him.
| No duty could overtask him
| No need his will outrun;
Ere ever our lips could ask him
| His hands the work had done.
| He forgot his own soul for Others,
| Himself to his neighbor lending,
He found the Lord in his suffering brother
And not in the clouds descending.
All well! the world is discreet,
There are plenty to pause and wait;
| But here was man who set his feet
Sometimes in advance of fate,-
Plucked off the old bark, when the inner
| Was SLOW to renew it,
And put to the Lords work the sinner,
| When saints failed to do it.
Never rode ia. wrongs redressing
Aworthier paladin,3
Shall be not hear the blessing
''Good and faithful, enter in -
AT the close of the Grafton interesting exer
cises were held about the class tree. The re
union was held in Hersey Hall in the evening
This morning the class and their friends 20 o.