The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1876-06-15
MARTIN COLLEGE.
Commencement Exercises of
the Week.
Brilliant Entertainments and a
Bright Showing.

ie'oS hiSuS5 anu Tile DTlllldnb showing
made by the pupils throughout the
week is commentary upon the Ell
cheney of management, the thor
Oughness of training and the gen
eral and peculiar adaptability of all
the means used to bring about the
most desirable results, that speaks
volumes in praise of President Riv-
ers and his able and amiable corps
of assistants, and stamps upon the
future of the institution the bright
est and surest promises of success.
The exercises opened last Friday
night in the study hall at the Col
lege with
LAILA, AN .oPERETTA.
A very large audience assembled
to witness the rendition of this
beantiful conception. and through
out the evening, by smiles and open
plaudits, eyinced their admiration.
The stage was beautifully set with
evergreen trees and shrubbery and
all arranged so that not a hitch oc
CURED during the evening to inter
fere with the play. The curtain
rose upon about twenty-five young
ladies playing games and enjoying
picnic sport meath the shades of
the forest, and Immediately the OPP
eretta began, accompanied by the
piano hid behind the trees, and sew
eral strains of the sweetest music,
laying the plot for the play, were
rendered. The general music of
the play was led by Miss Matte
Rivers, who did herself much credit
and added greatly to the interest of
the evening, throwing force and ex-
preston and animation in amongst
the musical periods. Miss Mamie
Sloss sustained the character of
Laila with precision and delicate eff
feet, the sweet music of her voice,
its plaintiYe melody or wild express
sion when occasion required, suit
ing the character admirably, and the
pathos of expression and gesture
showed that she had an exquisite
conception of the part she essayed.
Miss Lula Jones assumed the part
of the Fairy Queen, first appearing
with her band as beggars and meet
ing with kind treatment and sympa
thy from Laila, whom she after
wards crowned for her kindness.
She was, after the first scene, trans
formed to a Fairy Queen, with her
band, in all about ten, all beautifully
decked and bespangled. Her voice
was admirably suited to her part
and she executed her role with a de,
gree of exquisite excellence and
sang frOid that approached perfec-
ton. Miss Mcclellan, the accom-
plished preceptress, presided at the
piano, where she directed the
play with exquisite preciseness,
speaking through the instrument in
tones more easily understood than
human language itself; and she had
the class under such perfect train
ing that not a hitch occurred from
first to last to mar one of the most
pleasant entertainments that Pu-
laski has witnessed for some time
At the Methodist Church on Sun
day morning a very large audience
assembled to hear the
COMMENCEMENT SERMON
delivered by Rev. JOHN MATHEWS
of New Orleans. His text wa:
taken from the 10th Psalm, 130tE
verse: "The entrance of thy words
giveth light" From this he preach
ed lengthy and able sermon upor
the truth of the Bible and the power
of religion. He combatted some o
the strongest arguments of infdel
ity-that the Bible was dogmatic
, peremptorily demanding assent &c
its doctrines. The preacher showed
that man from his infancy was tn
creature of dagmatic influences
that he knew nothing except as
was told him, and he accepted it a
if peremptory demand had beel
: made upon his faith, never rea
soning upon it until he learned tx
, doubt it. God never reasons, be
cause he never doubts; man reason
because he does doubt, and if 20
remove from his mind the posslbil
ity or capability of doubling, h
will never reason, and everythin
that he knows will be instilled int
him dogmatically. He said tha
the object of the Bible was to reve;
y to man the path from earth
Heaven and to lead him therein
:. and not to present to his imagin'
u ton an abstruse theory of problem
II attic theology, nor to entangle hi
in the mazes of revelation. 1t h'
a SIMPLE and reasonable object, Il
D salvation of men; and knowlede
= of how God is to do this is not ne
es essary to be understood provide
\
lie we comply with the conditions an
accept the truth, The study of d
Bible is the primary and all-imPo
70 tant duty of man, and knowlede
\ of its truth giveth power. That
n to say, when man comprehend
20 the Bible and faithfully performs i
re requirements, he is given the pow
Il to overcome sin, to resist the dev
90 to understand how it is that
Nv things work together for those wi
AZ love God. to satisfy the cravings
- the human heart which human SIX