The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1882-06-17
ADDRESS TO THE GRADU-
ATES.
BY ACTING PRESIDENT D. B. puRINroN

Young gentlemen, there is a
turning point in every life, a cru
cial test of every character, piv-
otal experience in every destiny.
Let the steps of your life turn one
way and they lead on to virtue,
victory and Immortality let them
turn the other way, and they will
tread the deadly downward course
of vice, defeat and endless ruin.
There came time when Hercu-
les, the valiant hero and demi-god
of Greece, stood in his early youth
at the parting of the ways There
appeared before him, in either
path, the forms of Virtue and Vice.
Each sought to win the homage Of
his youthful heart; but Virtue con-
quered, and thenceforth he gladly
followed her along the rugged
sleeps of noble, unselfsh life, up
to a seat among the gods.
And so it is with you today.
You may not think it; flushed with
the pride of scholastic victory and
the consummation OF your collegi-
are hopes. you NAV fancy that the
crisis of your lives is past. Not so;
you stand to-day at the parting of
the ways. Even now, your eager,
youthful feet are about to press
into the ways of life, along the
paths of virtue or of vice. bid
you pause a moment, while l
speak into your ears solemn
word of earnest warning and Of
kindly admonition. Let it sink
into your very hearts; and through
all the sweep Of the on-coming
years, when your weary steps shall
have borne you far from this place,
and these halls shall echo to the
tread of other feet, forget not, |
pray you. the solemn lessons of
this parting hour.
To each one of you | say, be a
man, Whatever else you may be
or fail to be, fail not to be a man.
In the storms and struggles and
tides Of life, whatever else you
may gain or lose, see to it that
you lose not your manhood.
Bind it as a golden chain about
your neck guard it as the priceless
treasure of your life; be a manly
man; cover not, cringe not, fawn
not; stand in all the strength and
dignity of your conscious manhood,
and if need be let the widest tenn
pest spend its fury on your devoted
head.
Be an honest man; be yourself
and not another assume no fctl-
tious character, play no fictitious
part; toll in your own field, fight
with your own armor, win your
own victories; Pass for yourself and
nothing more remember that the
coin which passes for its own in
trinsic value will always be current
money with the merchant; hate
shame, deceit and all chicanery
cherish truth and honor and UNI
questioning sincerity.
Be a generous man; live for 9TH
ers, and not yourself alone let
not the contemptibly narrow limits
of your own family, or age, or party,
or creed bound the utmost horizon
Of your sympathy and love and
benevolent regard let them the
rather be broad as earth, long as
time, high as heaven, deep as the
grave.
| have somewhere read beauti
full legend concerning Pandn, al
ancient Hindu King. He was vir
tuous and noble, prosperous ant
regal. He had five promising SON
and one poor, blind brother. HI
loved them all. Sel6shness ant
paternal pride urged him to leav
his kingdom to his sons. Sympa
, thy and fraternal love pleaded 70
the unfortunate brother. Pand
yielded at length to the solicita
tons of his better nature, abdicate
his throne, gave his possessions t
his afflicted brother, betook him
self to the mountain Businesses
and there lived and died in tn
unconcious grandeur Of hi
! noble purpose. amid the sui
) lime solitudes of his unknow
g retreat. Pandu died, but he die
not unrewarded. For the Gods bt
held his generous deed, and futile
> the desire of his heart by placin
! each one Of the sons upon a thror
, of far more regal magnificence an
! splendor than that so freely relil
. pushed by the father.
= This is very simple legend. youn
gentlemen, but there is in it b
4 of the philosophy Of human life.
. the outcome of things, be assure
q that generosity will always wi
y There is nothing in all the vic
= Universe of God that can stan
4 against noble, generous deed.
q the truest possible sense, the da
: tardly, misery self seeker improve