The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1883-06-28

| tongue cleaVe TO the TOOL OF my
mouth" After illustrating the in
tense expression of devotion con-
tained in the text, the speaker con-
sidered the awful meaning of the
psalmist, willing to give up power
of hand and tongue, if he did not
prefer Jerusalem above his chief
ioy. How wonderful the mechan-
ism, how various the uses of the
hand! 1t is mans ready servant.
The open hand signifies friendship;
the clenched hand, anger. The hand
is used in religious services; in
prayer; in confirmation. The right
hand signifies power. The tongue
is Gods telephone in man. 1t can
turn the air into a thousand tele-
graph wires. 1t can speak all Ian
guages and sing like the birds;
send messages to heaven, or utter
words that will make hell tremble.
It is the willing servant Of philoso-
ply and science; the preacher OF
righteousness. What intense devo-
ton to Jerusalem, then, called forth
the words of the text
The ground Of the psalmist's S
devotion was that Jerusalem was
the Foundation Of peace: the
great centre of civil, educational,
and political influence and govern
ment. Its chief significance, how
ever, was in it's relation to heaven;
it was the type Of the New Jerusa-
lem, not made with hands.
He urged the young men, that,
while they study and love other
things, their love for the church
should be marked by the intensest
devotion.
The address, which was short,
aboundcd with apt and pleasing
illustrations clothed in a finely
wrought, poetic style; and it was
| delivered with great ease and ami
nation, without manuscript. The
evening being showery, the audi,
ence was not large, but it listened
with eager attention.
For both morning and evening
| exercises, the choir furnished ex'
cellent music.
THE oRAToRICAL CONTEST
| usually brings out the most bril-.
liant audience Of the week, but the
| rain began to fall early Monday
evening, and continued steadily
far into the night. For time it
| seemed that the rain, the mercury
| and the spirits of the young men
were destined to fall together. At
nine o'clock however, the audience
was encouragingly large, and the ex,
ercises were opened with prayer, by
the Rev. DR.. j. Hawkins; after which
the contestants were introduced, in
order, by President Holland. Only
four knights entered the lists, each
wearing on his crest the motto,
s"Who never tries cannot win the
prize
Ernest o. Counts delivered an
Grafton of great excellence on, "The
truth. though the heavens fall" the
subject receiving just treatment at
his hands. Sydney 7. Riser led his
audience to the "Unyeiling of
the mysterious" and proved that
all efforts of philosophy to forge a
complete chain Of causation, and
adequately account for life and the
creation Of matter, must be futile.
He was followed by James McIn-
tosh, who showed in thoughtful
and remarkably well written speech
that, in the mosaic Of human life,
one who was intended for square,
must not attempt to fill circle
that
'iRest is the fitting
OF self for ones sphere"
The last speech Of the evening was
delivered by Arthur Kibler, who in
vited his audience to take "a look
into the future" In an impressive
manner, drawing lesson after lesson
from the past to aid the vision with
which he penetrated the future, he
pictured a rather gloomy outlook,
for our proud, great nation.
At the close Of the speaking, the
committee, consisting Of Major G.
Leaphart, Col. ". J. Assman, C.
NJ. Efrd, Esq, and Col. J. B. Win
gard, withdrew to award the prize.
In making the award, regard is had
to excellence in both composition
and delivery. We were wondering
whether the committee was draw
ing straws to decide the nice differ
ence "'twixt tweedle-dum and
tweedle-dee," when it returned and
announced. through Col. Wingard,
that after some doubt and hesitancy
the prize, beautiful golden medal,
had been awarded to Sydney T.
Riser. A burst of applause attested
the approval of the audience.
We cannot question the wisdom
of the award made by the com.
mittee; but our only regret is that
the medal was indivisible. All the
speeches were of more than usual
excellence. They were not com,
posed Of fuss and feathers; but
were thoughtful and dignifed--ex,
cellent in composition and natural
in delivery. Those who were un.
successful should dull the edge of
defeat by the reflection, that the
prize was worthily won by no I'M.
worthy winner.
THE ALUMNI GRAFTON