The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-05-29
COMMENCEMENT.
The Closing Week of the Second Stat
Normal School at Mankato.

The Closing Week of the Second State
Normal School at Manksto.
Another year in the history of this ,
popular educational institution has
Young minds, polished and trained,
has been sent out to battle with the
world IN all its earnestness, its oppor-
tunities and its vicisstudes.
The initial event of this important
week was the
BACCALAUREATE SERMON,
by Rev. G. c. Pollock, at his church, the
PRESBYTERIAN, Sunday morning. The
Congregational church united in the
service, and the two congregations filled
the church to its utmost. Rev. Pollock
took for his text the 18th verse of the
IA Psalm:
That our sons may DO as plants grown up
in their youth; that our daughters may be as
corner stones, polished after the similitude Of
n palace
He commenced by stating that pro.
gress is the rallying cry of the age, and
that we are told that our development
in every particular is but in its infancy, |
and new discoveries lie ahead which |
shall utterly eclipse any We have yet
made, which thoughts make the future
appear so much above and beyond the
present that we almost regret that we
S%%GmnGnles AM ' ase we Cannot admit
the doctrine in whole however; this
is true only in part, as regards
mans moral and religious stand
ing, for it matters not how perfect
or excellent new appliances may be, or
how extensive new discoveries, if the
progress of christian character is not
Lot NTH thn aHN.o ~ Al N nf
knowledge. Or, as the text indicates,
development of ethics must go hand in
hand with development of power, else
our safety is not insured. Where shall
we look for criterion which shall guar
rantee the safety of the future in this
regard. Reason would say that our chill
dren are the connecting link. and this
being true il is important that they be
properly educated and trained TO assume
so responsible a trust. Righteousness
and truth perpetuates our country, and
without these all armies and other pow
ers cannot save us from decay. David
discovered this, and he felt that if the
youth of the nation grow up in selfish
ness, and are unreliable, then will they
sap the foundations of the government
and all would fail. If they are self
dehyi.-; and true To principle, they will
prove alsoure" of comfort and become ma
tional benefactors. The toxt REP rasents
our sons as plants and the daughters as
corner stones. The figure is an excel
lent one, of high degree, but none too
high. There are two ideas connected
with the text. One is that of life; not
dead but warm and strong. A grand
outer life, drawing nourishment from
the soil within. Every young man has
the inner and outer lives and to have
the latter perfect, the inner must be a
true life He must have a secret quick
ening of the inner soul by Gods spirit.
The life may be known to God, but if it
be vigorous il must show out. Such is
the life which is TO feed and nourish and
when such exists, then the young man
becomes plant indeed. At first ii may
appear simple and inconspicious, as a
simple spot of green, yet il is the life
that has the sustaining element, and
which will survive when others have
faded away. The other idea is, fixed
ness. Stability is necessary to the pro-
per accumulation of nourishment. In
choosing profession it is necessary to
decide upon one, then continue in 1t to
a successful end. In no other way can
young men accomplish success. Too
many enter vocation and then become
discouraged when disadvantages appear
and fit away TO another. They should
persevere in we'll doing and abide with
God The speaker here appealed TO
Young men TO think less of their own
comfort and more of the good they can
accomplish. To remember their own
safety, the safety of their parents, and
the welfare of their country. Stability
is required, and mere genius will not
make up for it.
The daughters, he said, the text rep
resents as corner stones, not rough,
but polished, after the similitude of a
palace The idea of strength and beau
~ has been admirably blended by the
Psalmist. Too many young women
loose sight of this in estimating stand
ard Of character. Some are content with
strength and power Of mind, and care
little for beauty. Such are harsh in
condemnation and severe in criticism.
They talk constantly of conscience.
such are valuable, they are useful and
9tIvuE, tut unaI 10 all. pi.ey ~"., L.
lied on, but are stones without polish.
The other class go TO the other extreme.
They must he agreeable anyway. They
think of how they look, but not of how
they be. Refinement absorbs all. They
would shrink from what Is unpleasant
to their taste, but not from what would
be offensive TO a sterner conscience.
Demonstration is their all. The proper
ideal would be the proper combina-
ton Of strength and beauty. The Psalm
list would have the daughters amiable
but with an extensive back ground of
principle TO give it effect. This is the
ideal of young woman's character.
These principles embody the highest in
structiOn that can be given to young
people. From this the speaker went on
to counsel those about TO leave the
school TO prove themselves worthy in
the world credit TO the institution they
leave and pride to their parents. The
thoughts given here are but fragments
Of the discourse, which was, on the
whole, one comprehensive in its logic
and thoroughly practical in its teachings
CLOSING EXERCISES OF THE MODEL SCHOOL,
What is more pleasing than to witness
Il group of merry, wide-awake school
children, striving to entertain an audi
enCe Of their elders, by reproducing
scenes and thoughts imagined and writ
ten by the sages of the world. On this
occasion the exercises were more enter
tanning by the apt arrangement Of the
programme and the regularity with
which the same was carried out. The
entertainment reflected credit upon the
teachers who had the management OF
the occasion. The following is the pro-
gramme itemiZed
,,,, Maidie Cleveland
Inc Dlscohtchueu 'iaiuS Bessie Patterson
3 Rccitatlon-The Ride OF
Jennie NcNeal ........... Nellie Burt.
4 Musc-Grandma's Birthday.
Primary School.
3. Al Hour with IN Editor.
Characters
Editor-Jno. D. Parry.
CIerk-Peter A. Pcnner.
Eugene Patterson.
,,.o,.., win Meagher.
J Lyle Soaring.
Alfred Buck.
The PrOhibitiOniI Frank TrinQue
RCcitatiOn-G TandmOther's Story
of the Battle Of Bunker Hill.
Dagmar Jorgenson.
:. Recitution-what is itr W yno' o. Marry Marry
:. Music The Sunfiower Chorus.
y. An Oraton-Tho Printing Press
Eugene Patterson.
10 CautatR-The Flower Queen.
Reciuss-Jno. +. Morse.
ROse-Alma &. Hartman.
Crocus-Efie Mead.
Dahlia-Karen ThrOdahl.
FiOWsys| HeliOtrope-Fanny Pitcher
Mignonette-Nellie Burt.
Japonica-Maud Fowler.
Violet-Mary Coon.
,,,-,, Marion McClelland.
The attendance was large, and we dare
say no keener interest has been shown
toward any occasion of the week than
was manifest here, due, perhaps, to the
La th.a takI In