Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-07-02

maintenance of civic rights and liberties es-
sential to the moral progress of the race. The
existence of an unseen, omnipotent, allwisc
intelligence, the mystery of whose purpose is
guiding and urging all things on to some far
Off end of good, whose will accomplish
doing our assigned task, is Il truth somehow
believed by the most enlightened of mankind
the world over. think we are all often OPP
pressed with feeling of the trivialness of our
existence under the sun. Why should lite all
labor be, much weariness ana pain, everlast
/ ing toll day in and day out and what have we
! to show tor it? We have got our piece OF
bread; a little knowledge maybe, which only
makes our ignorance more visible; puff OF
! fames breath which lasts only for passing
hour; little pleasure no sooner enjoyed than
gone. we have accomplished nothing per
manent; all things remain al they were. Life
! is Il play that never comes to anything ana
does not pay expenses. What better than fold
our hands in lazy lock and let the world whg
on as it will? II is the meanncss of our aims
that makes work drudgery. "Whatsoever We
do, do it heartily as unto the Lord not unto
men" II makes the meanest work JOY 10
feel that do it serving, not men or our
selves, but the Lord Christ.
The sermon closed with an address to
the class. full of wise suggestions and
sound advice.
-4nnicerSary Of the Young Mems Christian
-iSSocidti0n.
The Young Mems Christian associa
ton of the college celebrated its anniver-
sary on sunday evening at the Congrega-
tional church, which was well filled with
people from this and surrounding towns.
Mr.. Chas. Billings of the graduating
class. president of the association, pre-
sided. Music was provided by the same
choir as in the afternoon, with Mrs. Mi
ner at the organ. Rev. Mr.. DEMO of
Bangor. Me-, read the 18th Psalm and
offered prayer, and, after singing. Mr..
Billings introduced the speaker, Rev.
II nft Ia
cago theological seminary. He an
nounced as the basis of his address the
words found in Habakkuk H., 20-"But
the Lord is in his holy temple; let all the
earth keep silence before him." These
words, he said, suggest the conflict, up
to this time irrepressible. between science
and religion. In the great advancement
of science in these later days there are
scientists who wish US to give over some
thing of our claims and thereby end the
conflict. He then proceeded to state the
positions taken by the advocates of the
scientific panthestic faith as represented
by Prof. John Fiske and his school of
thinkers; showed that they were ridcu-
lous when carried out to their logical
conclusions. and contrasted them with
the established doctrines of the orthodox
churches. His object was to demonstrate
gin at the wrong end of the chain of eX-
stence. In closing he said: II would
say to you, young men, begin with the
temple; explain the world through God,
not God through the world Those who
have begun with the Bible explain nature
best. Begin with the word of God and
i account for all things else through it,"
The address was very able presentation
of the subject, and as it was given in con-
verSational form held the attention of the
congregation to the end, Notwithstanding
the rather abstract character of the sub
iect matter. The service closed with the
: hymn "Glorious things of Thee are spOk-
, en-" and the benediction. pronounced by
. Rev. Mr.. DEMO.
TUESDAY, ALUMNI DAY.
Preliminary -Meting of the -ASSocioted
ilunni.
The preliminary meeting of the alumni.
held at the college chapel at 10 o'clock.
. was called to order by Henry :. Foote,
: Esq, secretary. and W. X. Cray. '16. Uf
! Minneapolis, Mimi, was made chairman.
\ The secretary read the report of the nee
( rological committee. F. &. Swinington
of Rutland, Rev. ii. b. DEMO of Bangor,
, Me-, and Rev. II. =. James of Corinth,
1 l.. were cllOstD Il committee 10 nollllll-
/ ate for officers to be chosen at the alumni
meeting Wednesday morning. The needs
. of the college paper. The Undergraduate.
+ were stated and "A subscription taken up
! to aid in sustaining it. After brief re-
i marks by Chas. NJ. Wilds of Middlebury
I and otheIs, the meeting adjourned to
Wednesday morning.
I Prof. Hyley'S and DR.. Ronkia'S ID
e dresses.
a The alumni and others gathered at the
congregational church at ! | 80 o'clock
. There were seated on the stage Col. L.
0 NJ. Chapman. marshal; Hon. Aldace F.
i Walker of Rutland, president of the al
y y umni association: the two speakers and
+ Rev. DIR. j. ID. Butler, '3G, of Madison,
I Wisconsin. The music was provided by
o o quartet made up of Mrs. Pitts, Miss
!. Cady and Messrs. Graham and Churchill
: Mrs. Miner presiding at the organ
/ After singing, Rev. DIR. Butler offered
n prayer, which was followed by an an
i them by the quartet. Col. Walker intro
d duced Prof. +. ii. Higley '6s, of Wor-
! cester, Mass, who was received will
applause. His address was a clear-cut
:. and interesting discussion of a rather
u u abstruse subject. 1t was attentively
!. heard and applauded at the close. This
: abstract will give some notion of the
), line of thought:
J. In opening the speaker limited AT the dim
r. Guilty OF selecting "a subject and announced
- that he had chosen Language as a Primi
d tive Growth" Modes OF social development
o have long been subjects OF study and inVesti
|. CATION, but since the evolution theory came
o into vogue attention has turned more than
II ever TO primitive man. Investigation i'm thi,
O direction may be pursued on three lines: /
II Language; 2, Myths; 3, Manners. Nowher,
"a We II n hp
Is and little aid can be had from individuals
3 since each is the product of heredity through
s many generations. Language, myths ant
II customs are generally and rightly studied to
r gether, but he should confne his remarks tt
e the former. There are two theories of the or
igin of language-that IL is II creation and tha
n il is a growth; and experiments have beer
10, made to ascertain which is the correct one
:. But il has come to be admitted that languag,
e Is a growth, like other instruments whicl
T. man employs. II may be defined as a growtl
4 upon consciousness. Great changes are Otter
e the result of unconscious effort, such as tina
I wrought by Luther in the German tongue II
2; the study OF primitive man language and ex
a IL.