St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-06-13
LYNDON INSTITUTE.
Bacca1aureate at the Church.

ating class was delivered in the Free
Baptist church Sunday afternoon by
Prof W. E. Ranger The house was
handsomely decorated with ferns
and flowers and there was the usual
large attendance. Excellent music
was furnished by the St. Johnsbury
North church quartette, consisting
of Mrs. J. H. Humphrey, Mrs. P. F.
Hazen, ]. II. Humphrey and E. A.
Silsby.
The theme of the discourse was
THE Christian Commonwealth"
with texts taken from Romans -:
4 and 5 and Ephesians 2: 10. So
cietv, said the speaker, is the result
of mans social nature. In the crea-
ton of man society was created.
The institution of government was
rendered necessary by the selfishness
of man. Government when once eS-
tablished becomes mighty force in
determining the character of the peO-
pie. There are two ideas or princi-
pies in a nation, the divine right of
kings and the equality of rights.
One makes men masters and slaves;
the other makes men free. Both
doctrines are very old. The demo-
cratic idea is not of modern origin.
The progress of the world has been
marked by its development. Yet we
are not entirely free of the idea that
one man can rule another. The con-
f1ict with these two ideas began in
Rome when the walls were built.
After a republic which lasted 500
years a Caesar became master of the
Roman world. Far different from
this was the development of freedom
in our nation. But someone asks,
will our American republic endure !?
We cannot say. But Gods truth
will live and the divine principles Of
fraternity and freedom will endure.
If these become the principles of our
government it will endure. There is
no country in Europe where the
equality of rights is not aSSailing
mOnarchleS.
In passing from the worlds COM
monwealth to the christian COM
monwealth we pass from the seen to
the unseen. The principles of frater-
nifty, equality and freedom are preva
lent here. Ours is a christian gov
eminent and most resembles the
much of heaven on earth. What is
the location of the christian COM
mOnwealth Our kingdom extends
from ocean to ocean and its Alaskan
finger extends so far westward that
it is lighted by the same sun that
warns the eastern coast. The chris
tan commonwealth is the unseen
universe. The kingdom eternal is
boundless. Man lives mostly in the
unseen. His most deepest cravings
are for the unseen. The kingdom
of God cometh not by observation"
At the birth of Christ the world
was charged with the monarchical
idea. 1t expected the restoration of
Israel's power. With Calvary their
hopes for a temporal kingdom were
ended. But the christian common
wealth had been founded. 1t en-
larged its borders and love and peace
extended their sway. Today the
christian commonwealth has its citi-
zens in every land. We are fellow
citizens of christian kingdom and
thecolonists of God on earth.
The sermon closed with the address
to the graduating class after which
the class hymn was sung, written by
a member Of the class, Miss Evelyn
]. Winslow.
The Prize Speaking.
The middle class prize designations
at the Institute on Monday evening
were largely attended and it was one
Twelve out of a class of % partici-
pated in the exercises which were in
terspersed with most acceptable nu-
sic by the Carol quartette of St.
Johnsbury. The committee of award
were O. d. MathewsOn of WheelOck,
r. H. Rice of Lyndon Centre and
Walter Sampson of Lyndon. The
ladies' prizes were taken by Carrie l..
Eaton of Lyndon and Josephine M.
Hartman of st. Johnsbury Centre.
The gentlemen who took prizes were
Edwin NJ Nichols and Osborn NJ
Perkins, both of this village. DR..
Frank Hodgdon of Peterboro, n. H.,
a former student at the Institute,
gives one of the prizes each year.
The Annual Address.
Ex-senator J. w. Patterson of New
Hampshire was the orator this year
address to a small audience in Music
hall on Tuesday evening. In his sub
ject, "A run through England and
Scotland,' the audience were taken
to Liverpool, Chester, London, Ok
ford and Windsor castle in England
and to Edinboro, Stirling, Glasgow
and the lake region in Scotland. The
speaker described his visit to the
House of Lords and House of Com
mons, Surgeons tabernacle and the
bank of England which covers eight
acres and employs 1000 clerks. In
closing the senator paid a glowing
tribute to Shakespeare, though he
confessed that he sometimes believed
that his plays were written by Fran
els Bacon.
Wednesdays Exercises.
The examinations which cOmmenc-
ed Tuesday afternoon continued
through Wednesday and were fairly
well attended by the visitors. In the
afternoon the alumni held business
meeting and in the evening they held
a banquet at Webb's hotel. Besides
a goodly number of toasts a humor-
Gus poem was given by Herbert E.
Walter of Bates college.
The Graduating Exercises.
The graduating exercises will take
place this Thursday morning at
Music hall, when a class of eight
graduate in the regular department,
and Is in the commercial depart
ment Eastman'S orchestra of Man
chester play for these exercises. These
L
partment: Myra |. Bean, Lyndon;
Grace w Cahnnr1 / nr1ndn1l Ed I'd