The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-06-02
.TEUB ExCELLESCg.-

,I!aeealaurcnts Sermon to the Glass of
100 OF the Wheeling Female College
Preached at st. Luke's Churci, Last Eve.
ming. = ~
June, the month Of flowers, Is devoted
to commencement and weddings. The
commandments have commenced, and
throughout this month will average two
4 week. The Female College will on
Tuesday send out class Of ten, com.
posed Of Miss Laura Alethea Bend, OF
Parkersburg, and Misses Elizabeth
Adams Lucas, Katharine Ealsley liam.
ilton, Laura Malone, Anna Eva JET.
fers, Mary Drownlee Terrill, Mary AIDE.
line Mark, Anna Agnes McAdalns, Des.
sio Kate Atkinson, and Bessie Welday
Jepson, OF Wheeling. Last evening
Rev. Jacob Brittingham preached the
bacCalaureate sermon to this class at st.
Luke's Church, on South Penn street,
Island. The class, President Blaisdell
and tho members ofthe faculty occupied
tho front scats, and other pupils with
great many ex.puplls aud the friends Of
the graduating class were also In the
congregation, which was rs large as any
TINT ever occupied tho pretty church.
Mr.. Brittingham's theme was "rrue
Excellence" and he took for his text
part Of the third verse OF the sixth chap.
ter Of Daniel: IAN excellent spirit was
In him."
Mr.. Btittingham said: "When nc.
copied the courteous invitation Of the
honored md reverend President OF
Wheeling Female College to preach the
baccalaureate sermon before the close OF
1890, did so with a little hesitation, for
the reason that / felt 30 uncertain as to
what best to speak on such an occasion
rs this. 1t las always been to me mat
ter Of very grave responsibility to give
counsel at any time and 10 any person,
but especially is 1t SO when counseling
those who arc about to embark upon
como untried undertaking, such rs you,
young ladies, will have to enter upon
when once you are fairly afloat upon the
scaof li!e. You cannot expect, however,
TO remain always in tho peaceful quiet
Of college lie. These halcyon days will
end. The time comes to all who enjoy
such privileges ind opportunities as you
have enjoyed, when they must leave the
haven OF meditation aud sail forth upon
the sea OF active endeavor. Such time
has come for the class OF 1890, to whom
have the honor to address myself this
evening.
You have arrived a! n point where
you must determine for yourselves
what your course in life shall he. You
will soon DO In the condition Daniel
vas when suddenly transferred from
the great plains Of India into the active,
busy world he found in the great city Of
Babylon.
There David, he said, found that he
must chooae for himself one OF three
courses-one, IN aimless, purposeless
life. Had he chosen this lie would have
been no better than the heather abou.
him. But be did not choose this part
Mr.. Brittingham dwelt on the need OIL
labor, OF excellence, and said:
"Delieve me, my young friends, there
are too many people, like crippleB, lying
all along the worlds highway, just be-
cause there isn't enough Of a spirit like
. Daniels in them, to put their strength
to any usc. AS some one has truly said
, There ere countless barges drifting in
pitiable failure on the sea OF life, while
other craft speed on with victorious
sails, because they believe in n guiding
star, and set their sharp prows by com
pass that points only one way through
calm and Storm Then, don't drift
and don't be satisfied with an aimless
life, but soar high, and like the eagle
never stop thy course heavenward, auG
in the lexicon OF life there will be nc
such word as fail"
Another course was open to Daniel. liz
might have determined, as many ayouns
person has determined since, ~ mus
get On in life. l must make my way al
all hazArds, even ii ! am forced
to adopt wrong methods. l must sue
coed even il | have to descend to the
lowliest Of heather. BlbylGn. 1 will
win freedom" Daniel might have
chosen low cunning, sharp practice
shIewd dealing, such as 10 sometimes
justified by those who ought to know
better, in order to gain his end, But i!
he had done that it would never have
been said Of him what "what an
excellent spirit is his?" The Tex
cellent spirit" has goal, and
right methods, or none at all. 1t spurns
tho fa!sehood that Gays the end justiiics
the means. 1t asks no victory at the
price Of honor. 1t accepts no badge
that means slur. In a word, the "spiiit
Of excellence" is sincerity. ! think you
will understand my meaning when l
tell you the meaning Of this word ''sin-
cerity." 1t has pedigree which goes
as iar back as the time when the Latin
language was living language. 1t
owes its origin to IN act OF dishonesty,
which is its exact opposite, and which
came about in this way: When sculp-
tors became dishonest, they used a
cement to hide the defects in their
work, and then it became necessary for
the buyer 10 protect himself by putting
into the contract these two words. "sine
cero, which means without cement. 1t
was by sincerity that Daniel not only
won his way from the position OF a
poor captiveto that OF tho first minister
OF the kingdom, and the speaker i'm.
pressed upon his hearers the necessity
Of being honest, earnest, sincere.
But is this all Arc singleness OF
aim and sincerity the only qualifications
Of true excellence? II So, then Daniel
differed not one whit from one, at least,
OF his heather associates. There was
difference. There has ever been and
always will be difference between the
people OF this world aud the children OF
God. The difference is covered by one
word-Faith. Daniel was comiorted
aud inspired by faith. He resolved to
trust God and be faithful. How beau
tifully he did this is exempliticd by a
life Of over seventy years. When his
enemies tried to overthrow him, not
even the fear Of violent death prevent
ed his doing his daily duty. lie acted
neither the Pharisee nor the coward he
did just us he had done before. He was
a brave, good man, who loved life well,
but loved God better. Timidity wills.
pered, Is it safe? expediency, Is it pol
itic? vanity, Is it popular? He looked
into his own true heart and asked, Is it
right? Aud thus he stopped the lions
mouth aud confounded those who had
RnnnniraI ouoiprt b;,,, I.## ..rr ...