Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-06-26
BRATTLEB0RO HIGH SCHOOL.
Graduation of the Glass of '9l.


says.
The first of the public exercises which
should celebrate the mastering out into the
real battle of life the class of '0l of the
Brattleboro High school, occurred at the
Baptist church on Sunday afternoon, when
the baccalaureate sermon was delivered by
Rev. w. II. Collins, rector Of the Episco-
pal church. \ good audience was in attend.
ance when, at 3 o'clock, the graduates,
with the whole corps of public school in
structors, filed down the asles to the seats
reserved for them.
The service opened with a song by the
Princeton college quartet, following which
Rev. f. l.. Phalen read the seven tn
chapter of ST. Matthew and prayer was
offered by Rev. Mr. Collins. Mr. Col
Inns selected as the text for his discourse
part of Deuteronomy XXI, 3: "When thou
buildest new house, then shalt thou make
a battlement for the roof and an earnest,
helpful address was given. The building
of new house is both a pleasure and a
task. The plans the selection of a site
the gathering of the materials, the pro-
gress OF the structure as it rises little by
little, the final completion, the preparation
for occupancy. and at last the entrance to
it as a hOme-in each step care and thought
is demanded. but pleasure is found all
through, nevertheless. For the better I'M
derstanding of the text, the style of jew
ish architecture was described and the use
of the battlement shown. and incidentally
the Importance and authority of the Old
Testament writings emphasized. The
building of "A house was made the symbol
of the building of the character in which
each one is engaged. the analogy being
clearly shown. Then, again. the new
house is none other than this mortal body.
Know We not that We are the temple of the
Holy Ghost?" The spirit OF God makes
us his dwelling. and though these bodies
die, yet through the mystery of the resur-
recton they are to appear in interruption.
Sin against the body is sin against the God
whose spirit is within The new house
may mean the heart and conscience. In
the receiving of the new heart ana the
training of the conscience the building goes
on, the rooms are prepared, swept and gar
nished for Their % e pant. the Holy Ghost.
Immediate attention 10 the rearing of
have been careless in proyilmg the loftier.
nObler part the Soul. with its defenceS and
battlcments le, them heed the voice of God.
through whose divine power only can the
"housc beautiful be reared. The needs
of help and the fact Of Go Is cooperation
in the work of building were dwelt upon.
In his remarks to the era iuate~ at the close
of his sermon, Mr.. Collins referred To the
time. seven years ago. when he preached
the first haccalaurrate sermon before the
school, reitcrating his statement ma le
then. that next To the dutie, of his office
as rector he held the duty of helping and
guiding the youth and children of the pub
lie schools He spoke OF the many changes
abiding feelingly To the loss OF Mr.. Bng-
ham, and the desire which he had always
had for the development of true nobility OF
character in all under his charge. The
future, he said is largely in your own
hands, to reflect honor or discredit on your
class and school. Many of you will enter
higher institutions of learning, others will
begin soon to bear their part in the world :
battles: but bear in mind that in any walk
of life the greatest thing is true and faith
full service for Christ. Among the many
good wishes of my heart for you is the ear
nest hope that all will he found in the
ranks of the Captain of our salvation.
Prayer and the benediction closed the
afternoon service.
Mondays stormy skies were anXiously
watched by many for some sign of clear
ing away. Though there were still threats
of rain as : y clock approached, the down
pour was withheld till all the exercises
were concluded. As usual the hall was
packed with auditors. and doubtless ii
would have been had torrents of rain been
falling, AS the exercises of a graduating
class from our High school attract and in
terest the public in large numbers always.
The stage decorations, like those of last
year, consisted largely of ropes of laurel
twned with daisy chains gracefully dis
posed, tall ferns and banks of laurel bios
SONS. Across the proscenium arch was
placed the class motto, "Ad summa per as
pera,' below which hung the design of the
class pin fashioned in daisies Laurel
blossoms and leaves also decked the gas
fixtures about the hall As Leitsinger :
orchestra sent forth the mellow notes of its
first selection, the graduates, ~ in number,
entered and took their places on the stage,
accompanied by the faculty, Principal Nc
Lachln, Mr. Howe, Mrs. Elmer, and Misses
Manning, Hastings, Wyman and Houghton.
While the audience stool Rev. w. ii. Col
Inns offered prayer, and the evenings eXer-
cises opened.
The Latin salutatory of Allyn j. Crosby
was an interesting number, enjoyable even
to those who understood no word of it, be-
cause of the ease of manner and clearneSs
of enunciation with which it was spoken
Maude r. Brown, with graceful imagery.
made Echoes the symbol of that influ-
ence which each life sends out, only to be
reflected and sent on and on indefinitely.
Grace NJ. Emerson told of structures
reared "Without the sound of hammer or
of axe SolomOn's temple was pictured,
rising silently to the magnifcence of its
completion. Thus silently grows the hui
man life and character to higher and broad
er planes. All men are endowed with the
gift of life and those natural powers
through whose exercise they may attain
that high character which challenges adj
miratiOn and rise from the common level TO
the longed-for heights.
Mabel +. Lyon in "Social geology
spoke of ancient society and its division in
to strata by the system of caste. She re-
mOnstrated against the present sharply
drawn social lines, pronouncng aristocracy
a relic of barbarisn, and predicted that
the day would come when the human clay
which is now crushed down by the upper
strata shall be raised to higher place.
Flora A. Frost made "Cheerfulness' APP
pear not only something greatly to be de-
sired and sought after, but duty and a
naaI What ba et,u 10 10 tho Ia,r