Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-06-24
GRADUATED WITH HONOR,
High school Class of 'O2

On Sunday afternoon the baccalaureate
sermon was delivered before the graduates
and large congregation of friends of
theirs and of the school, by Rev. c. .. Day.
1t was an address full of power, of inspir-
alton, of clear views of the dangers and
duties attending the entrance into real life
of the young men and women whose world
has thus far been the school-room. Mr.
Leitsnger presided at the organ, and the
Georgemalinn quartet sang at intervals
during the service Mr.. Day was assisted
by Rev. j. II. Babbitt of West Brattleboro
who read the Scripture lesson from PAUL.
epstle to the Philippians, and offered
prayer. Mr.. Day announced as his text
Psalms LXXXIv, I: "They go from strength
to strength; every one of them in Zion APP
peareth before Cod
After speaking of the rare qualities Of these
graduation days whose memory abides in fresh
ness,-days of enthusiasms, ideals, hopes. Of ma
turing powers, days whose chief mark is optim-
ism, when comes the feeling of strength and
power to attain all that il pictured in the visions
Oflife, Mr. Day said the best thing he could do
to help those to whom he was to speak was to
attempt to show them how the optimism of youth
can be verified, and took for his theme, The
making good in actual life Of the ideals and aspir-
atOns of our youth - Just at this time Of grad
uation, when one seems most conscious of ndi-
vidual strength comes the most sudden transition
of life and personalities seem at once and alto
smaller stream entering a larger is lost in the
union. Here comes the need of readjusing ones
self under new conditions, and of maintaining and
fulfilling ones self in them. To do this Gods plan
must be observed His plan for each included
the world as suited to each. He prepared the
new relation and meant it for the growth and
strengthening of those entering it. The move
ment of the world is toward the right the ought
to be" surely coming to be that which is" al
ways for higher type for stronger men. The
idea of education is not to call out energy, but
to fit us for the world. Education is to make the
making themselves and making each other The
achieving of ones self, amid the surroundings of
the common life into which one is plunged is
battle, and to possess strength, strength must be
conquered. Hold on to selfhOOd, for God made
each to be an individual, unit, an integer The
fight must he against the lies outside and the
down pull within. \ mans ideal or creed must
be way above him, so that he must be- ever strain
ing and striving toward it. But fighting for self.
hood is preliminary, for selfhood must he turned
to the uses of services In fact two words sum mp
the whole tactics, duty" and service" In this
our ideal is the Son of Man, who came not To be
served, nut To serve. Two great things are Tor us
to do in this service Fear not obscurity, for fes
pattern is woven by obscure heroes; and in your
service serve grandly. Thus the fultilment of
plans and ideals begins to appear, and change
comes to us and the relation of the world To MS.
the world life ceasing to be an enemy and becom-
ing at most limitation. The selfhood that de
votes itself and stoOps to the earth in humility of
service, rises redOubed in strength by the contact.
But a step further may be taken. By this true
living one makes ones self needed by the world,
and then the winning stage in the battle is reach
ed and the world turns to give one her BEST and
becomes the teacher the treasure house. the
ocean of supply And the issue of it all is the
perfect fufment Of Gods plan, the emerging of
the lives that seemed submerged, all moulded and
built up by the experiences through which they
have passed. In conclusion Mr.. Day addressed the
graduates as follows:
My young friends, members of the class of 90.
have been trying to tell you that the conditions
under which God places you for the working out
of your lives are the best, If only you yourselves
are loyal to yourselves and God Is thought for YOU
threshold of life. rejoice with you in your
thusiasms and hopes. The labor is long, indeed,
and the courage needed is great But on your
side are your own true hearts, God. and life itself
Live nobly therefore. Turn all that is prosac,
all that is unexpected into power. You will sepa-
rate but if you follow the light God gives you
to see the light you will find each other Above
all let me say beware of procrastination; work
at oncf today Fiery day is
strength today, on the immediate duty; and So do
it that you may climb to the higher vision Du-
ties Immediately thoroughly done rounds of
life's longest ladder. You are to grow strong by
being strong You are TO find yourselves you
give yourselves So Christ said, and He knew and
spoke it for you. God fulfil his own high promise
for you, they go from strength to strength" 1t
is my expectation that he will 1t is my hope
that you will meet again. In this circle, when all
lives shall be lived. are represent the wide
ranges of human experience. l am glad we can
not prOphesy. Better learn to labor and wait and
achieve But from all experiences and all quar-
tiers have confidence that you will every one Of
you appear before God; and worthy, by His
The exercises of the graduating class on
Monday evening, held in the Baptist church
instead of, as has been the custom, in the
town hall, were of unusual interest, largely
due, no doubt, to the recognition of the
Columbian year which was made in the
program, every number having a historic
or patriotic bearing. This fact was also
recognized in the decorations, the central
features being a large United States flag
forming a background for the figures
1922" This was suspended by evergreen,
ropes, and other ropes of green were grace
fully draped over the platform. Just below
the choir loft and on the corresponding OPP
posite space, on a broad background of
green the class motto stood out prominently
in white tlowers-''Pdlmd non sine pull
uere," and across the front of the platform
was slightly raised bank of green bearing
the letters, "B. ii. S." The decorations
were especially graceful and effective,
though simple. To one seated in the bal
cony the scene was charming one, the
body of the house, almost so far as visible,
being occupied by the pupils of the school,
while the members of the graduating class
were grouped upon the platform. The
audience room and the vestry were thrown
together, so that there was ample room for
all who came. AS the orchestra gave the
first number on the program the school,
followed by the graduates filed in and took
their places. Principal Horne spoke briefly
of the pleasure which the occasion was to
parents as well as teachers and pupils,
marking, as it did, the conclusion of a sue
cessful school year, and expressed his sin
cere thanks for the support given by the
school board and also for the cordial sup
port of the community which he had re-
ceived during his year of service. The an
nouncement of the alumni meeting on
Tuesday evening was then read, and Rev.
c. o. Day was introduced to lead in
prayer. The general character of the sub
jects of the essays and oratons makes it
difficult to do more than give a suggestion
of the line of thought followed by each
writer, Without exception the papers
showed painstaking and careful prepare
ton, and in nearly every case the delivery
was admirable.
The music furnished by the school was
nearly all of a patriotic character, and was,
as usual, eXcellently rendered, the last num-
Der, by select chorus of 16 voices, showing
especially the good training which is given
in the public school.
Miss Cora b. Clay s essay columbus was
the first on the program, aud was a brief com
prehensve sketch of the great voyager, the
characteristics of the age into which ne was born
and their influence upon him, glimpses of his
early years and of his later life, and of his great
discovery of whose greatness he himself died in
Ignorance.
This was followed very properly by Richard L.
t.,Aa