The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-09-27
STRENGTHENING OF CHARACTER.
An Address Delivered before the Alumni
Association OF Sewberry College, New
berry, South Carolina, Tuesday,
June Is, 1893, by the Rev.
Barlow Z. KaInage.
Mr.. President and FcEoav- GrGduates Of

Mr.. President and FcHoav- Groduates Of
Neac6erry College,
Your very courteous and Kind lnvl-
tation to address YOU Oh ibis occasion
was received with grateful recognition
of the honor conveyed, and l greatly
rejoice that am permitted to be with
you to-day and renew those friendly
relations which separation has sus-
pended for number of years.
1t is not my purpose 10 dwell upon
the changes, whether sad or happy
ones, which have come to US since L
last had the pleasure Of seeing you;
nor do I wish to carry you back into
the lecture rooms or study halls of our
old alma mater, nor even her play
grounds. Each of these has served Its
time and left its impress upon our
{ lives. Rather would | have you recall
( the fact that the serious and eXactlng
duties Of life have begun-and not only
begun, but with many of US have con-
tinued for some years past. This
thought makes an address OF this kind
have, for me at least, "a specially ten
der, serious and even tragic: Interest.
For what does it signify? This: We
who have at different times in years
gone by left the walls OF Newberry
college as graduates, and commenced
the battle of life in earnest and for our
selves, meet together each recurring
commencement TO hear one OF our
chosen fellow soldiers relate how this
great battle of.life has gone with him.
He?tels not of his separate conflicts
and struggles-of his faults and mis-
takes-of his successes and failures
but he takes general review of all
and tries, after careful thought, to dis
cover and to reveal their true ,purport'
and real value. If we ask him how
esandzwhen he has learned the lesson he
would impart, he points, as authority
and confirmation, to his achievements,
Sor, perchance, to hIs scars. For even
gvictors, as you know, often bear away
with them marks Of their conflicts,
which serve not ouly as signs Of their
struggle, but also as proud tokens of
their conquest. The hardest battles
and the bravest battles fought or won
!. take Place III the hearts of the children
I of men. .- -
= Therefore, to make an address Of
this sort profitable, it IS well, think,
to have 1t based upon some such evil
Gence and authority this Of which l
am speaking and thus try. to say
something which may suggest, to
some Of those who may listen, some
way or means of meeting and conquer
ing some Of the difficulties encoun-
tered IN individual and natioual pro-
gresS; and so rise to higher concep-
tien and realization Of human life.
u, US, then, declare now truce, as it
Were, in this great struggle OF life, and
%sitsquietly down and think over it all,
and try to prepare ourselves to go
forth again in due time better fitted
4for future struggles, aud gconquests.
( With deep sense Of the Vast impor-
.tapee. of my subject, and Of the urgent
need of 1t in life, and with the earnest
: hope that it may prove helpful to some
of you, venture TO speak 70 you to-
day upon So
-. STRENGTHENING OF CHARACTER.
Long ages ago, SO an old legend runs,
s there lived a great King, whose dearest
wish was that his son should become
as renowned as himself. While the
boy was stillau infant, duty called his
father, the King, to the battlefield in a
}. distant land, from whence he might
: never return. The only instructions
:. the father gave to the mother in re-
gard to the training OF their child was
this: Take hi,u to youder wood every
: >dsy, and let him try to turn over a
huge stone which you shall find there.
: When he has succeeded in doiug this,
! send him to me-" Faithful to- her
!. trust the mother took her boy to the
:: spot each day, where be played around
=. the huge stone, pressing his baby fin
gers upon its sides, aud lightly passing
:. his dimpled arms over its base; and
when weary would fall asleep in its
shadow. Would those poor little
hands so small and weak ever be
strong enough to move that heavy
stone? What long, long years of pa
tent toll it,must needs take to perform
the allotted task.
Years passed. The stone seemed to
!; grow frner in the ground. Green
moss covered its broad surface, and
white daisies .peeped out timidly from
beneath its sheltering sides.
The boy, Older grown, began to re-
alize how arduous was his task. He
iabored long hours through many
years, but the stone remained firm
aud unmoved. But he continued to
.Ssaabor, and strength came gradually.
AT last, one day, the stoue was moved
:.s-only little, it is true, but it was
$ loosened-and then, with almost su-
perhGman effort, he rolled it back from
its place. What, think you, met his
9 sight? There in the spot where the stone
lay, so long, the son found his fathers
sword and sandals. He knew theD why
: the task was given him, and rejoicing
lin the strength he had acquired, and
~ in all the glory Of young manhood, be
waved the great sword high in the air,
and with a glad heart started out TO
Join his father in the war and to share
with him the. hardships of the battle
=.feld. -s
Each of us, my friends, meets with
obstacles that must be overcome
huge stones that must be rolled away
from our upward path. If We con-
lQuer, we add strength TO our characters
.and are enableG 10 take our places on
the battlefield Of lite. Each conquest
We gain gives US greater strength, and
at the same time furnishes US with
sword and sandals-the means of car
:7sFying on struggle that is greater and
requires more strepgth;-that strength
(which can come only through severe
discipline, hardship, patience, perse-
:: ;verance and toll. That is the only
way to acquire this coveted strength.
j: Strength, What wonderful word!
tell Us that the old He
brew writers had 40 less than twenty
five different words for our one En-
glish eQuivalent-''strength Every
possible shade Of meaning was thus
expressed, much Of which is lost in
%our single word.
The primitive meaning of the parent
verb is singularly suggestive, especially
when applied to that peculiar type of
strength which is-''the glory of young
men," Its ancient meaning is "to
: pant; just as one pants for breath
Ehen e&erting every power in sonle
great contest. What a picture such a
l.