Smyrna times., 1896-06-24
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES HONORED
A Week Of Splendid Exercises and Good
Talks on Educational Lines.

High ScnOOl began SUNDAY morning
with q sermon to the graduating class
by Rev. Adam Stengle, of the Asbuly
NJ. E. Church of this town. This is a
new feature in the Commencement
program and after the idea of College
COmmencements. Heretofore Com
mencement has been crowed into one
evening, but under the management of
our enterprising principal, Charles
Howell LeFevre, our citizens are
treated to program that has eclipsed
any ever given since the consolidation
of our Public Schools.
The services opened Sunday morn
ing at the NJ. E. Church with an organ
voluntary followed by the customary
order of opening. The class of '96
with Principal LeFevre, occupied the
front pews of the Church as follows:
Misses Maia E. FAIRIES, Mala u. |
Buchanan, Florence B. Taylor, Byrdie |
| W. Ransom, Estella Armstrong, Cor |
nelia Refs, Nellie Legg, Katie NJ. Bur
rows, Anna B. Beckett, Eva G. W. |
| Vickers, Helen Nelson Brown. Messrs.
G. Herman Pierce, George H. Denney
and Gilbert S. FAIRIES.
| When Rev. Adam Stengle arose to
| deliver his sermon, before announcing
his text, he turned to the graduating
class and thanked them for the honor
conferred upon him to address the
class and hoped that he might utter
some thought which would give them
inspiration. Looking down at the
class which sat before him he uttered
two distinct propositions: "NO life Is
n success save that of which the
Supreme Judge says ''Well Done
''YOu hold they key to your destiny
and many admit yourself to high
place or a low place"
He then gave his text from Deuter-
OnOmy 1, s; 600 in and possess the
land" Taking up a line of thought he
made an able and eloquent discussion.
The first question considered was'' 'The
character of the land to be possessed
of which he named the material intel
, lectual and moral. '"rhe condition
of its possession" was that of con-
quest and occupation and the "quali-
ficatiOn necessary to take possession"
was: the holy spirit the holy bible, an
intellectual faith, and educated mind,
a lofty and steady aim, and strong
| purpose.
The sermon was strong and
masterly effort to lay these foregoing
: principles before the '96 graduating
class and was we'll appreciated as was
/ manifested by the splendid audience
| winch was k6pb III Idpb dbb6ublOl
throughout the discourse.
= THE ANNUAL ADDRESS.
= On Monday evening, despite the hot
= weather. q fair audiance turned out for
t the Opera House to hear the annual
n address to graduates by the Rev.
: Stanley LeFevre Krebs of Reading,
Pa. The program opened with a
sweet piano solo by Miss Eba Wilds
II after which Principal G.. II. LeFevre
v in few we'll chosen remarks intro
duced the speaker, the honOred guest
o of the evening.
! From the very start the speaker
showed himself to be apOlished orator.
. He announced his subject to be
Drifting" and opened with a graphic
picture of his visit to the Bay OF
= Naples, drifting with the tide under
/ most bewitching gcircumstancesth through
l. the historic scenes of Italy.
u Drifting is submerging your in
l. dividuality into the masses, the one
~ purpose to reach the harbor beyond
y though sometime over rOckyways anC
troubleous seas. A man is a wonder
fully and divinely made mechanism
In He is in the drift of life with purpose
lg vet a human derelect floating in un
in known seas.
ne How easy it is to influence drifting
" The law of drift is always downward
lie and to danger. There is no rOya
tie road to success in life. Resistance t.
Mt drift is culture, physical, mental anC
spiritual culture. This is the tru
secret to success. Resistance to drift
must be co-extensive with the drift; it /
le universal. 1t is found in the vegitabl
~ kingdom where plants are allowed t.
81, grow carelessly, where gardens are al
~ lowed to grow to weed Likewise is
- found in the animal kingdom. Som
sr foe awaits to attact every existence
20 Tt This is the universal law of drift
= - The mind if left to itself will limi
a. a. itself to the narrow confines Q
0N morbidness and escentricity. Instea'
of reading and cultivating that facult
which you need, you will only rea'
ITr that which you want, the pleasure
ny the moment. A mind left to itse
ne will run to weed and disuse. Cultur
III in success is always uphill work
40 There is no intellectual culture so hig
Vi that is not drawn downward by SUI
u rounding tendencies. There is no dt
scent so low but what imperceptibl
drifts from a great height. The 9rea
an question is to resist this dOwnwar
as tendency.
nd Why do people driftb Simply b,
'ut cause they want to. Eight out {
ice every ten at the end of School lii
cir break off from ambitious study an
I'LL drift with the tide. Commencement il
a stead of beginning life with purpose
tie with many, means and end of effort
lch The speaker waxed eloquent as /
pointed the great drifting influences
life. The ladies he said give up the
IN, ,,oo1t.i o6 1ifo uybio
of made their maiden days so charmin
and allow them to drift away into di
use. And what is in social life is four
AM in every walk of life. In politics Il
oon cultured people drift into carelessnei
PA and allow the saloon to name Il
Pm candidate who shall govern the
Pm municipality, state and nation and Y
An never take part. They allow the
Pm ship of state to drift with the salOo,
e This is is the root of the labor caus
The educated men allow the legislati'
>, power to drift beyond their grasp al
az az the wealth of nation into the han
sen of q few. In speaking of the accum
use US lation of wealth he said the abnormal
M los- rich, the minority, rule the maiori
ys11 of to-day. Capital is arrayed again
.ooI labor and the middle classes thinking
~ must always remain so, are driftin
.IcA @ drifting with the current.
WEI What we need is men and wom
,@lcA @ who will go into life and resist t
res res drift. Good and evil exist everywhel
lese i It is from the current of evil that
7h'' drift eminates. Families are split
by societies and here the speaker gre
rch earnest in his declaration against su
TO social interests and the drifting i
Jar huences causes in family circl,
Il; What we need he said was person
tent and individual activity and illustrat
'ted by pointing the life of st. Paul W
eco has exerted more activity in the woT
OF than any man who ever lived outsi
ana of the Man of Gallilee His tribute
ing; st Paul and his life of earnest wo
rent was beautifully pictured and made
{ cclbi- impress on his appreciative audian'
lahs Every great movement of the worl
,oou progress has been done by q few acti
use. workers at the start. Resolutio
never count for anything unless
year piled. One determined active IN
osed aocomplishes more than man with
mer hundred resolutions. The speak
| at drew graphic picture of personal a
The individual activity in General Hooke
sted charge on Look out Mountain duri
and our recent civil war The scene v
lr11 | 1 I