The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-06-19
COMMENCEMENT AT WESTERN MARY
LAND COLLEGE.
Fine Weather. Reception by President
Lewis = Class Meetings Baccalaureate
Sunday Musical Concert COnimence-
ment Day, List of Graduates, Awards,
Comforting of Degrees, &c.
lReported for the Democratic Advocate

ment Day, List of Graduates, Awards,
Comforting of Degrees, &c.
Reported for the Democratic Advocated
RECEPTION AT DIR. LEWIS.
On last Friday evening the twenty -seventh
graduating class of Western Maryland College
we're entertained at supper by President L.
II. Lewis. Then at eight o clock the whole
school attended a reception given by DIR. and
Mrs. Lewis. The ladies marched down their
walk from the college to the Presidents house
in regular class order, Juniors first, and were
followed by the boys arranged in the same
way. To one who could stand aside and
watch the young ladies as they marched along,
dressed in their daintiest gowns, the scene
afforded delight to the senses surprising
that which will be received from vision of
the loveliest of flower gardens. Over the
gateway leading TO the lawn was a row OF CHI
nese lanterns on each of which letter was
painted, the whole row making the Latin word
s'SALUETE, y which combines in one word
the meanings, "We hope you are well, 1--WE
greet YOU. /" s'Welcome, . "God be with you.
Around three sides of the house were electric
Jets so close together that the light in every
part of the lawn was almost equal to that of
The sun. The students were received in the
parlor by DIR. and Mrs. Lewis, Prot. Black
introducing the young ladies and Miss Ferris
performing the same ceremony for the young
gentlemen. When the introductions were over
| the students separated to every part OF the
lawn and house, and during the rest of the
evening they spent the most delightful time
| imaginable in walking about the lawn, sitting
in the swing, or resting on the rustic benches
under the trees. Refreshments were served
to all, in the dining room. AT $50, the school
very reluctantly took leave of their host and
hostess and walked back to the college, this
time with the young gentlemen escorting the
young ladies in whose company they had spent
the evening.
CREMATION AND EFFIGY.
AS soon as the reception was over, the
Freshman class cremated Cyrus and English
history on the lawn before the college. A
coffin, supposed to contain the dead body OF
Cyrus was placed on trestles while the olfl
ciating priest, II. Fl. Price, delivered the
funeral Grafton. Then an English history
was placed on the coffin and torches applied
by Mr. Price and his attendant priests. A
fine display of fireworks followed. The plan
of the Freshmen was to cremate Cyrus in
order to lead the Sophomores to believe that
no attempt would be made to burn an ettigy.
| Then while the school was enjoying the fire
works, the efigy was to be burned. But the
Sophomore suspected the truth and carefully
guarded the campus all night. AT four o clock
| in the morning, thinking the Freshmen had
been defeated, they returned to the college,
only to learn soon afterwards that the effigy
had been burned as soon as they left the
campus.
CLASS MEETINGS.
On Saturday evening the faculty granted
each class the privilege Of holding joint
meeting to celebrate the close of the school
year and to bid one another goodbye for the
holidays Accordingly, the Freshmen gath
cred for good time in their study hall, the
Sophomores were granted the privilege OF
meeting in the assembly room, while the
Junior boys entertained the young ladies of
their class at the presidents house. Two
teachers chaperoned each party. The hour
and half allowed passed all too quickly for
| the Young people, and when the hour Tor
parting arrived it brought slight degree of
sadness to those who were to separate for the
holidays and possibly forever.
BAccALAUREATE SUNDAY.
! On Sunday morning began the exercises
! celebrating the thirtieth anniversary and
| twenty seventh commencement of Western
Maryland College. The college auditorium
in which the baccalaureate service was held
was filed with an appreeiative audience Of
visitors and friends of the college. As the
male students marched up the right aisle and
the females up the left, Luthers hymn, "a
Mighty Fortress is our God,' was sung by the
whole school as a professional. The pulpit
was tastefully decorated with flowers furnished
by Mrs. Scott Roop, of Westminster
Following is the program of the service
Invocation, closing with the Lords Prayer, Rev.
Joel Brown.
Hymn, "oh praise ye the Lord" school and con-
! gregatipn.
The Apostles Creed .......Rev. W. R. Graham, D. D.
Prayer 10y s' s1i
Clarke and the Choral Society. :,
the Commandments with responses Rev. j. W.
The Psalter and Gloria..Rey H. l; E p ee;
Scripture Lesson; .;..-.-..Rey b. r. Benson
Gau Great and Marvellous are Thy Works, holy
Cty) the Choral Society
President Thos II. Lewis, d. D., preached
| the baccalaureate sermon, taking for his text
Micah, vi, s, "What doth the Lord thy God
! require of thee, but to do Justly, to love
mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God ~
His theme was 'The Irreducible Religion
He referred briefly to the various changes and
developments taking place in religious
| thought, instancng the loose hold denomina-
| tional distinctions have upon men, the lax re-
gard to the authority of the Bible as stand
ard and the increasing use of Sunday for
| pleasure. Passing on to a discussion OF the
! Bible and man S relations to God, he said:
Gods great business with us in the Bible is
/
! difficulties over ancient manuscripts and
questions of pulpit millinery and the forms
| in which we express our praise; it is about
life, about cur way of doing. 1t is about our
| obligations as citizens, about the forms OF
| government we tolerate and the public Off
! cials we approve. 1t rises to its highest fer
vor, not in eulogy of a creed or q ritual, but
in direct appeal 10 put away the evil of your
doing from before thine eyes; cease to do evil;
learnto do well. No criticism can ever elm
mate from the Bible the straight. terse, in
| sistent note woven through every strain OF it
! that religion is, first of alt, just life; a life
among men and for men; a life of just pur-
poses and Just achievements; life good
enough for heaven, but not too good for earth.
If the time shall come to any Of you when
| II seems hard for you to grasp the intrlcacleS
| Of religious discussion and the mysteries OF
| faith seem inaccessible to you and you feel
! that you get no furtherance from the vast
range of bbi ,a criticism, do not, | beseech
| you, despair of attaining religion. One thing
at least may be forever sure DO right and
it is impossible for you to be miserable here
| or hereafter. Plant yourself on this and you
shall find it rock beneath you. Be honest,
be true, be pure, be just and you shall stand
| four square to every wind that blows. | will
not undertake to tell you what religious name
YOU will bear, but | know you will have God
for your father and Jesus Christ for your
brother. You will know all good men for
your fellows and you may at least call yours
| the irreducible religion"
On Sunday evening, Rev. Hugh Johnston,
D. D., of the Metropolitan NJ E. Church of
Washington, D. c., preached the annual SER
mon before the College Christian Associations
in Grace Lutheran Church. His text was a
part of Matt Al, ''What do ye more than
others. His theme was 'The Superior obi
cations of Educated Christians.
He said in part that people who seek an
education must accept the increase of obiga-
tons as well as of privileges. Truth is being
sought, and that which is false is being elimi
mated, but there is much yet to be done along
this line.
No fears need be entertained about the
| frmness of Gods word; the Bible will stand
sure in spite of everything. The advance of
modern science does not interfere with reli
| gion. The survival of the fttest can never
explain the arrival of the fittest. God is now
and will ever be acknowledged as the creator
| of all.
| We should not listen to the ideas advanced
| by critics of the day who tell us that there is
no efficacy in prayer. They say hat God will
not change his plans simply because we ask
him. Does not man harness nature to serve
| him . Does he not command the wafer to