The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1897-06-05
BACCALAUREATE ADDRESS
Delivered to the Graduates of Central
by PreSident-Elect II. VI. Williams.

The chief end of life is TO %serve-not
to be served.
Life must have before IT a plan. Let
one object be in view and bend all the
energies of your nature to that one
object. The ship that caves the harbOI
of New York has AN objective point
before it. AS it moves out upon the
great deep it expects to cast anchor III
the harbor of Liverpool. All the
locomotive power Of the mighty swan of
the deep is piled to reach the destined
harbOr. So every life mist have an
object in view To be successful, and Il
general plan by which the desired object
may be reached. The unity of life i'll
its GOd-given powers must be clearly
recognized. The proper al juStment of
each power will render the conditions
of healthy growth TO all The physical.
intellectual and moral powers of our
being are so interblended as to affect
each other in II very mysterious way.
There is such an arrangement of nature
that n Kingdom does not conflict with
another. The bUtaniSt Or ZOOlogIst
cannot tell just exactly where his field
of labor ends and that of the other
begins. for the territory of the one so
beautifully blends INTO that of the other
that no line of 'demarkatiOn can he
clearly drawn. One Kingdom hoes not
infringe upon the other, but ut some
unknown and underline, point 4 ,ndS
and the other begins. In the stellar and
planetary systems there is no cou lllrt-
each sun holds his place and the sub
alternS move un i'll their respective
orbits, anu all in harm my with one
great plan.
In our being there j. a complPXity of
pOwerS-lower and higher. aud each
performing lis separate funftion. Aud
there Is no conflict or even trlc Inn when
power is operative i'll its OWN
legitima e function. But let the lower
begin To infringe upon the higher ar The
higher upon the lower aud there is
diScOrd. ont CT, war. These powers are
imterlUcked as Ia he interirppnlrnt.
and when properly adjusted they work
according Ia one general plan and
subserve one great end character.
which begins in life. is the product of
these combined powers, just as the tree
is the product of IL life principle in the
seed, under the conditions of earth,
moisture, air, heat and light.
Let service be the chief end of life.
and the first condition of efficient
is found in a well poised
How may this character be
developed? The germ of character is
i'll the motive from which the
life flows. The life cannot rise higher
than the motive from which it proceeds.
If life be prompted by a motive to
serve, the possibilities of development
are wonderful when all the conditions
Of character growth are most favorable.
In the perfection of our powers, physical,
and moral, we develop character.
character growth, if service be the
md, then the end becomes the means,
or in serving do we develop most.
The general good is advanced in the
of II individual. In our
ervice to Others we shift the standpoint
# interest from self to others, yet self
owe is perfectly consistent with this
abor for others. Individual develop
nent depends upon the right Use of the
Instrumental powers with which we
W. Eeen endowed-appetites, desir, S,
affections and intellect. These.
ontrolled by the will and regulated by
ne conscience, will cOnduce to the
rowth Of IL vigorous character. All of
hese powers are right in themselves
must be melted, restrained and :
!
Physical culture is the first step to
Elf improvement. The body is the {
,bernacle of The higher powers. and {