Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-10-08

ing Class
You have come here not TO be in
structed but TO graduate n we all come
TO bring you congratulations. We are
approaching a point like that at IA wed
ding ceremony when the crisis is past and
il only remains 20 kiss the bride and call
her by her new lame.
There are few days III anyone's life
that are more significant than this. The
day of our birth would be more signlh-
ant if II were not so quickly irretrlev-
ably lost i'll the growing haze of baby
hood.
The great ddy of life is our spiritual birth
day, when we come into conscious
harmony with our Creator. Next to
that is our intellectual birthday, the one
in which we enter the world as thinking,
inquiring, educated, brain cultivated
individuals. Education and character
are the only orders OF nobility i'll this
American Republic. Education is the
process that makes men and women;
and a completely developed mah or
woman, of good character, is the nOblest
work of God. You cannot at present
realize how much this education is
worth, nor how we'll your labors have
been amply rewarded from day TO day.
l. ~ ~ DOoo0NoOAo ~
which pride cannot overrule nor money
purchase. a wealth Of knowledge which
no sheriff can levy upon and no creditor
attach. The only execution that reaches
it. Is that which Us poSsessOr may bring
by its degraded use. 1t is not only use
full but an imperishable ornament which
never loses its luster; and a faithful COM
paniOn of which one never tires.
Notwithstanding your long period of
preparation, hard study, experience and
training, you have as yet but learned
the alphabet of your profession. But the
ALPHABET Is the key to almost all knOwl-
edge. From HerodItus To Bancroft 1t
has told of the worlds greatest events;
with II from Homer TO LOngtellOW
beautiful thoughts, III musical words
have swept all the chords of the hearts
passions from Cicero TO Webster the
alphabet and its combinations have
sWayed multltudes by their choice words
and sentences, whose echO Is still heard
by ears attuned TO lofty strains. This
alphabet, however, makes 1t possible FOR
each Of you to blaze your way through
painless woods, III search of new treas
ureS for the comfort and relief of suffer
ing humanity. All the means of action
and the materials for labor lie every
where round about you. What you
need is the guttlS NJ dpphcatioU, TO weld
them into good words and noble deeds.
You have the power to soOthe he
lOWly and weary, prOtfer Il hand 20 the
sinful and week, power to make sun
shine IN hearts hat are dreary, and
show them the Friend they all ought TO
seek
In your profession the days of your
great achievement lie just before you.
Each has IA mission and there is an
audience for each of you be it small or
great III which you may prove an oracle
or guide. NOu can encourage virtue and
discourage vice. Hope now sings on
the sunny upward slope of life's
hill while you ascend" You are rich
III the unpurchasable wealth of time.
We expect that you will continue your
intellectual life; your knowledge and
training is not a treasure TO be hid i'll a
napkin bat 10 be used for the good of
others that il may grow and increase.
Your duties, service, h|elpfulnesS and
self sacrifice. the noble ends TO which
you consecrate all your powers as nurses
extend from the cradle to the grave.
The world Is hung in its orbit; the sun
set 10 warm ii, the moon and stars TO wait
upon 1t in order that the babe which is
born on this little ball of clay may think
Gods thoughts after Him and be a
student in His university forever. You
are to teach parents and children hygiene
and instruct them in the way Of health
and happiness. Your hearts must be
filled by the milk of human kindness.
You will cultivate goodness and virtue,
that pure thoughts may chlsel the face
and mould the features into forms of
beauty and lovelineSs. 1t will be your
duty TO console and aid the afflicted,
smooth the wrinkled burrows of care and
soften the downward path of declining
years. Even when the clouds of adver-
sity overshadow the sufferer whose cry Of
anguish will reach your ear, you will
speed 10 administer relief. Race, creed,
habits, conditions, all must be overlooked
when anyone created in the image and
likeness of the Gil eat Physician seeks
advice, care and assistance at your ready
hand You will give new significance
and Interpretation to "who Is my neigh.
Dol" as did he who prayed, tasted, suf-
fered aud died for mankind and who
came not TO be lLinistered unto but to
minister. Such a spirit OF service and
b~enevOlence knows no geography and the
sphere Of such philanthrophy is the
universe. The doctrines of the Great
Physician were not instituted to teach
Us 90 be rich or live at our ease but that
all the riches and honOrs Of earth com
bined can not make men happy. He
teaches that living on the service prin-
cipal, thinking no evil, doing NJ 10 others
as we would that they should do unto
as, is the living that strews our paths
with flowers and shields our feet from
the thOrns beneath 1t teaches US the
luxury of doing good.
You now enter
new PROFESSION.
There never was so great demand as
now for preparation and skill in minis
tering TO our fellow creatures in distress.
You are comforted with the fact that
you are now alone responsible for success
IN your professional career. You do no
now imagine, if you ever did, that at
nurses life is one long sweet poem Of
inact witty and ease. There are ~sleepless
anxious nights, back straining prosy per-
iods of hard eaTnest work. There are
many hardships to bear and obstacles TO
overcome that require patience, endur-
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