The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-14
BACCA.AUREATE At THE THIRTY
FIRST COMMENCEMENT OF
SIiATTUCK SCHOOL.
REV. Mr.. GREEN ON VISIONS.
SUBTLE, SENSITIVE BOND THAT
JOINS THE SOUL TO THE Or
DER OF THINGS.
THE SOUL OF ACHIEVEMENT.
Even Statesmanship Is Mere Politics
Except for Visions of Patriot
ism and Loyalty.
Snecial TO the Globe.

Special to the GLOBE.
FARIBAULT, Mimi, June 13.-The
thirty-frst annual commencement
week of Shattuck school opened today
with the baccalaureate sermon deliv-
cred at Shumway Memorial chapel, on
Shattuck grounds, by the Rev. Thomas
e. Green. S. T. D., of Cedar Rapids, 10.
The chapel was crowded with the ca
diets, the students Of st. Mary's hall,
and the general public, who gathered
TO hear the noted and eloquent
preacher. Those who attended the
commencement exercises year ago
need 10 introduction to the Rev. Mr.
Green. The sermon was carefully pre-
pared and eloquentIy delivered, and
was full of delicate sentiment and
words of wisdom and advice. 1t is
given in part below:
I am to try today to speak to you of visions.
1t is that which every life must have, II II
rise above mere existence. 1t is that winch
gives character, which creates 1ndlVluuahty,
which fosters faith. With 1t labor, toll care,
distress are but the steps on which the spirit
climbs: without it the heavens are ever as
brass and earth 10 earth the eplt2ph OF
being. With II all achievement IS possible;
when it IS lost, the key is gone that opens the
gates Of paradise.
What is vision? What is the faculty by
which an INDICATED. underlined part OF these
complexities recalls cur life, leaves the groSSer
parts of us that are plainly seated 10 the
mortal and the earthly in US, and scars away
ard enters into things that are ethereal and
detached from the nlateriality OF the world?
What IS the Part of us that can see Wis
ions and dream dreams? What does it sig
Nifty by its presence in US? What Is Its mis-
sion to the world?
There IS no doubt as 10 the existence of
this faculty, this part Of US. 1t is as real as
the apparent function of any bodily part or
member.
Il STOOD on the bridge at midnight
When the clock was striking the hour,
And flood OF thoughts came DER me
That filled my eyes with tears.
Stiffness and the swift onrush Of the river
and the shifting moonlight that made me see
visions. and what was II in me that saw and
dreamed and weDt?
l stood in the early morning, in the gray
dawn Of the day, around me the beautiful
miracle Of the green and poisoning world;
above me the soft overhanging OF the amethy-
stine sky, glowing now with the banners of
advancing day; about me the matin chorus
of the bird notes full Of perfect praise. A
moment / stand and the great sun leaps from
his bed of golden clouds and fills the earth
with radiance and glory. And in the day dawn
l rise up INFO an atmosphere CT hope and
desire and purpose. Why did the day dawn
speak to ne? Whence came the vision and
what was it in me knew and felt, and
bounded forth to greet the day?
There is in every human soul power of
vision that is the subtle, sensitive bond that
joins the soul to the great order of things,
that is the revelation of God. It's presence
is the souls title 10 it's birthright, its loss
the souls destruction.
l said moment ago that vision is the soul
Of achievement
The sculptor stands before the rough-hewn
block of marble. To The merely material
sense there are visible the rugged outlines
of the stone. The artist sees vision. With
in the stone is the figure OF his DREAM With
eyes closed to the dull surroundings of his
d1nSy room he sees only the vision. Ch.Sel
and hammer stroke 60 not create. They
are only releasing that which is within; what
is sent away falls in the rubbish, and at last
the form OF beauty sands the vision has
been worked out in marble.
Into the eyes of another dreamer there
shines the light of a VISION, and stone and
truss and arch and architecture spring into
being as the Gothic pile the frozen music OF
the dreamer rises in beauty.
The tone poet opens his ears and sings
in vision the harmOnics that tell of love and
hope, Of joy and victory. and music becomes
not merely portraituTe of sentiment, but the
very soul Itself travelling upon wings of
sound
Nor IS it mercy these things that we call
the supersensual aesthetic that arc dominated
by vision The bluHter outlines of endeayor
md their ultimate goal in the ideal-in
vision.
The busy world of commerce seems to be-
If anything is, practical, devoid of sentiment
robbed of vision: but take away the ideal of
absolute and complete reciprocity the vision
of the complete adjustment of a gregarious
humanity when a perfectly adjusted rule of
supply and demand shall minister to the uni
versal need, and mans very avarice only
digs for him a pit where. Midas-like he
Btarves to death, though his touch turns
everything to gold.
And craftsmanship becomes mere politics,
save when there flash through the mind
visions CT patriotism, and sentiments of oyalty
that stand IN the holy places of life.
The flag is mere Haunting of bunting, save