The Clayton call. (Clayton, Del.) 188?-189?, 1897-07-06

how. If am not mistaken your parents
and teachers aye and you yourselves are
passing through some such experience
as this IN this transition period of your
career when you are on the eve of your
departure from school to college, from
boyhood and glrlhood TO manhood and
womanhood. from the careless and roll
licksome idea that life is all geat play
ground to that other thought that life is
the arena for struggle. for culture, for
winning or loosing crown. from the mere
desire to quaff the cup of pleasure, to
that more noble yearning where You
long for some moments in a weary life
when you may know and feel that you
have been, yourselves, the fathers and
the dealers out of some small blessing
Perhaps it is all for the best; for who
knows but that the pain you will feel at
the breaking up of schooldays and the
severing of the present close bonds of
companionship will drive sone of you,
perhaps all, to lift up your hearts in
humble and wistful adoratioA. to the
golden life where they neTer s.ood
bye.
Our services, at this time. mean yet
more. I stand here to day to putt into
words the anxiety we, who are, es
pecially interested, feel about those
whom we are in the act of sending opt
upon the world. We remember tljat
you, my dear young friends. are facilzg
a divided path; one fork runs away TO
the left, wide and gilded and sorrowful
the other bears off to the right, narrow.
difficult, peaceful; the one leads down
into the shadows of unnameable terrors !;
the other winds up on the hillside where
the sun is pouring its light on a smiling
land. As you sit here to- day we try to
lift the curtain OF futurity and see which
of these paths you will take. Is that
your form moving down there pale, hun
cry, wretched. writhing in the coils OF
regret at mispent life? We cannot see
the face; for the darkness hides it. Is
that you over on the hillside ministeriDg
to the poor, esteemed in the community
for helping on every scheme for the up
lifting and happiness of the unfortunatef
We know not; no apocalyptlc vision has
been given us in which we may behold
what will befall you hereafter We can
only wonder and pray.
Another thought troubles us At this
period in your life you realize that your
responsibilities are being shifted from
other shoulders to your own. This
should effect material change in your
attitude toward men and things and soill
if you are wise in your generation. Tits
said that Frederick the Great was seated
at drinking bout with his gay com
panions when word was brought to him
that his father was dead. He rose up in
their midst and exclaimed quite seriously
stop your foolipg. am Emperor ol
Germany" If mistake not. the scenes
through which you are passing now will
bring about some such change as this in
your feelings. Heretofore your parents
and teachers have. in your most import
ant interests, been thinking for you,
watching over you, picking the stones
out of your path before you reached
them so you would not stumble. Hence
forth you will be compelled to think. and
watch and gath T up the stones for your
selves. Heretofore you have been living
under sealed orders as ships sometimes
sail with sealed directions placed in the
hands of the captain to be opened fal
out on the voyage. Others have held II
their keeping the reasons for your cor
duct. You have simply obeyed without
in many cases, troubling yourselves t.
ask WHY. The time has come when you
must break that seal of heavens recorded
will to men and reason out the mysteries
thrown, in half truths and shadow
visions. by Nature and God. on the path
way along which you travel to the grave
"Why do 1 live?'' What is my plact
in the great family of humanity" 80
what were these hands made, this minl
stored with useful kpowledge5" "Hov
shall [ work to-day that when the nigh
cometh may go to the universal slum
Der, not like the galley slave, at night
scourged to bis dungeon. but as one tha
wraps the drapery of bis couch abou
him and lies down to pleasant dreams
You must. perforce, think it all ont fo
yourselves.
We are very anxious for you at thi
point for we, drawing ON much large
fund of experience than yours. remem
Der how easy it is to make mistakes. ID
you know that the primary meaning 0
the Greek word for sin is mistake. !" tn
missing of mark. You may not imitat
the example of Frederick the Great a
the proper time aud say to the idle ant
childish sports and companions. ''stol
your fooling. I am man now; I hay
grave duties to occupy me heDceforth.
You may not face the questions yol
ought to ask just now and the error o
Judgment will not go on rolling AM
growing as it rolls until it reaches tn