The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-11


| ows of these venerable oaks to this hal
lowed little House OF Prayer and to en-
ter into the spirit and joyousness OF this
| occnsion. Ii ia no small privilege for
those of us who are older and have longer
borne the burden and hent OF the day,
to have our hearts gladdehed by the
happiness and hopefulness Of the inno-
cent young faces and fair forms, and to
| sit under the spell of the sweet voices
| that lift us to the contemplation Of high
| err and holier things, We recnll our own
| youthful days. We share with You the
| bright hopes and innocent joys Of this
| red-lctter day III your calendar.
1--WE can even understand the keen an
| ticipation OF delight that COMES 10 You
| nt The prospect of an early reunion win
| loved ones at home, ami We would fogn
| dspc if we might, for this day at least,
| the slightest shadow that might mar the
| serenity OF such sunshine with the
| thought of the severance of The ties mat
| for years have "a closely bound YOU to-
| gcthcr as classmates and ms pupils and
| teachers and friends or with the atill
| more sober sense of responsibility Incl.
| dcnt to the end OF ones school days aud
| the entrance upon the scyertr duties Of
| life.
but these exercises. in a measure nt
| least, might have been ours elsewhere.
| These exercises might have been held In
| larger building "a at Metropolitan
| Hall or the Opera House, and so under
| circumstances perhaps of greater cclat,
| of more show and parade and popular
| notoriety.
Yet. to my mind, at least one of the
| chief charms OF the annual closing cx-
| erciscs OF this dear old institution Is that
| they have never, in all its 81 years his
| tory, taken place elsewhere than ON these
grounds and in this sweet little chapel.
"St Mary's has always stood for mod
| est merit and not for popular show.
Like Il halo of glory the precious in
| fuences OF our holy religion are thrown
around her children at their first entrance
| into this modest little sanctuary, and
day by day-on Sunday and holy day
and every day--are they led here for
prayer and praise to the loving Father
and taught the beauty of holiness. And
at the end--when they are to go forth in
to the busy battle of life they are again
summoned here-as on this day-to re-
ceive. with their countless tender assoc
| Citations, the parting benediction of these
hallowed walls.
This to some, may seem Il small mat
ter. | think it means a great deal. 1t
means that st. Mary's is, first of all,
School for Christ. 1t means that while
| the highest culture is not wanting for
| the mind and the body; that while music
| and art and all the other accomplish
ments that adorn and beautify true wo-
manhood-'that our daughters may be us
| the polished corners of the temple'-that
while these things receive their due share
| of attention. still they are here held as
| subordinate to the ornament of Il meek
and quiet spirit, which is, in the sight
| Of God, of great price
1T means, in short, the difference be-
| tween a Christian education and mere
| scholar education.
| The question of the day is Education
| with God or without God, creedless
school where the young may believe any
| thing or nothing, or a Christian school
| where they are brought up in the nur-
| ture and admonition of the Lord and
| grounded in the faith of their fathers
Il believe there was never a time in
the history of this country where the out
| look was more critical and ominous than
| the present.
Outside enemies are clamoring at the
| doors of the church, crying, Down with il,
| down with it, even to the ground 1t is
| is impossible to mis-read the leading
| tendencies OF the age. Let the franchise
| be practically placed in the hands of
| everyone-as is now well nigh the case
and what will the future Of the Church
and the State be, when this great power
is welded by those who have been
| brought up without any definite religious
faith?
rs it not true that much of the policy
| of the day is TO shut God out of our
schools as in some quarters He has been
shut out of the Legislature and COM
| merce? Is is not true that in certain
schools and universities pupils are taught
by those who openly profess unbelief and
talk of the incarnation and kindred
doctrines as beautiful mythsY And is
it not true that if God is left out of our
education, if the brain is taught and the
soul forgotten we are training recruits
for the revolutions, the atheism, and the
anarchy of the future?
Matthew Arnold tells us how he heard
children questioned in a French school
and asked to whom they were indebted
| for their comforts and advantages, their
books and pictures, their schools and
beautiful city. And the answer came,
MY country is my benefactor." God is
shut out of the schools of France and we
see the result. Said famous French
Bishop at critical period in the history
of that unhappy country, The hope of
France is in our mothers My friends,
it is true of every country and at all
| times.
every good man owes the best part
| Of himself TO his earliest and best teach
er-is mother.
I'm every age women have mainly
made the history of the world. Men for
the most part have done the deeds, but
women have made the men and led the
| men.
"And the sphere Of her mighty infu-
ence for good or for evil is the Home Cir
Gle. This is her kingdom. Here she has
no rival. She reigns supreme. And for
this first OF all she should be educated
and trained. Not to enter the lists with
men in their headlong pursuit of wealth,
for power or place; not for the hastings,
nor the platform, nor the Legislature,