Smyrna times., 1898-06-29
HIGH SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT.
Twelve Graduates Honored in a Week of
Splendid Exercises-Dwight NJ.
LOwery's Scholarly
Address.


Our town Is now plunged into one Of
the gayest weeks Of the season. incl
dent 10 the Smyrna High School Com
Lencement exercises From wear 10
year the exercise grow better and more
interesting, until now it is looked for
ward to as an important occasion in
our town. The citizens Of Smyrna
take great pride IN the High School
aud 1t Is but fitting that the school
should return something TO the people
IN an occasion, which like the one this
week, everybody seems to be eniOying.
To the sweet girl graduates aud the
Young men Just merging from school
life to life's school, it IS but doing them
a gracious honor after the labors OF
many years. 1t is an occasion dis
tinctly their own and it is they who
deserve the 0Ur0 IJopuiQris Of their
friends and relatives, during this i'm
pOrtant step in their lives.
The first indications that Commence
ment week had really begun, was
eyinced Oh Sunday morning last. when
a large congregation turned out 10 the
Methodist Episcopal church to hear
the Rev. Charles 4. Hill deliver the
baccalaureate sermon to the candidates
for graduation. Most every seat in the
main auditorium was taken. and a
number found their way TO the gal
lery. The temperature while warm,
was not 50 oppressive as one might
have thought, for all during the ser
vice there was a gentle breeze coming
| through the windows placed at hori-
ZOntal position.
he music was charming feature Of
the service. There was also a full
membership Of the choir present, and
they were supplemented bv two vocal
singers from Philadelphia. Miss Lydia
| Moore and Miss Name Detweiler. who.
before the offertory, sang a sweet
! duett, followed after the Otfertorv bv
an entertaining solo by Miss Moore.
/ The choir too was at its best, and com
! plimentaTy praise should not be kept
| from those who took part in the excel
| lent anthem, and 10 Mrs. Marion Cow
erdale for her rich organ voluntaries.
Rev. Hill took as his text the l.
verse Of the = Psalm: ''ILs uab,c ~huY
| cndUrc Toreyer: his uaHic ShuU Lc cDu-
/ HHHed rs iCHg a. Hc sllit: and H4eu
| shGU bc Jiesscd ~ him: al aati0uy
| shdU cUU hitc JiesSed." The discourse
was one Of splendid historical interest.
/ classical IN its composition and schOl-
/ AIRY In its delivery. He went on to
! show that the history Of the world was
/ the history Of man and III taking up
/ and searching into the religion Of man.
could be seen the development OF
! civilization and culture and learning.
! This led him into a brief review of the
different creeds and beliefs of men, 10
| show by his research the fulness Of
4 l.r.- I = (
marks he explained the dual religion
Of ZOroster, who possibly lived 1906
| years before Christ, and its effect upon
its followers; the religion Of Confus-
ius, the celebrated Chinese sage who
lived 500 years before Christ. and
whose teachings remain to this dav
Brahminism, the religion Of the Hin
docs, who believed that a man could
only be freed from transmigration and
be reunited to Brahma, by getting a
correct notion OF it and the soul; Bud
dism, the religion adopted bv the
greatest part Of central and eastern
Asia and the Indian Islands, their be
lief being III the transmigratiOn o.
souls through all phases and forms O.
life; MOhammedanism, the religion
founded bv MOhammed. and claimed
! Dy MIN ~ ne tllt Ouiy OFluOuOA cfeeC
existing from the beginning Of tn,
world, the fundamental principle
being ''there is no God, but God, anC
Mohammed is Gods apostle. p"
Rev Hillplaced in direct comparison
with these religions, Christianity, al
!. in his beautiful and logical style, b
set forth the need Of Christianity, an,
filling the highest purposes Of man
Nothing in history is so marvellous a
the spread Of religion. His beautifu
picture-painting of Paul's visit t
Athens, and later to Ephesus, wer
thoughts worth remembering. Chris
is the man in whom dwelt all til
fullness of Christianity, and chris tiau
ity is the power that goes with man i
: the advancement of civilization.
r Turning to the graduating class, h
, admOnished them to live for some pm
, pose, not for self, but for the good {
! others, for the good of the world i
J which they live. There was an impres
! siveness in the admonitions presented
/ that the members of the class will nc
3 soon forget.