The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-24
ADDRESSES AT BUTLER
THE ANNUAL COMMENCEMENT Ex-
ERCIsEs THERE YESTERDAY.
Words Of Advice from Rev. Joseph A.
MiIburn and John l.. GrifHths-
At Other Institutions.


ing in the college chapel. The programme
was opened with orchestra music. John l..
Grifiths then gave the address of the morn
ing His subject was Literature and Life"
He said. in part:
THE best books are those which make us
less arrogant and more receptive, increasing
our open mindedness without destroying
our reverence. The permanent forces in lit
erature have been the men and women who
believed in something, who had faith in
achievement, not the 9oS fi' and skepties,
the revilers and pessmists. If we are be-
coming too narrow, too partisan, too sec
tartan, too oblivious to the lives around us,
familiarity with what others have thought
and wrought will tend to widen our horizon.
" There is no lack of suggestion as to the he
Harrison's point of view only the writers of
splendid sweep and mighty movements are
that with the limited time at our disposal
any attention given to a smaller author
must necessarily be at the expense of the
greater one. He has scant liberation for
the author that is simply entertaining, and
does not seem to appreciate, as most of us
do that there are times when the Jaded in
a canto from the Inferno" or by reading
one of the books of Paradise Lost or
must find recreation in :David copperfield,'
perhaps, or even in the Memoirs of Sher-
Why is there such lack of candor when
we talk about our reading? We all despise
hypoSeir,isy; The sham reformer the pre,ena-
the Pecksniffs the Urlah Keeps the Chad,
bands-how we abhor their insincerity their
lack of genuineness. We profess, however,
because we fear to express an honest indi-
vidual opinion. / plead this morning for
eandor IN all things; that we speak the
may. Why not be honest with ourselves
and with our friends, and if this or that
which we have not experienced? 1t is a
waste of time to read a book from a sense
that We prefer A window in Thrums' to
The Dialogues of Plato If such be the
case. 1t would be well for each one of us if
or Browning that Wordsworth or Tenny
son or Lowell may have spoken has become
come, SO to speak, flesh of our flesh and
blood of our blood, to abide with us for
MR. MILBURN's REMARKS.
After an interlude of music, President
Scot Butler conferred the degree of bache-
Tor of arts upon Mr.. Virgil Dalrymple, Mr..
Errett Mcleod Graham, Mr.. David Rioch,
Mr.. Ezra Clayton Roberts and Mr.. Arson
Harvey Washburn. Rev. Joseph A. Milburn
presented the diplomas. In addressing the
class. he said:
You have enjoyed many privileges dur
highest of privileges-the blessings that
come through habitual contact with light
ana letters and with men of culture and re-
f1nement These higher privileges confer
upon you corresponding obligations. You
have been favored with an academic Gull
ture, and now it is yours only to give this
culture to the world. You must go forth in
the measure of your strength and oppor-
and how TO live. And believe me when
say that the world needs much instruction,
both in the art of thinking and in the art
esting, but it has the defects of it's quail
ties. 1t is wanting the grace of the spirit.
It is commercial, pretentious, mediocre. 1t
needs light, elevation, nobility, simplicity
lveliness, or, to sum it all up in a single
phrase-it needs the academic spirit. This
to define little more fully. mean by it a
life lived in thought rather than in action.
Of course; the active life has its place and
and its attachments. Life must be mum
dane while we are in the body, but still it
under the power of high CONCENTRATIONS and
beautiful ideals. And it can be sublimated
only as we live in touch with the master
lights. The academic spirit is the spirit
that sees life in all it's detail in the atmos-
phere of love thought and universal vision.
Again let me beg of you to carry into
your life's work another characteristic of
the intellectual temperament. 1 mean the
spirit Of serenity All greatness is serenity
This is the invariable ,concomitant Of
power in the realms of literary style.
give you as illustration of this fact the
an instance nearer at home, the exquisite,
beautiful and graceful style of President
Butler, as eXemplifed in his admirable adj
dress to you last Friday on the subject of
patriotism. That address was a work of
art. It's charm was it's serenity. And as
serenity means power and beauty in letters,
not less does 1t mean power and beauty in
life also. Avoid impetuosity in every sphere
Learn repose calm composure; think serene
thoughts; do serene deeds; live as far as
may be serene lives. And. last, cultivate
urbanity. The world is vastly rich, but it
Is still sadly lacking in personal grace, in
civility, in charm Our civilization is pow
erful, but it is yet somewhat barbarous-it
is wanting in fine manners You must help
it on toward this high end. Whatever con-
tribution you may fail to make to the world
at least 1t is in your power to make this
fairest of contributions-the spirit of urban
ity. You may all be gentlemen, and there is
not nobler aim for man than this
Mr.. Frank Elstun sang "The Erl King"
after which President Butler made official
announcements for the year. The conferral
Of the degree of master of arts upon Rev.
Jabez Hall by the college board of direc-
tors, and the three scholarships won by
Mr.. John Carr, Miss Edith Keay and Mr..
Myron Settle. were of special interest. The
graduating theses of the class of 1898 were
as follows; Mr.: Dalrymple, La Poudre aux
Yeaux;" Mr.. Graham. "History of the Bed
of White River in Marion County," Mr.
Rioch, Influence of the Bible in Liberaliz-
burn. THE Social Effects Of the Norman
Conquest" The class is the smallest grad
uated from Butler in many years. The
cause of the small number is the fact that
an additional year was added to the entire
school course four years ago.