Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-07-01
COMMENCEMENTDAYS
CLOSING EXERCISES OF MIDDLE
BURY COLLEGE.


the Week passed.
Middlebury college was fortunate in
the weather vouchsafed for its com
mencement week exercises this year. No
rain came to mar the outdoor festivities
or lessen the attendance on those held in
doors. and the heat was not too intense
for comfort.
The opening event-the baccalaureate
sermon on Sunday, June 2G-saw the
Congregational church crowded to its
utmost capacity to hear President Brain
erd discourse upon the text, Love
worketh no ill to his neighbor therefore
love is the fulfilling of the law" from
Rom ans xii 40. While addressed espe-
cially to the graduating class, who occu-
pied the first row of seats in the audito-
rum. the words of DR.. Brainerd carried
home to the hearts of his entire audience
We give the sermon in full on another
page of this issue of the REGISTER. At
the close of his discourse he addressed
the graduating class directly, who stood
while receiving his parting words:
DEAR PUPILS OF THE SENIOR CIAss:-
During the past year we have almost daily
sat face to face in the classroom, studying to-
pether some Of the momentous problems re-
lating to our intellectual and moral life.
am sure we have all felt the insuitciency OF
human knowledge; we have stood amazed be-
fore the deep mysteries that lie hidden IN our
very being; our noblest aspirations have been
awakened by a view of the pOsslbhltes OF
spiritual growth that lie before us. both tor
- u q. 4, g ..
And now You are about to leave the familiar
haunts Of the dear old college. The quaint
library where YOU have spent SO many indus
trious hours.-the tones OF the chapel bell,
whose summons YOU have listened to for these
four vears,-the inviting shades OF the campus
where YOU have fondly fingered during the de-
lightful days OF Iune.-the familiar faces OF
your instructors and Of your tellow-classmates
will soon be only pleasant memories OF the
past. As YOU separate from us and IRON each
other. we wish to assure YOU in this public man
ner Of our sincere respect and esteem. we
shall have only pleasant memories OF the class
OF 'oS. We shall follow you, as you pursue
your different ways in the great world, with
afectonate sympathy and earnest prayers
for your success. And we want you to attain
to the highest kind OF success, to the full real-
zation OF your manhood and womanhood, to
the perfect development OF your ideal SELF
hood. The lower forms of success may elude
you wealth and worldly honor may fail you;
but with earnest effort, under Gods blessing,
you may be noble men and women-strong IN
all the stress and strain of life with the
strength that comes OF seli-respect ana trust
in God.
ct me charge YOU as you enter INTO the
conflicts of the world, not to lose sight OF the
high ideals Of your college life. Cherish the
unselhsh friendships of your youth. BE men
Of faith. Let not the smoke and dust and din
of earthly strife make you unmindful OF the
eternal verities that shape your destiny Let
not your ideas of God and Immortality and
righteousness fade away in consciousness until
they become mere phantoms of the mind; but
cherish them as symbols of the profoundest
realities. Obey ever the voice of conscience
with answering loyalty Learn the one great
lesson in life, to love the Lord thy God with
all thy soul, and thy neighbor as thyself.
The musical selections rendered during
the morning were well arranged and
carried out. Mrs. G.. d. Miner presided
at the organ. The first number was a
voluntary, the Pilgrim chorus from
Tannhauser. The second an anthem
"Sng Alleluia Forth" by Miss Stewart
and DR.. Sheldon. An anthem, "The
King of Love my Shepherd is," by
Misses Stewart, and Slade and DR.. Wells
was followed by tenor solo, Faith
Hope and Love-" by DR.. Sheldon. The
chorus was as follows: Misses Slade
Fletcher, Miner, Stewart, Thomas, Mrs
Wales and Mrs. Cushman; Messrs
Sheldon, Bingham, Wells, Barnard, Peck
and Stone.
Monday was class day. The weather
was somewhat threatening, but a large
number of the friends of the graduating
class were present on the college campus
where the exercises were held. The lat
ter consisted in an address of welcome
by the president of the class, Robert
Laurence Rice, followed by retrospect
of the achievements of the class during
its four years course by the class his
tOrian, w. B. Dunton. No class histor
ian ever was known to minimise the
deeds of his class, and this one was ne
exception to the rule. The men of '9s
have very good record in athletics, anC
with the young ladies have stood high ii
their studies, so Mr.. DuntOn had very
good grounds on which to build his his
torical edifce. The class Grafton was
next on the program, and NJ F. Halpir
the orator. His subject was one of grea
interest to the sociolOgists of this time
the discomfort of the working classes
Following the Grafton came the time
honored custom of bestowing presents
more or less appropriate, upon the under
graduate classes. This was carried ou
with felicitous remarks to each by A. j
Bliss. j. A. Lobban had been selected
as the class poet, and that the selection
was an admirable one is amply testifier
by the verses he read. We let then
speak for themselves:
Where, deep within the sheltered bay,
The sleeping sea-tides rise and fall,
They kiss the silver sands and break
In music on the wall.
In this calm haven, waiting long,
We've heard the oceans hollow roar