Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1899-06-30

ty, graduates from the college, kinder
Carton, commercial and music depart
ments, ending with IA long line of alum
nj, and the board OF trustees, headed by
Vice President Bradley. The audience
entirely fulfilled expectations both as
TO size and careful attention.
After Rev. Mr.. Monteith had invoked
Divine Blessing on those who were
about to leave the college halls and upon
the college and her faculty as well,
Misses Wagner and Woodward de-
lighted the audience with Hungarian
Rhapsodie" by Low
Maud Hardness Bishop then delivered
her Grafton, Browning, the Prophet of
Hope" In effect she said Hope is
the bright element of character; a life
despairing without hope is one OF the
most pitiful states. Hope, courageous,
joyous and radiant, is vital to all pro-
gress. AS Isaiah is the Biblical exponent
of hope, so the poet Browning exempli-
fies il i'm modern literature. His light
never glimmers, but he speaks i'll no
hesitating tones, the mission of hope 10
the individual who, appalled, with the
greatness and depth of LIES storm
tossed sea, believes depair immanent.
There is no such thing rs failure for we
guage success by motives and not by re-
suits From his very earliest down to
the very last of Browning's works we
find this guiding idea. Yet the poets
own life was most troubled; well may
we ask the question, whence had he so
much faith III times when an ordinary
mortal must be utterly bowed down"
The answer is plain, because of the
poet steadfast trust in God which is so
encouraging 70 mind oppressed with
doubt From this springs naturally the
implicit trust in heaven. AS a light
house is not built for its beauty of arch
itecture, but for the aid which its help
ing ray may send TO the distressed sailor,
so we should regard Browning, seeing,
through all inaccuracies of style and
meter, the true light of his steody, hope
full ray"
Harry Erastus Porter then followed
on manual Training in Education"
Mr.. Porter's speech epitOmized was !:
1.-The aim of education is to make men
useful for actual service in the world.
Does it achieve this end: Three divis-
ions may be made of the students III our
schools: the genius, the man of ordi-
nary ability and the one of no ability.
For the genius we need not concern
ourselves, he can find his own level.
The man of ordinary ability, however,
needs our consideration. He passes out
of school with fair standings, possessed
of a desire to ill some high position In
the literary world. Falling short of
this we see him travelling over the
country canvassing for the history OF
our late war or clerking III some village
store. He is filling a niche for which
he has no ability or preparation. The
unfortunate of the third division is in a
condition even worse. Passing through
few grades in the schools he leaves
with consummate desire to forget what
little he has acquired. He Is fitted for
nothing and swiftly gravitates to the
level of an outcast and thief Our
educational system is like the tabled
bed of Procrustes. It's occupant is made
to fit it either by being forcibly drawn
out or by being cut off. A larger sphere
Of activity in education is needed. We
must educate for the farm, the store
and the workshop or our education will
be in vain What world of latept
ability might thus be opened up. The
triune development, mind, soul and
body will make our age golden one in
truths"
After Mr.. Beckner had rendered
Rock of Ages with extraordinary feel
ing and power, Frances Thorne Booth
delivered an grafton, Italy, Ideal and
Actual" "In few countries said she,
sis the love Of liberty virtue and glory so
widely felt and little appreciated as in
Italy. Yet how far she is behind her
ideals. An Italian republic has been
the dream of her statesmen, cherished
for many years, but when the gallant
Garibaldi achieved il for her she was
utterly unable to retain it, and the
present monarchy has, in the 30 years of
its existence, done but little for the
furtherance Of modern ideas of liberty.
"By surroundings, history and climate
Italy seems fitted for a high place
among the nations. Her clear skies,
and green hills, her location on a pro-
lection into the blue Mediterranean,
her record as former mistress of the seas
and queen of the world added Go the
relics Of former glory and the elevating
works Of art with which her houses and
streets are bordered, all combine 60
render her situation ideal but how
different from our natural expectations
is the stern reality.
Rome Is the seat OF two governments,
that of Victor Emanuel and that of the
church which also claims temporal
sovereignty. Her people are ignorant
and but two thirds of them have voice
in their own government. Beggars
throng her streets, and brigandage in
rampant because of the cruel system of
taxes to which the people are subjected
in order TO support a navy of 2j4 ships
and a standing army of 250 600 men.
"A government of modern methods
would do away with this oppressive
system and wonderful improvement
would be manifest.
Weston T. Johnson. the class vale
dictorian, then delivered his Grafton on
THE World Prepared for Christ "
Every great movement must find the
world prepared or it cannot succeed.
The Reformation occurred at one of
these transition periods and at another
still more unsettled and longer prepared
for, came the advent OF Jesus Christ. The
world was weary of polytheism. Plato