St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-06-21
COMMENCEMENT WEEK.
The Bnccnlaurente.

The Bnccnlnurente.
The South church was crowded last
Sunday evening to listen to the bacca-
laureate preached by Rev. DR.. Ozora ),
Davis, of Springfield a graduate OF the
Academy in the class of 1885. The front
OF the pulpit was banked with lilies and
wild flowers and excellent music was
rendered by the chorus choir. Rev.
George w. Hunt OF Grace Methodist
church conducted the opening exercises,
reading the scriptures and offering the
prayer.
DR.. Davis chose his text from John II:
10: "And for their sakes sanctify my
SELF" He said he would paraphrase the
text For the sake OF others | have done
my best" and speak to tie class upon
the purpose of character. Among other
things DR.. Davis said, Character is the
supreme product as love is the supreme
force OF life. But character is force as
well as product. The great forces OF
this world are personal. The individual
who does what he will contradicts all
law. No student of history could have
predicted Martin Luther. He was law
unto himself.
Every human soul is riddle, but one
point is certain, man is made what he
becomes by the operation Of forces on
him that are personal and not by the
operations OF mechanical law. Character
is thus cause and effect in one. The
energy of personal character is one of
the mightiest forces in the world. A
man is finally judged by just what that
man is worth. Jesus Christ made no at
tempt to reach the multitude. He said
over and over again, see that We tell it
unto no man. He knew that ne could
not succeed with the crowd. Better
Jesus alone with Peter and John than
Jesus surrounded with the multitude
waving palm branches.
"The great purpose OF every life is the
culture of the highest powers OF the soul.
This requires self sacrifice. We have a
notion that selfsacritice means puny and
weak living. 1t is sacrifice, but it is a
sacrifice OF something-of your best self.
The call to selfsacritice is not the call to
surrender, but the initial clarion note to
yield somewhat to others. 1t is not a
negative quality of the soul. The real
business OF life is the culture of the soul
and the attainment of character as
divinely beautiful as that of Jesus Christ.
What is the purpose OF all the charac-
ter and success | have been urging you
to win? 1t is for the sake OF others.
You cannot save your own soul. If you
fail to give Others your best you rob
Others OF their right and God of his due.
How divine this makes the matter of
living. Your education is not merely
paration for the task Of life. What you
have learned in st. Johnsbury Academy
is relatively little, but how unsel6shly
you have learned to give what you have
learned is everything. Personality is the
great saving force OF life. The world in
Gods good plan is saved by men and
you are to be saviours OF men if You do
with your lives what Jesus did with his"
The closing address to the class was
the finest ever heard here, being the al
legory OF the angel in the marble and
hitting close to a great discourse.
Public Speaking.
Following is the programme of the
annual public speaking at Music Hall
last night:
Van Bibber's Rock. Banks
Ida L. Beck.
The Old Bell Ringer. Werner
Sarah A. Craig.
Making Him Feel at Home, Locke
Florence ]. Powell
Henry E. somers. ''--
Music.
Almiry Ann, Werner
Jennie Z. Poole.
The Baby's Good Night, ANONYMOUS
Annie Z. Lacasse.
DR.. Broadfoots Accident. Sessions
S. Helen Hail.
Music
A Railway Matinee, Burdette
Alfred B. Houston.
Race for Life, ANONYMOUS
Ethel NJ. Galbraith. anu" NOUS
Money Musk. Taylor
The Class Day exercises will be held on
the Academy grounds Thursday after.
iiooh az r CioSh, anu tne class recep-
ton at the Museum at 730, Thursday
evening.
Graduating Exercises.
Friday morning at $50 the class O,
AZ will be graduated, with exercises at
Music Hall.
PROGRAMME.
Music.
Prayer.
Music.
Essay with Salutatory Addresses To- s,.
tutissimus ibis, =" A'sui0
Alice May Johnson, st Johnsbury.
Grafton. Self.made Men in History
Earnest Lionel Clark, St Johnsburv.
Grafton, The Citizen Soldier. 'y'
Ralph George Gibson Ryeeate
Essay, The Tyranny Of Public Opinion
Mary Jane Nelson, St Jobnshnrn