The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-06-23

one OF the most interesting features
OF the recent commencement exercises
at Brown University was the meeting
OF the Associated Alumni in the First
Baptist church at which the Rev.James
Gardiner voss, ID. D., delivered the
grafton.
The theme of this oration was THE
Formation OF Character In College
Life" and II made such a deep i'm
preston that the News presents II in
full as follows:
THE GRAFTON.
Mr.. President and Members of Alumni
Associations:
i count IL very great and undeserv-
ed honor that l am invited TO address
you on this your annual assembly. 1t
is TO be SAD on my own behalf as well
as that % the committee who have
called me to this service. that the dis
tinguished gentleman who had been Sc
lected TO fulfil II, was prostrated by
illness. and at a late day, after other
efforts had failed, was invited-not
to supply the place but rather, TO use
a borrowed figure. like Mettus Curtius
TO leap into the gulf that opened in the
forum. / might ask pardon for my
rashness but who could refuse so great
an honor? My obligations 10 Brown
University are such that / may well
covet the privilege Of an acknowledge
ment. 80 2.vs, w. -a
If / am. not your born brother. II is
long since you adopted me and II is
more than generation that have
dwelt among your students and your
teachers. Perhaps as looker-on in
Vienna, have seen more than some OF
you of the workings OF this grand in
stitution, TO which my obligations go
much farther back than my residence
here.
Going directly from college life to the
seminary at Andoyer. the men who
challenged imy admiration and from
whom l received some of the highest
impulses of life were all from Brown.
Edwards A. Park. the eloquent
preacher. the brilliant lecturer. fscile
princeps among all the divines of that
day. who has just been laid TO rest af-
ter a life that almost SCANNED the CEN
tury-
George p. FilSss, at that time re-
manning as graduate, already enter
1nk upOn lnOrt StuoAtS ho'C
since made him eminent
James o. Murray. my classmate and
friend. late Dean of Princeton. whose
sons can hardly find language exalted
enough to do him honor
The ever lamented Lewis Diman
rooming in the same hall. all graduates
of Brown. you will not be surprised
that at that early day, now nearly haii
a century ago, there was awakened
within me an admiration Of your uni
versity, and personal attachment TO
her sons, that / can never lose.
THEME CLOSELY BROUGHT HOME
Suffer me then to Grave your patient
attention at this hour to a theme close
ly brought home to me in personal in
fiuence even then;
THE FORMATION OF CHARACTER
IN COLLEGE LIFE.
For character Is the man. 1t Is
more than learning, II 10 more than tall
ent or dexterity OF any sort IL is the
mark craven on him by nature and by
grace. the power that gives him signif-
icance with his fellows; for In the long
run men gravitate 10 their true place
and the real strength OF life and the
love they can win or bestow IL sum-
med up In the character they possess.
The cant phrase to make a mark in
life comes from this. though often per-
verted to the notion OF ONCE or, noto-
riety. The mark Of manhood Is charac-
ter. and he who does not possess IL
thoroughly enough TO stamp ii more or
less clearly on others is of no account.
lie doesn't signify.
What. then, are some OF It's ele-
ments? Self-reliancc Is one. 1t Is that
firm conviction which man ought to
have that he Is here to do his work
with such tools as are given him In
the field allotted 10 him. and with the
purpose OF doing his level best. Ii is
grounded in the sense OF responsibility.
the thought that a man cannot be in
the world without doing his share. To
fall back in mock humility and say
others can do -botter in every DEPART
ment; to profess such lofty ideas OF
what has been done i'm the past. or
such contempt OF excellence unless IL
overtops others. is an abuse OF life and
its value.
Whatsoever Is done faithfully andupts
the measure of ones strength deserves
approval. To be faithful over q few