The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-06-04
PARABLE OF The TALENTS
A Powerful Address Delivered at the
University.
SUNDAY AND MONDAY OF COMMENCEMENT
The Annual REUNION Of the Literary Societies
Held Last Night. Several of the Old
Buys" We're Called Upon
and Spoke.

Chapel Hill, n. c., June 3.-Chapel
| Hill holds itself in all the year for one
| gala commencement. 1t began
| Yesterday morning a the tap of the bell
the senior class, fifty, all capped and
gowned, marched into Gerard Hall for
the baccalaureate sermon by DR.. Car
ter Helm Jones, of Louisville, KY.
Dr. Hume in that grand quiet style of
ident Venable in a few well chosen
words then introduced the preacher OF
the occasion.
Dr. Jones has not the physical weight
of his father, but he shows his blood and
fire small and spare in appearance.
DIR. Jones, in the course Of his thought,
seems bodily to be lifted up by his
words. The thought is so evident that
we forget the man in it:
He read the 25th chapter Of Matthew
the parable of the talents The last
four words-mine own with interest
constituted the text The theme of the
discourse was "Christ's call 70 higher
culture" Three lessons come from this
parable at once. First, we are born with
different talents and endowments. AS
there are no two leaves just alike. so
no two human beings are born under
the same circumstances.
Second. God leaves us to choose the
way in which we shall. use our talents.
This age is laying, as never before,
stress upon this power CT individual
choice. There is no bar sinister,
there is no evil star for us" Nothing
prevents anyone from being all he
can be. God leaves it in our hands; we
may do what we will.
Third There is a day of accounts.
God has lent us the talents There
must come a day on which accounts
must be squared. The Judgment is
with us, around us, and is waiting for
us IL The future.
This led up to the real theme-Christ's
Call to Culture.
What is a mans capital? The first
duty of a man is, as Kipling said of the
ship, to find himself. Our duty of the
University is to help men to find them
selves. Let every man sit down and
count up his stock, land of birth, age,
home, loved ones, mental endowments
and possibilities. First let a man learn
his limitations, what he can not do and
push it aside. Let there be no misfits
his place has made true account of his
stock. He has a true inventory.
"Have you made that inventory and
cast up the true account? If you have
then listen to Christ's Call to Culture
1t is for a man to be true to himself
If man be true to himself, he will
make things tell
This above all things else,
To thine own self be true.
For man to be true to himself means
that he is in touch with God. St. Paul
had this idea. If / may lay hold of that
for which Twas laid hold of, l become
part of God But a man must not
work for himself alone. He must hear
Christ's call for the sake of others
First for the loved enes at home he
must hear it, Thought may be told.
There are feelings which cannot be told
When DIR. Jones rose to this part of his
subject, the knowledge of the fact that
there were many loved ones who were
thinking and praying for those fifty
men brought tears to many eyes.
Il remember as if it were yesterday
when in lone college room in distanl
city, / threw myself at my bed and
cried: oh, God! make me all my low
ed ones expect me to be. That was no
low ideal DIR. Jones here made very
touching reference to the old soldiers
building up the broken fortunes of the
South. Every man is the star of hope
for some hearts; let that star shine for
them. Hear Christ's call to culture for
your country's sake. Peace has high
er patriotism than war. The new CEN
fury must be met and dealt with.
loes 4iCrINf tab fI,n fol- re
| which his country needs, and cover
| them up in the earth. At the bar, in
| the office. in the field, everywhere,
man must listen to the call Of his coun-
| try A man has no right to sell himself
| either to corporation or to his own
selfishness'' Here the preacher made
| most affecting reference to the wedding
| of the blue" and the gray in the
persons Of General Grants son and Fitz-
| hugh Lee. The fact that he is a son of
a noble old Confederate made his words
! the fuller of tenderness.
Hear Christs call to culture for the
sake of God. God did not give YOU
| your talents, he lent them to you. What
| right have you to carry back to God
simply his empty oWn?'
You are the first graduating class of
! the new century. Other men have lab
ored and you are entering, into their
| labors. You are the wheels that must
roll forward the chariot of God. All
your powers were given you for Christ's
sake. He expects you to give them
back with interest. with increment
earned in life
He with the five talents went and
traded. The Greek of this in the FAM
lily of languages means work. It's the
divinity of toll, the Goodness of work!
The chivalry Of labor grows brighter as
! the days go by"
"A man in Boston died, leaving not a
/ cent of his missions to charity or be-
! nevoent works. Even the secular pa
| pers damned his name to eternal obliv-
ion. The world is emphasizing more
and more the watchword of the last