The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-06-04
School Closing.

! The Moses Levi Memorial Institute
had its closing exercises last Monday
evening, preceded On Sunday L very
able sermon by Rev. J. ". Oliver OF
Florence. and although efforts proved
unavailing to procure Il speak ker from
abroad to deliver the annual address
Rev. P. 5. Wells proved himself to be
an excellent ''emergency man 1or
Notwithstanding the short notice given
him he delivered one of the finest ad-
dresses we have ever listened to on
such occasions.
| The Institute auditorium was hIIed
with an appreciative audience, and the
we'll selected program was magnlh-
Gently carried out. The graduating
class performed their parts in most
creditable manner. and it is not sur
Drisinp that the trustees should have
| displaved the good Judgment to rec ect
the present teachers. Their work has
been so satisfactory that not the slight
est complaint has ever reached our
ears, and the work done was an eXhl-
bition of duty well performed. The
declaimers were far above the average
in rendition and subjects selected, and
the essays would have been a credit to
college graduteS. The display made by
the children was indeed a picture OF
lovliness. The music and singing
brought forth merited applause. Major
Abe Levi fer the trustees made splen-
did report of the Institution and in do
inc so gave the parents and friends an
excellent talk. Professor Pugh pre-
sented the diplomas and certificates in
an appropriate manner, and then for
about an hour Rev. P. B. Wells enter
tanned the audience with an address,
bristling with humor, pathos, logic
and wholesome food for thought. we
herewith give our readers q brief
SYNOPSIS of his eloquently delivered ad-
dress: .,,.
Il have been asked to deliver lit
erarv address," Let me call your at
tention to that which lies at the founda-
tion of our noblest and best literature.
which is it's source and inspiration,
which is the foundation Of all that IS
highest and best in our civilization to-
dav. to the book of books, to the Bible.
For several reasons it is'worthy OF your
most earnest study.
1T is the oldest book in the world,
part of it dating back for 2OOO years
before the dawn of well authenticated
profane history. Yes, it reaches further
back,-to the beginning. before the
dawn OF creation: In the beginning
EGod'-It is the newest book IN the
world. The interest in it, instead OF
decreasing. is on the increase day by
dav. 1t is being studied as never be-
fore, Thousands Of books and pamph-
| lets are issued from the press each year,
the sole object of which IS to throw
light on this Book. In each OF the
past ten years the B. and F. Bible So
ciety has circulated four times as many
COPIES of the Bible as in any previous
year of it's history: The American Bible
Society p times as many.
The Bible is more provocative OF
thought than any other, than all other
books. The great English Premier:
spent the last and maturest years OF
hts life in preparing volume on this
book, The impregnable Rock OF Holy
Scripture
:sVoltaire and Ingersoll predicted
that in few years it would become
obsolete. They are dead and gone, but
millions each year are accepting 1t as
their guide, and 5000 churches were
built last year for its study.
The Bible is literature: the poetry
of the Psalms and the reaches of thought
of Isaiah have not been equaled. 1t Is
the inspiration of the best in our liter
ature. Dante's Divine Comedy and
Paradise Lost of Milton. 1t has mad
a wonderful effect in moulding our Ian
guage, and the great masters OF En-
glish style have been moulded by Its
study. -,
''It is at the foundation OF our civil
and religious liberty.
1T is the great agent in uplifting
mankind. Our noblest institutions ind
their foundation here.
':It solves all the questions OF the
present and future.
cit must be the cornerstone OF every
institution of learning that shall stand
the test of time and live to bless the
world. I commend it to your earnest
study. And you, who leave these walls
tonight, take it for your guide, fashion
YOU characters according to its teach
ing, and your lives will be grand sue
cesses in time and eternity"