Milford chronicle., 1902-06-27


president, trustees and faculty Of
Princeton university request the pleas
ure Of your company Mt the exercises |
to be held during commencement /
week" That was all the wording the /
square card had on it, yet those |
twenty-three words had for me an
absorbing interest.
That invitation attracted me be !
cause it was sent by one of my old !
Sunday school scholars. AS l held the
square card in my hand l seemed to
be standing again in the sacred room
Of the dear old Second Prest yterian
church in Pittsburg. ! could ice this
young man, then a little hoy tn short
trousers. sitting at the feet Of his
teacher. could hear the swee. young
voices singing the old songs we always
loved to sing. As read between the
lines of that invitation | solilCquiZed:
How time does slip away! Ny Sun
day school scholar is now a grown
man. Willie's name has been changed
to William. He is no longer Il child.
Graduating from one of the greatest
universities Of the world, he IL about
TO step forth to the battle of life Il
fully equipped recruit. lie is about to
take his position by my side in the
ranks. We must hereafter look upon
each other as brothers"
Then as | still read that invitation
my study room changed again.
seemed to be a thousand miles away.
| was walking through the long cor
ridors of memory. 1t seemed to me as
though had gone back to Il e time
when l myself, gOwned and capped,
was marching with the senior class to
participate in the scenes attending my
own graduation. The classmates who
were then seated by my side have all
scattered. Some are ministers, some
lawyers, some doctors, some electri-
clans, some merchants and some sol
dicrs. They are living in the north
and the south, the east and the west.
Some are dead. That graduation scene
was a sad time for many of us. Col
lege affections are very stronl;. We
young men knew that we should never
be to each other the same again.
Then. as sat in the quietude Of my
study with the hopes and anXieties of
my own graduation day passing; in re-
view before me. / said to myself, 81
wonder if some of the young people
whom know and love who are grad
uating from school or college this June
month would not like me to CO. ne an(
sit by their side and tell them whaf
the commencement exercises truly
mean in their lives" | wondered as
sat there holding that invitation in m!
hand if could not at this critical tim'
of their lives say something to inspir
them, to nerve them and to encourage
them not only with faith in themselves
but also with faith in God. and
bowed my head over that white invita-
ton and made this simple, earnes
PRAYER: 80 God, help me to say some
thing that may be helpful to the youni
people who are graduating this sprini
and about to buckle on the armOr o
life. 0 Christ, may be able I'd brin
my young friends nearer TO thee, S
thou shalt bless them. May lis pie
be answered in the noble lives cf thes
8 young men and women, which shall b
cOnsecrated to thee and thy service
? For Jesus sake l ask it. Amea."
A Word of Congratulated
l congratulate the young men an
women who are graduating from IL
e. different higher institutions this Jur
2. because now the financial stugg
TO which many have undergone for IL
u sake of an education is practical
over. Here and there Il your g ma
l. who receives a college diploma may
the son of a rich father. He may ha'
\ had during his scholastic career no al
n. biton; be may have gone thrOua
n. school and college merely because
rich parents compelled him TO so;
may have spent most of his time
idleneSs and only worked enough
ell just slip through the different eXal
. nations by what is known in cole
y. as "cramming" with the aid Of 1 tut,
But such young man does no, repl
sent the great mass of college grad
ates. For most young men and WON
the acquiring of a higher educati
has been a struggle, an awful fina
cial struggle. Most of the college grI
yates come from humble homes, a
the education of these young men a
women represents intense sacrifc e la
srg ing through many years not only
or their own part, but also on the part
M M their loved ones.
ces Let us study as an illustrat on
~" past life Of that young man who t
year is graduating at the head Of
class at Yale or Harvard or the {
v versity Of Michigan or the Un vers
Of Nebraska. In all probability he v
born in farmhouse. The family v
comparatively poor In raising enol
FL. money to send him to college his me
er broke down her health; his sist
for years have taught school or wor
- in the factory to put him there; the
Their. to put him there, dismis sed
mel hired man who once helped upon
bow farm; the boy himself has had to I
'Sadl the chapel bell. to work during the
rate mcnths of summer. to wait upon
dies college dining room table. to tutor b;
ssses ward students. to work night and
lies " in order to stay there. Few Pc
fins realize what the struggle of gettiI
lions college education means.
? for One day classmate was lool
Oiiis very blue and depressed. l salt
urni him: "What is the matter? Has
ng IN thing gone wrong?" yes" he
mr. swered, something has gone WI
and awfully wrong. You know ia
Az and mother do not dress very well.
in, went around in the homes of the
ferent boys and saw how well
parents dressed began to be asha
of my parents wardrobe. Late
have been upbraiding father for v
I'll +, ing such shabby clothes. Last mis-
again asked him to get a new
lues, why, father l said, you have
bought a new suit for three years,
mothers dress is so old and has
iei1'0A made over so many times that
q needle marks make the cloth look
wire netting all full of holes
n IN that my father turned and lookt
me. Tears came into his eyes {
. said: Harry, 1 am sorry you
ashamed of the way your mother
hat. / dress; but, my boy, have rot
n esr.v much money and it is hard to got {
9loE, We do not dress as well as we