The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-05-29
BACCALAUREATE SERMON.
Delivered by Rev. 1. N. Woodward at the Leon
M. e. Church. before the Class of 'O2.
SUNDAY. MAY rs. 1902.


insufficient preparation for life's work.
1t has been estimated that more than
one half of the failures last year in the
business world were the result of incom.
plete and insufficient preparation for
commercial career. Some young people
imagine that time spent in preparation
for life's work is time wasted. Does
farmer think that it is waste of time to
sharpen his sickle before he goes forth
to the days moving? No. 1t is rather
a saving of time. A man with sharp
sickle will do more and better work in
the hours that remain after the sickle is
sharpened than will the man who works
all day with dull machine. So it is in
life's work. The young man or young
woman who takes the hour in the
morning Of life to make the most
thorough preparation possible may
not start out in his or her chosen
profession quite as early by some years
as other young people, but it will be
only little time until the one with
complete preparation will demonstrate
his superiority in the quality of the
work accomplished and the results
achieved. A common school education
Is better than no education as prepa.
ration for life's work. A high school
education is better than common
school education. But college educa-
ton is better still, and is within the
reach of any young person who really is
ambitious to obtain it, We wish that
we might inspire in each of you the de.
slres and purposes of success the very
best that life has to offer. Don't be in
haste to launch forth upon life's great
enterprise. Take time to prepare thor
oughly. We have known of a boy who
IN attending church one Sunday morn.
Ing heard his pastor deliyer sermon on
the creation Of mar. The text was,
And the Lord God formed man out of
the dust of the ground" "Well," said
the boy, "if God can make man out of
dust can make one out of mud SURELY"
While dinner was being prepared he
slipped off to near by pond and began
his experiment. He labored diligently.
Out of the mud he formed the cast of a
mans head. To this he added a BODY.
10 this be appended two arms and one
leg. At this juncture he was called to
dinner. 1t was his plan after dinner to
return and complete the work. While
at dinner, however, several playmates
coming to spend the afternoon with him
passed near the. pond and seeing the
mud figure were drawn to it by curiosity.
The thought occurred to one that it
would be an opportunity to play joke
upon their friend. However, they de.
termined to push the mud man down
into the pond, and wondered what their
4 playmate would say and do if he re.
turned. The afternoon passed and the
boys returned to their homes. The other
returned to the pond to find his man
gone. But seeing the tracks in the mud
he took it for granted that they were
conclusive evidence of the success of his
experiment. Several days afterward he
attended public sale in the neighbor-
hood in company with his father. Most
of those present were strangers to the
boy. There was man who had but
one leg who attracted his attention. He
followed this man around until his at.
tentions were exceedingly annoying.
The man turned to him and said, 'Boy,
have l got anything that belongs to
you? If you have anything to say to
me say it," To this challenge the boy
replied, "What did you 60 off for before
1 got through with you?" Young
friends, if you start out in life without
complete preparation we imagine that
the formative influence of life will say to
you, "What did you go off for before 1
got through with your" Vacancies are
occurring every day in important de.