Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-06-25
AT COLBY.
Unusual Interest Shown in the
Graduating Exercises.
Program Of Good Things Noted at the
Annual Dinner.
A Continuation of the Successful Com
meneement Exercises.

Waterville, Me-, June 24.-(SpeciaD-
This has been a fairly good day for the
closing exercises of commencement.
The graduating exercises were held in
the forenoon and the commencement
dinner in Memorial hall on the
campus, at noon. The attendance at
the church in the forenoon was large
but not 50 large as it has been in years
past as the church was not crowded.
But it was well filled and the program
proved very interesting and enjoyable.
The first speaker was George Wooster
Thomas and he took for his subject
The Force of the Ideal in Human
Progress" This was to have been de-
liVered as the grafton of the senior
class day but az those exercises were
omitted, this year, it was given place
in the regular graduating exercises.
Mr.. Thomas graduates at the head of
his class and he showed his ability in
this article. He spoke in part as fol-
lows:
IF society We're not progressive the
study of history would be of compare
lively little value. Progress is uni
versal and is what makes life signi-
ficant In his span of life man has
progressed farther than any other
creature. His unconscious ideals set
him off absolutely from the rest of
creation and make his history the
grandcst story of earth. His progress
has been hut the outward symbol of
the progress of his ideals, those aspire
| tons that ever urge him onward and
upward. The force of these ideals may
| be detected first in mans progress in
| government. Evolution and the sur
vival of the fittest have led on to the
great republics of today, to king ruled
, upon their thrones by a sovereign
! people. Progress in religion until
| Christ came was largely a working out
| of mans religious instincts. Christ
| brought The one eternal, perfect ideal
! for humanity. Society ideals are
| closely connected with religious ideals
and the Christian religion is the great
moving force in the progress of human
! society Literature and art have gone
! far tC supplement 1T and so made this
world better. In nothing has man pro-
grcsscd farther than in education, in
nothing has his eternal craving for
truth been more clearly eXemplihed.
The great problem of latter day cdu-
cation. stated mathematiOally, is to
clear society of fractions. The frac-
tiOnal men, the zero man and even
the man of minus quantity may be of
use in solving the great human equa-
ton but that unknown quantity, the
| man nf fntn will
the integral perfected. The progress
of men as individuals warrants hope
in the progress of society The force
that created this world Of ours was an
ideal in the mind of the almighty God.
IThe forces that work out progress are
the ideals that He hath set within us.
And all is well though faith and form
be sundered in the night of fear Well
roars the storm to those who hear IL
deeper voice across the storm"
| Allison Mason Watts had for his
subject. The Test of Literature" and
handled it in an excellent manner.
comparing the masterpieces of differ
ent schools and showing what he con-
sidered to be the vital quality. He said
in part:
OF the making of books there is no
end This was true in Solomon's time
and it is true in our day. OF the great
quantity of literature given to the
world in former ages Il very small
fraction is alive today. The worth of
literature is determined not by con-
temporaneous criticism but by the APP
peal it makes to men. Literature in
order to live at all must appeal to the
interests of its readers and to gain i'm
mortality it must appeal to such in
terests as belong to man in all stages of
advancement. The intellectual inter-
ests of man are changing with every
age. Literature which makes it's APP
peal to these interests is bound to lose
it's life. Literature such as that of
the Commonwealth and Restora ton
periods in England, however popular it
may be in it's day, has ever been short
lived since it appeals to passing polti-
cal and social interests. All works
which appeal to interest in intellectual
Cleverness such as the works of Pope
and Dryden are doomed to failure in
the struggle for existence. Literature
appealing to superstitious belief as
the romantic novels and poems of the
later medieval times soon loses its
vitality. Work appealing to the love of
lartifice as the ancient Greek plays
I loses its interest and becomes an easy
victim of accident and neglect The
great ethical interests of men are ever
the same. Immortal literature must
appeal to these interests. The Illiad
lives because it pictures the human
side of its characters. Dante's divine
comedy lives today because it appeals
to the unchanging sympathies of men.
Paradise Lost" exhibits enduring
vitality In its appeal TO mans higher
imaginative faculties. Don Quixote
shows the final triumph of virtue.
Shakespeare lives because he SO vivid
ly portrays human nature. "Pilgrim's
Progress causes men to turn their at
tention to their own heavenward striv-
ing souls. The Bible lives more album
dainty than all other books because it
is universal source of inspiration.
The popular literature of today may
have but a short life. The best is
/ never surest to be appreciated. Litera-