Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1903-06-12
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES.
Rev. n. r. Miles's Eaccalaureate
Before the High School Graduating
Class.

The baccalaureate sermon before the
graduating class Of the Brattleboro High
school was preached In the Congrega-
tonal church Sunday evening by Rev.
H. r. Miles. pastor of the church. 1t
was notably strong and impressive, and
the entire service was of unusual eN-
cellence The congregation filed the
floor and the galleries. The service
opened with an organ voluntary by Or
ganist f. G. Leitsinger, followed by a
violin solo by G. NJ. Dugan. The church
quartet sang Nenite EXultemus by
Flagler, after which there was Scrip
ture reading by Rev. @. b. Lawson, Of
the First Baptist church. The quartet
sang In Heavenly Love Abiding by
Brown Rev. r. X. Marvin. Of the Uni
versalst church, offered prayer, the con-
rregation sang a hymn. and then fol-
lowed the sermon. The text was Gene
sig NLNI, /: And Israel offered sacri-
fees to the God of his father jacob
Mr. Miles said:
THE Intellectual and moral tone Of
every community is a heritage. Brattle-
boro Is what it is because Of what those
who lived here before US made them
selves and IL. our village is known
throughout the country because of the
fine men and women who have gone out
from it, Is the town now producing as
responsible men and as gracious women
as it once did? Are we loyal to the works
and ideals OF the fathers?'
He spoke Of the family life Of the old
time. and the prominence Of the home
as the social unit. He spoke Of the re-
ligion of ~ years ago and Of its influ-
ence upon the whole community. After
pointing TO the home and religious ideals
of the Brattleboro Of the past, he turned
to the Brattleboro Of the future and the
LOT 40 a.
tions OF the fathers and make the COM
munlty what they neither We're able to
make it nor saw that 1t could be.
Addressing the graduating class he
said You have come to a turning
point in life. You have been given large
advantages at the expense Of others.
been taught the things that one must
know If he is to have the tools indlspen-
sable to success. You nave come into
the inheritance Of the ages, have known
from childhood the material comforts
which generations have toiled TO produce,
while the schools have shown you some
thing of the wisdom of the world.
There is a heritage better than gold md
better than learning 1t is what the
word civiliza ton stands for, is a way of
living that tells what people seek by
power and learning. what value they put
on wisdom and character. You have
been given knowledge, but 1t is for you
to turn ii into character. No one can
do that for you, and you can do it only
as YOU follow the truth you see.
You will ind that the knowledge you
have accumulated is a small part of
what you have TO learn. The best thing
you have learned and that most sure to
stay with you is a spirit which l hope
you have caught from your teachers, OF
earnestness, patience. and humble rever-
ence FOR truth which has made you her
suitors. | hope that you have gained
from teachers an ideal of the things to
aim at, and that you are determined to
try for them. You are TO show now what
you care for the ideals toward which
home church and school have pointed
you, and for the attainment of which
they have equipped you.
Take up enthusiastically your re-
sponsibiity toward all that is best in the
communicated to keep things as they
are.-but to make them what they may
be. Is any appeal 50 imperative or so
promising as this call to enter the Chris
tian life and service? Come, offer your
selves everyone a sacrifice to the God
Of your fathers. Take your place in the
multitude whom no man can number
who have loved God. who in different
times and places nave mnistered in the
kingdom of Him whose servants they
were and are. God bless you everyone.
and make you feel that he is your God. %