The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-05-20
HAPPY GRADUATES
RECEIVE DIPLOMAS
Splendid Addresses at Bap
fist Female University.
DR.. ]. w. WILLARD SPEAKS
The Ah Exhibit Sple ndid One and ihe Closing
Barquet Last Night Was Greatly
Enjoyed by Delighted
Participants.

1t was Graduation Day. at the Bap
list Female University yesterday, an,
there were many pleasant incidents con
nected with the fms of the commence
ment exercises of 1903
Three events marked it. This was TIL
presentation of diplomas and bibles, thu
splendid art exhibit and the banuet to thu
Alumnae at night.
The exercises of the day began at clever
O'Clock in the University auditorium
where large audience had gathered in an
ticipation of the events of the morning
Coronation was sung, and this was FOL
lowed by prayer conducted by DR. Thomas
E. Skinner.
Then, as prelude to the annual adj
dress the University chorus sang the an
them by Sullivan, 1.-The Lost Chord" 1t
was magnificently rendered and was re
oeived with applause. Then the orator
who was to delight the audience was intro
duced.
THE ANNUAL ADDRESS.
The speaker of the day was Rev. ]. w.
Willard. pastor of the Eutaw Place Bap-
list church of Baltimore
He is a magnetic and eloquent speaker.
His face indicates the coming thought,
and his eyes glow with its intensity At
times twinkling with humor anon deep
with serious thought and did actic utter
ance. the lessons taught in the splendid
address were such as to reach the heart
and their fruition must be for better
life.
The theme of the address was 1.-THE
Road of Loving Heart" and in develop
ing this the eloquent speaker said in part:
IAN interesting incident comes before
us IN the life of Robert Louis Stevenson.
Descended from a race of civil engineers
his father destined him for the same prac-
teal career, but there was that III Stew
enson which was akin to the free life of
the rover. He set his ambition toward
becoming man of letters, and toward
that bent every energy of his strangely
wonderful being
He was an invalid from his infancy
and so all his life long he was engaged
not only upon the task OF writing, but in
that grim struggle of keeping back tie
en-comIng forces sofs CONSUMPTION. Ia his
search for health he went into SwitLer-
land, France, Australia, and our own wes-
tern country of California 1t was from
there that ne set sail on that fairy jour
ney, sailing on a chartered vessel that
took him among the islands of the beauti-
tul pacific. By a strange freak of fancy
he was led to establish his home for the
last several years of his life on the island
OF Samoa, and it is in connection with his
residence there that the story is told
which l bring to you this morning On
the island OF Upolu, three miles from
Apia, on a. hill lying back from the Pa
cifc, three hundred feet above the level
of the ocean, in the midst of a tropical
forest Stevenson bought his ranch and
there built the home in which he lived
and worked until the day of his burial.
Being on a high Hill the road to It was
rocky, steep and narrow, exceedingly diff
6cult for the passing of a vehicle.
The most noticeable feature of his resi-
dence there was the love in which he
was held by the natives. Being always at
war, some of them were always IN trouble
ard many in prison. Stevenson visited
them and in many ways suggested by his
kindly heart proved himself a true friend
to the natives.
Then the goodness of their hearts sug-
gested itself. A group of the chiefs gath
cred one day with their retainers and
hired men and set to work to repair the
road from Apia to the house of their
friend. They changed its grade, leveled
it down and threw it UP, drained it well