The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-30
AT STATE NORMAL
CLOSING EXERCISES BEGIN WITH
 SERMON BY DR. FISHER.
Interesting Discourse on Text "I.et no Man Despise Thy ycuth.n Recita4ions and Display
 Work Today.

The State Normal School of this city began its closing exercises yesterday with sermon by the Rev. c. |. Fisher, D. D., pastor of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Birmingham.
 The Normal Chapel was packed to the door and hundreds failed to get admittance. Some excellent music was rendered by the students. and the preacher received the closest attention from his audience. A liberal collec- ton was taken up for the Hale In firmaFy.
 The text for the occasion was: Let no man despise thy youth" Tim. iv:12. The preacher, after giving brief account of Paufs career to show why he was a suitable character to give such an injunction as Is contained in the text, and after depicting the char acter of Timothy to show why the in- junction was necessary in his csse, urged the following points demon- strating the proposition. that Life is What You Make 1t In Youth. I. The relation of youth to the oth- ti) It is the impressionabIe period of life.
 It is the melted metal to be poured 1 into moulds of whatever shape or form may be desired. At this period any | impression can be more easily made than later in life.
 t2) Youth forms the basis of life's activity.
 What the foundation is to the house, | that youth Is to the remaining years of life. The utility and durability of building largely depends upon the kind of material the foundation is made of and the thoroughness with | which 1t is put together. As rule | the first fifteen years of ones life are a safe index of the remainder. We can not expect a pious man from a prohigate boy, nor a chaste woman from a rude girl.
 II. Since youth means so much to the remainder of life 1t is well that we find out the
 Secrets of Success
 and espouse them while young. They aYe-
 CD Purpose.
 What men want is not talent but purpose; in other words not the power to achieve, but the will to iabor.' (2) Self-eonfidence. No timid. fearful, doubtful character can ever succeed. 'Tf you would suc- ceed up to the measure of your possi- 1 biiities, hold constantly to the belief | that you are success organised, and that you will succeed whatever op- poses.
 l (3) Perseverance. | Lotion calls it sticking to your bush." Paul calls it reaching forth and pressing toward the mark This Is no aimless floating with the tide; | but a swimming up stream, an ever lasting padding and struggling for the desired haven.
 W Gods presence is a secret of success.
 Moses realized that there. was no success without the presence of God. So he declined to go to Canaan with out him. If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence"
 The conclusion consisted of an ap- peal to the class to be loyal to their alma mater. to strive for distinction in their chosen lines. This. the speak CT emphasized, could only be attained by hard work. He here quoted the words of Edison that his success was due to ninety-eight per cent hard work, and two per cent precipitation.
 The call upon his race to be hopeful and vigilapt, was happy vein. and doubtless made the impression desired l ere he took his seat,
 The quotations from Scripture liter ature and history were profuse and appropriate. and gave evidence oi close investigation.
 Today there will be public recita. tions from 9 to 12. and display ot
 the work of the school until ?.
 There is a larger display than usu-
 al of the students work in the Liter
 ary and Manual Training departments
 and Prof. Paterson cordially invites
 the public generally to come and seG
 the large display of wood and iror
 work sewing, drawing, modelling
 basketry, weaving, etc.
 Tonight concert of vocal and in, strumental music will be given.
 The Jackson Street cars run to the
 school gate and extra cars will be pui
 on both day and night to accommo.
 date visitors. Cars will be in waitinr
 at the close of the concert.