The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-06-16
"FIGHT BRA VELY.v
Baccalaureate Sermon Before Glass
OF '04, Montpelier Seminary.

The bacoalaureate sermon for the
graduating students of MONTPELIER
Seminary was preached at 10. 30 O'Clock
on Sund'y morning in Trinity church
by Prof. Frank M, Howe.
The church was prettily decorated
for the occasion, the choir rail being
adorned with ferns and evergreen and
the altar banked with flowers and
ferns OF many varieties. Suspended
from the top of the organ were the
numerals of the class of '04 with their
colors. while the class motto, Ecce
Guam Videri, To be rather than to
seem'', was conspicuous above every
thing else in it's prominent place above
the organ seat. The graduates from
the various branches attended in a
body. marching into the church and
taking their allotted seats at the front
OF the church. James Howard and E.
j. Rogers acted as ushers. A double
quartette from the Seminary, under the
direction of Mrs. Gertrude l.. Harris,
rendered music of high quality,
Fred Keegan, tenor, Harold Dewey,
bass. Misses Erma Brown and Roberta
Rand sopranos, acting as soloists, as
sisted by Leon Wells, tenor, William
Jones, bass, and Misses Marjorie Err
win and Maud Sisco, altos. Prof. L.
j. Hathaway, presided at the organ.
Prof Howe took for subject the
words found in st. Paul's epistle to
Timothy, Thou, therefore, endure
hardness as a good soldier of Jesus
Christ" The key note OF the address
was the word bravery in its broad
sense and meaning as a quality essen.
tial tor the battles Of life. He said
that there was in every heart an ad-
miration for bravery and contempt
for cowardice, and illustrated this state
ment by bringing up the events of his
tory, which have thrilled the hearts
of men and left their impressions
stamped indelibly on the mind. We
do not have to look to warfare alone
for bravery, for it is found as truly
elsewhere as on the field of strife.
The Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth
Rock are as truly examples of bravery
though their motives were not assooi-
ated with warfare. He brought up
illustrations to show that bravery is
not confined to companies of men
alone, but applies equally to individ-
ual action, and there is glory attached
to the victory OF a mans self. We
should ever be mindful that we are
living in an age the advantages of
which have been purchased at great
price. 1t is our duty to maintain the
standard.
This life of ours is serious prob
lem. 1t is full of preplexities, anx-
ieties and bitter disappointments.
And this statement is not pessimism.
it is fact. A pessimist is not one
who accepts conditions as they are,
but one who is loath to see the eradi-
cation of difficulties and obstacles.
The question then is, How does the
brave man face the problem of life ?
In the first place he acknowledges the
existence of obstacles, faces the Tempt
ations of life squarely and does not
falter. A brave man may fall but he
does not stay down great while for
he is up and into the conflict again.
In the second place he does not care
tor approval of men when he is certain
he is doing the right thing He does
right even though the world does not
smile on him. This world needs men
who can suffer as we'll as do things.
A brave man must be gentleman.
He does not need to be clustering
man to show his bravery, for he is con-
soled by that power of reserve and
consciousness of that within him that
makes wrong quake. Every man