Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-05-31

sunday evening, the occasion be
ing the Baccalaureate sermon deliver
ed by Rev. Mr.. Fleetwood to the grad
uating class of 1906 Special seat.
were reserved for the class on th,
left-hand side of the center aisle and
the speaker devoted most of his at
tention to the young men and womer
just starting ont on the more serious
problems OF life
The music was excellent the regu
lar choir being augmented by several
voices, among the number being Mr.
Lewis of Fort Lewis. who sang sole
in his usual happy manner. Mr.
Fleetwood was in good voice and a
synopsis of his remarks will be OF
interest. as follows:
BE not deceived: God is not
mocked; for whatever man soweth
fnat shall he also reap" Gal Ol:7.
count Is great privilege to be
permitted to address. the members OF
this splendid class upon the eve of
their commencement Whit r. won.
drous wealth of meaning there Is
contained in the word Commence
ment" How much it has to say to
you about the splendid opportunities
and privileges that are opening mp be
fore you as You go forth upon the
journey of life. 1t is as though you
were standing upon the threshold of
great hallway-along the sides of
which there were innlmerable open
lnnrC
the word Opportunity" That is
what gives this mdescribable charm
10 Commencement.
II was the custom. not so many
Years ago and believe the custom
obtains somewhat largely today. to
tell young people that their school
days are the 'happiest days of their
lives" because they are free from
care or worry and anxiety. | think
that the person who is responsible
for that theory must nave missed the
most valuable lessons, not only in his
school days, but also in later years.
don't believe that ones school days
are the happiest days of his life. The
cares and troubles and perplexities
that come to the boy or girl in school
are quite as great in proportion to
their years and experience, Ms are
the cares and anxieties that come to
men and women in later years. True
education, the education that de.
yelops the whole man, mentally. phys
tcally and spiritually. trains and pre-
pares him to go forth into Gods
great and beautiful world and find
that true and lasting happiness that
only the educated man can enjoy
the ability to enter into and appre
clate the highest and noblest and hes,
things in life.
Our text proelaims lesson fhal
You may well bear in mind as you go
forth from this training school into
your chosen vocation in life
Be not deceived: God is no.
mocked for whatsoever II mar
soweth that shall he also reap
This appears to be very simple
metaphor until We attempt 10 unfold
i; and see what 1t really implies
There is nothing with which we are
sowing and reaping. The farmer
scatters the grain over the upturned
field and goes his way. But he does
so trusting in two of the
most wonderful and nscrutable
forces of mture-s The first is
that mysterious force which
lodges in nature herself, which seiZes
upon the seed intrusted to her, and
compels it to grow. BY a curious ami
silent method of coercion she compels
the seed to unfold integiment after
integument. She urges the little
germ at the center To- vegetate and
sprout. Her rains fall upon IT, her
sun warns it; her chemical supply
feeds II with The necessary elements
for its nurture and growth.
The second of these mysterious
forces is that strange quality which
lodges within the seed itself and
which determines what the fruit shall
be. The little seed may be as insig
niiicant as a specll of dust and yet
1t possesses within itself a power
which determines finally whether the
thing that shall grow from It shall be
wheat or some worthless weed
Now the apostle applies these ia.
miliar physical facts to moral and
spiritual things. He says. in effect
that our life. this life with its com
plex arrangement and forces Is like
a great upturned field; that our
thoughts, words. deeds and impulses
are the seeds which we fling into this
field, and that the final harvest OF
life (our character) is going to de-
pend upon the kind OF seed we choose
to SOW.
This is only another way of stat
ing the important truth that this won
derful universe in which we live and
move and have our being, is an or
dered universe-a place where certain
causes produce certain results. It Is
world where Il IS absolutely i'm
possible for ms to fgsther grapes
of thorns, or figs of thistles;f a world