Omaha daily bee., 1906-06-04
SERMON TO THE GRADUATES
Twentieth Century KnishthOOd the Topic Of
Dr.. L. d. Osborn.
FIELD VET FOR KNlGHTLY QUALITIES
Points ont TO Them the Necessity in
some Field or other of Making
the world Better for Their
Having Lived.

Twentieth Century Knighthood' was the
subject and quit you like men, be strong"
was the text taken by DIT. L. ID. Osborn,
president of Dies Moines college, for the
baccalaureate sermon which he delivered
yesterday afternoon at the high school
auditorium 10 the graduating class and an
audience which filled the hall.
Opening, Irf Osborn gave description
of chivalry as the flower of the feudal
system and described the process by which
the man became a knight and the oath
the knight took Continuing, he said in
part: |9- e.---.
Sometimes we are ,lnclined 10 look back
10 those Older days with longing ana wish
made warm the, blood and the women s
colors rewarded proves. But Il we could
shield our eyes from the binding light of
this commonplace day, we would realize
that there never was an age that called
more loudly for the true Qualities of
knighthoOd, and never was a wider oPPo9r-
than today. II in my talk this afternoon
l can NIL you with aiittle more inspiration
to become true knights irn this day 1 VIII
have accomplished my desire.
Necessities OF KnIEhthOOd.
Three things are absolutely essential in
knighthood The leader to follow, a cause
to Sspouss 'sgd geid 5Nr the fray fray. things
are more inlportantain life than the ques-
ton OF the headers to whom we attach
many OF the things you have learned in
school you viii feel the Impress OF the
leaders whom you have met here among
your teachers. want frankly to COM
mend YOU TO the leadership Of Jesus of
Nazareth, Whatever special views you
may have of His person, He was the most
knightly man who ever lived.
We find that He realized that the work
Of the warrior was oriy preparatory 20
oppressed, and the part of His mission
that has taken strongest hold upon me
to the performance OF deeds OF mercy,
eliminating in the giving OF HimsetL as, q
sacrifice for men. Here, then Is a kn nl
self the true qualities of knighthood. 1t Is
to His leadership that 1 wish you to COM
second, a cause to espouse. This cause
we ind connected Immediately with Christ,
and is the same which He made His; II
involves that you shall not live your lives
seihshly, but that you shall combat wrong
wherever you find 1t. and further the right
a true knight who does not get outside of
himself and give himself TO some phase OF
social service that appeals to nm as ,,i sn-
In life is that so many people live without
this motive and do not awake until TOO
IVES have, really counted for nothing.
Third the field for the fray. We rejoice
today in the fact that we DO not i've IN
an age when the followers of Christ feel
called upon to go aside into the cloister
and the cave, and let the rich life Of the
T tIor in SW n The field for the exercise Of
knightly qualities is this wonderful com
pick life all about us. LET me eaIi your
attention to some departments OF IL
Field IL Large Enough.
In the nrst place there is the political
arena | wonder IL see before me IN
this graduating class the future governor
OF the state and the future mayor OF rar .ne
aentatiVes and members of the national
congress? II they are not here they ou uIat
TO be- Our nation was fpun fo6d ,S IN re-
ligion, Our fotefathers were willing 20
sacrifice personal inclination tor PUBIC
welfare Have we departed from their
ideals? II we have in the past we are
coming back to them today. No one can
measure the good that Is being accom- n,
the leadership of such true knights a, as
President Roosevelt, Governor FOLK
Mayor Weaver snd ba mSpy TO tSeir poteai
party or not, or even II We think they
make mistakes, their knightly character
is exercising a tremendous influence upon
the young men of this country. In the
world OF business there Is every oppor-
tupity for leaders of the knightly sort
We are passing through one of the great
est Industrial histories of the world. Nc
one can foresee just now what is 10 DC tht
outcome, but 1t Is evident In the guidine
of our industrial destiny we need men OF
unseldsh purpose and determination 70 see
the right prevail. | might call your atten.
tion at great length to the m MAJ nelc
bflities in a physicians life for a work o.
ministry and helpfulness. The lawyers call
ing to furnish the bulwarks of society; ths
opportunity offered in the Christian min
istry, both for participation In public al
fairs IN the moulding of thought and II
personal helpfulness, and I must not for
get. either that great field Of life which 4
open TO the gaze OF the world, but wmct
is no less important than these OF which
have spoken, the, field of the home and
of society in the narrower sense OF tina
term, where woman reigns supreme. IT
the days in which We live the chief bust
ness OF woman is not TO be defended by
some knight She herself has become
knight, and In the realms dstinctively hel
own there is call for the exercise Of
knightly qualities as true and strong a.
any that are called for on the field of bat
tie. You will md the field for the fray
life you may choose your mission.
The members OF the senior class wer,
seated in the fpohtl rows, as were IT,,
members of the faculty OF the Higl
school and the members of the board o
education.
The service opened with the singing 0
America" by the audience followed b.
prayer by Rev. r. A. Case pastor of tn
First Baptist church. who also pro
nounced the benediction at the close Dur
ing the services two hymns, "Nicaea" an
1--WE March to Victory" were sung b.
the audience.
Board of Education Meeting.