The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1906-05-17
ADDRESS
OF Dr.. James Robertson, Of
Mcdonald College.
At . Special Meeting az Bsres
College Chapel, the Night
Of Friday. May 4.

men;-lo DE perfectly frank, 4 came
here for my own pleasure. Some
times the path OF pleasure and the
path OF duty lie within the same
hedges. II so happens ON this occa.
sion.
When first found | could come
TO Kentucky | promised myself the
pleasure OF seeing Berea and Of see
ing the best that Berea had--in It's
young men and young women who
were striving 70 qualify themselves 10
live out the largest and happiest and
most useful lives they could, in this
wonderful country which is to be
yours when you are ready to enjoy
il. | believe | own more OF the out
doors here than half the people who
own the land. | think took more
of that scenery into my heart and
shall carry it's glory through life
and some people think il common
place and get no uplift and no inspi-
ration from the Lords handiwork,
the drapery Of the sky with cloud,
the picture OF the cattle on a thous-
and hills, in their grace and strength
and quiet repose. own that now,
hereafter. am enriched by coming
down here-I shall carry OF a whole
countryside with me. What more
can you make Of Il than dor You
may grow wheat and corn, but
shall get wheat and corn al home.
And so | have enriched myself in
capturing this land-without making
you any poorerl
And ! am delighted that you have
such a good country. | hope you
will make the best use OF il. ID
would be an awful mistake for young
men 10 be born into the glory OF
that inheritance aud then 10 60
through life with a cowardly spirit;
10 say, am here and the world
owes me a living; for lad 10 come
into one Of these farm homes, to
look out on men and brave hearted
women who first came into the will
derness and hewed out those homes,
and then say, Oh, il matters not
whether l DO anything or not; the
world owes me living anil I'm
bound 20 have il. Such a lad as
that may have life--everything that
his ancestors could leave, except their
spirit--and that is the best and
choicest inheritance you can have
from these who have gone before you.
One Of your countrymen came up
our way at one time and told this
story. Our people were making the
most Of the land there, but they
were not doing quite as much as he
thought they might do; they were
tri1e more foolish than they might
have been, little more selfish than
perhaps they should have behaved, a
little less kindly to their neighbors
than perhaps their ancestors might
have liked them 10 be; aud he said
he would tell them story about a
Kentucky horse and a Kentucky boy.
This boy was out on the roadside,
straw hat, shirt front open and one
good strong brace held by a nail
pushed through. / know just what
be looked like-Pve seen a lad Just
like that up in Canada; sturdy and
hearty and self possessed. A man
came along on horseback, asking the
way TO some place, | rather think il
was Richmond but won't be sure;
the name has slipped me. But this
man on horseback was a sight to the
boy because OF the kind Of horse be
rode. He was pioneer preacher
in those days and some Kentuckian
who had no use for this horse, spa
vined and ring boned and with every
kind Of blemish, gave this horse to
the minister for his charger. Well,
as the minister came along he said
20 the boy, (Which is the road to
RichmondY" The boy was so alb
sorbed in the attempt to find place
on the animal for another blemish
that he did not hear the man.
wake up, boyl Wake up, wake upl
Which is the road to RichmondY',
The boy woke up-"Oh, oh, who are
your" "Well, I'm a follower OF the
Lord. Which way do go TO Rich
mond ?" The boy went back TO the
horse. "Oh, follower of the Lord
Well, it doesn't make any difference
which way you take you'll never
catch up with him on that horsel"
So you may have the best land for
agriculture, and that inheritance, but
unless you make the best of what
you are and may be you will never
catch up on anything.
/ am glad TO find you have such
a good college, with a history that's
worth cherishing, But every college