The farmer and mechanic., 1906-06-05
Graduating Exercises at
the State School.
DIPLOMAS TO THREE
Annual Literary Addre - Delivered bN
Dr. Alfred IL. Moment. His sub
iecf Being. some Great
Ones Of History Who
Were Blind"

| tsit'' 80 lt'''I III Atif i#tiitA - - ta''
| yesterday morning. and the occasion
| was one of the most interesting ot
| RaIcigh's commencement season.
| There were three graduates. these be-
| ing Mr.. William Luther Rushing. ot
| Union county, Mr. Horace l. Allen. of
| Caldwell county. and Miss Belle Rob
| inaon, Of Forsyth county.
| After an appropriate prayer was
offered 10y Rev. Z. +. Bumpas. u. u,
| pastor of Edcnton street Methods
| church. the chorus class rendered
| Gounod's Unfold. Ye Portals" from
| Redemption.
An essay showing something Of The
| liberal range in thought and literature
in which the students OF the stat
| school for the Rlind. and instructed
was spoken IVY each of tie graduates
The ESSAYS indicated a strong grasp on
| the powers the speakers possessed and
q broad moral and mental vision. re-
Ncaling deep knowledge of the pur-
pose IF life. Already they have caught
All inspiring glimpse Of the delcctabI"
mountains Of life. and have expert
cnced beatifc visions. seeing the glo-
GicS Of achievement resulting from
right endeaVOr.
The subject of Mr.. Horace l.. Al
lens essay was "opportunity." and it
was an oration worthy to be long re-
Il spendid speaker. and his address de-
lighted the audience.
Miss Belle Robinson spoke on Les
sons from Milton" She revealed
wonderful insight into the truths and
the beauties of Milton's delightful and
puissant poetry, and her enthusiasm
VAS communicated to the hearts of
her hearers. The essay was remark
ablc-shc. a blind girl. had searched
the mysteries and felt the deepest
charms and hottest ecstacios Of the
blind poets verses and the Lessons
she had learned from the spiritual
study of Milton we're a revelation. Her
essay was of rare literary excellence. ~
Mr.. Luther l.. Rushing is a blind
orator. His subject was. ''The Future
Of the AnglOSaXon Race" and show
ed him to be q profound student Of
history, government and races. His
address was not sOphomo oric, abound
ing in rhetorical ScintillatiOnS and
laundering sentences: he spoke intel
ligently, producing substantial argu-
ments and yet by his wisdom and ell
oqucncc. he held the absolute atten-
ton of the audience from the begin
ming.
significant fact about the three
ESSAYS WAS the lofty sentiments Of
patriotism thcN contained. together
with an optimism that was contagious.
and a spiritual fcrvor that GloWed in
the faces of the speakers while thcN
SpOlIc. This light came from Within
them
Anon" those who performed upon
The piano were Messrs. Fred Pigford.
Fred Royal and Hubert Stephenson.
and they played with a power and
sympathy that was responsive in the
audience, Their technique was spen-
did. their Interpretation excellent and
they reflected much credit upon the
Sreat institution. The school band is
one of the best in the State. and il
rendered several delightful numbers
The Literary Address.
The annual literary address was de
IiFcred by Rev. Alfred II. Moment d
-, pastor of the First Presbyterian
church. His subject was: some Great
Ones from History Who Were Blind"
Dr. Moments address wcS listened To
with rapt attention by the blind stu
dents. and their faces ShCne While he
spoke. He said in part:
1T was said away back in old
Greece that those who have nliSfortunpS
the gods compensate with superior
|cndoWments. Blindness is considered
q great misfortune, but | want to say
TO YOU today that. blindness is a great
misfortune with glorious cOmpenSa-
ton if you viii only make YOUR mis-
fortune an inspiration to hard work
and to noble ambition, that YOU may
bear Your misfortune with Christian
fortitude. The only life worth living
is the life lived in the light of Gods
providence and care. 1t is this fact
that is brought out in so many pages
of history.
Il cannot do better in beginning
than referring you to the fine subioct
of Miss RobinsOn.s essay John Milton
He was forty-four years of age when
his natural sight failed him But |
want you to observe that John Milton
with sight was not as great
as John Milton with no
sight was great. Had he died at
not have heard that splendid essay this
Imorning. When his sight was snatched
away his heart began to soften and
his sympathies grew broader. When
he had the inner birth it was then that
the poet was born. John Milton to-
day is enshrined in the temple Of
Paradise Lost. and that was never
conceived before he was a blind man
He was six years a blind man before
he sat down to that great work. and
he was twelve years a blind man when
he finished it John Milton as a
man sighted was man hard and vim
dictiVe. and it was when he was
blind man that this mighty child was
born Of him, and Paradise Lost stands.
today monument to a man who was
blind.
'Timoleo was a Greek. born blind
in Corinth $50 years before Christ. He
was Democrat who stood for con
stitutional government. for the rights
of the common people, and for the
freedom of the masses When he was
thirty years of age because his
brother wanted TO oppress the people
they Warred and he slew his own
brother. He was banished and lived
in exile fifty years. One day he heard
a voice telling him to go to Sicily. and
he formed an army and defeated his
enemies and established a constitutional
government that lasted three hundred
and forty years. When this man died
there was monument put up in SyYa
cuSe. ana that monument stayed there
Mr.. Tasker Polk of WarrentOn vac